A report from Channel 8 television indicated that during the inauguration of an ophthalmological clinic in Santa Barbara, the head of state expressed her gratitude to the Cuban people and government and added that this feeling of solidarity that they carry intrinsically in their hearts is to be admired and recognized.
According to the president, the surgical interventions carried out through Operation Miracle restore sight, hope, and the opportunity to live fully. She also highlighted the importance of this humanitarian program, which seeks to improve the vision of people with low economic resources, free of charge, and is now returning to Honduras after being suspended following the coup in 2009 against then-President Manuel Zelaya.
Castro recalled how this program, implemented during Zelaya’s government, represented a significant relief for many Honduran families “until it was interrupted by political sectarianism after the coup d’état.” “We have re-established the relationship with the Cuban government to return this miracle to our people,” said the president, and affirmed that the health project not only means seeing again but also recovering the opportunity to live again.
In her speech, the president highlighted the challenges that her government faces in recovering the natural resources and institutions of the State, which were privatized during the 12 years after the coup. “It has not been easy to recover what belongs to the people, rebuild institutions, and give them hope. It is an enormous challenge, but we are committed to achieving it,” she emphasized.
Operation Miracle began to be implemented in July 2004 and has extended to 34 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, benefiting more than six million people.
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