At the ceremony, also chaired by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, were decorated as Labor Heroines the undisputed queen of the international Paralympic movement for more than a decade, Omara Durand, and Gladys Bejerano, who led the Comptroller General of the Republic for the last 15 years.

Speaking at the ceremony, Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa highlighted López’s exceptional results in sports and, above all, his commitment to his people, to Fidel Castro, Raúl Castro and the Revolution, from whom he derives.

General Secretary of the Cuban Workers’ Union, Ulises Guilarte, extolled Durand and Bejerano’s deeds: More than winning medals in the 100, 200 and 400 meters on a track, he stressed, the most captivating thing about Omara has been her simplicity, her loyalty, and her love for her family and for Cuba, of which she is a current symbol of dedication and sacrifice.

In his words, Bejerano is one of the most vivid expressions of the fact that discipline and rigor at work, as well as loyalty to the Revolution, are essential attributes to defend the socialist society that is being built in Cuba.

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