President Díaz-Canel Honors Cuban Rescue Workers Who Assisted in Venezuela

The members of the Cuban search-and-rescue brigade that worked in Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes of this past June 24 were awarded the "For Valor in Service" medal.

The first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and president of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, presented the "For Valor in Service" medal to the eighteen members of the Cuban search-and-rescue brigade that provided assistance in Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes of this past June 24, which claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people.

The ceremony, held in the Portocarrero Hall at the Palace of the Revolution, honored those who, even at risk to their own lives, stepped forward to provide help and assistance to the Venezuelan people amid one of the worst tragedies to strike that nation: two nearly simultaneous earthquakes measuring 7.5 and 7.2 in magnitude.

Lieutenant Colonel Rubén Eduardo Pupo Fuentes, head of the mission, said on behalf of his comrades that "when our plane touched down on Venezuelan soil, the aftershocks of the devastating earthquake that shook the lands of Simón Bolívar and Hugo Chávez could still be felt."

He said they did not feel like strangers, adding, "and at the same time, we carried in our memory the courage of our fallen brothers who confronted the Yankee attack at the beginning of this year. With the same resolve they showed in offering their lives, we bore the high responsibility of fulfilling our duty of solidarity with the peoples of the world."

Pupo Fuentes, now wearing the medal, noted that "alongside Cuban doctors and rescue brigades from other countries, we stood with every Venezuelan affected by the disaster, including the elderly, women, and children, to save their lives or bring peace to the families who lost their loved ones."

None of them wanted to rest, he admitted, until they were certain there was no longer any sign of life where they were searching. "Our greatest satisfaction came from the gratitude of those who saw us remain steadfast and united in the task before us," he added.

"That kind of dedication cannot be learned from manuals — it is born from the school of the Cuban Revolution, where we were taught that another person's life is sacred, and that deserves respect and devotion," he affirmed.

He stated that they left behind in Venezuela the commitment they will always uphold in memory of the teachings of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, and Commander Hugo Chávez Frías, Cuba's greatest friend.

"Upon returning to our homeland, before our President, the commanders present, and all of Cuba, we can give thanks for being granted the great honor of representing our people, of being useful; and with our heads held high, we can today say with all our strength: mission accomplished!"

Also present at the ceremony were members of the Political Bureau, Army Corps Generals Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, Minister of the Interior, and Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, First Deputy Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and Chief of its General Staff; Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Pérez Oliva Fraga; and other commanders and officers.

The Cuban brigade arrived in Venezuela on June 28, made up of specialists from various branches of the armed forces, and worked long shifts in the state of La Guaira alongside Cuban medical personnel and teams from other nations present in the country.