APP GRATIS

No data on Cuban doctors in Somalia: Esteban Lazo meets with the president of Kenya

Lazo has been in Kenya for two days. He has not reported on the situation of the Cuban doctors kidnapped five years ago, nor has he confirmed the alleged death of the doctors in Somalia.

Esteban Lazo en Kenia © Twitter Cancillería de Cuba
Esteban Lazo in Kenya Photo © Twitter Foreign Ministry of Cuba

Esteban Lazo met with the president of Kenya,William Ruto, to find out the details about the alleged death of the two Cuban doctors kidnapped in that country five years ago.

The president of the National Assembly of Cubais in Kenya for two days, but has not offered any information about the situation of the doctorsAssel Herrera Correa andLandy Rodriguez Hernandez, kidnapped in that country in 2019 and allegedly murdered a week ago in Somalia.

HeMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba (MINREX) published a message this Thursday on the social network X announcing Lazo's meeting with Ruto. Curiously, it includes as the first point on the talks agenda: "Cooperation with that sister nation."

Second is "getting information about doctorsAssel Herrera Correa andLandy Rodriguez Hernandez", something that they later clarify is their "prioritized mission."

The lack of information and the late actions of the Cuban government in the case of the kidnapping of the doctors in Kenya have exacerbated the anger of Cubans and some have expressed it openly on social networks.

Although Lazo met with the presidentWilliam Ruto, the Cuban government does not offer data about the case, it does not update the people about the situation of the doctors. Uncertainty grows about whether they remain alive or not, and that deepens the pain in family, friends and followers of such a delicate issue.

Al Shabaab statement

The possible death of the two doctors, in a drone bombing by the US armed forces on the jihadist group Al Shabaab in Somalia, was reported last week.

The attack took place on February 15, near the Somali town of Jilib. The military operation was confirmed by Somali authorities and byAFRICOM (US Military Command in Africa).

Both reports acknowledge the alleged deaths of civilians in the offensive. The US government said it would investigate the matter further.

Al Shabaab He was the first to report the death of the Cuban doctors in a statement, where he published two photographs showing the body of one of the deceased. However, none of the governments involved officially confirm the death of the doctors.

MINREX assures that it maintains contacts with authorities in Kenya and Somalia to clarify the facts. Time is running out and confirmations are not coming. The process has been slow and lacking transparency, fueling the perception of state abandonment of Cuban doctors.

In the midst of this uncertainty,Miguel Diaz-Canel He assured that "knowing the current situation of the beloved doctors is the government's top priority" and that "they will not rest until they achieve it."

His message, far from generating confidence, unleashed criticism because it is perceived that the regime's interest in the case has emerged late and as a result of suspicions of the possible deaths of the doctors.

The anguish of not knowing what happened to Herrera and Rodríguez hits the heart of the medical community and Cuban society in general, questioning the value that the government attributes to those citizens who serve the country in its "international missions."

The slow response of the authorities and the lack of an efficient communication strategy have demonstrated once again the need for changes in government management in Cuba.

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Gretchen Sanchez

Branded Content Writer at CiberCuba. Doctor in Sciences from the University of Alicante and Graduate in Sociocultural Studies.


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