In brief
On Nov. 5, Turin’s Deputy Mayor Michela Favaro and President of the City Council Maria Grazia Grippo hosted Cuba’s Deputy Minister of Public Health Julio Guerra Izquierdo to reaffirm solidarity amid the U.S. blockade. The meeting highlighted a medicine‑collection initiative, procurement of an emergency generator for a Cuban hospital, and recall of a March city council resolution supporting Cuba. A public session called “Healing Under Siege” followed, featuring Cuban health officials and activist representatives.
On November 5, Turin’s municipal authorities welcomed Deputy Minister of Public Health Julio Guerra Izquierdo to the city’s Civic Palace for a meeting that underscored Italy’s continued commitment to Cuba’s healthcare sector amid the ongoing U.S. economic blockade.
Deputy Mayor Michela Favaro and President of the City Council Maria Grazia Grippo met with Guerra Izquierdo in Musy Hall to discuss how power‑supply interruptions and shortages of medical supplies are crippling Cuban hospitals. They reaffirmed a pre‑existing cooperation framework dating back to the Cuban “Henry Reeve” medical brigade that served Italian patients during the early COVID‑19 surge.
The officials also reviewed a March 2024 resolution adopted by the Turin City Council that publicly condemned the blockade’s impact on Cuban oil supplies and the resulting energy crisis in the Caribbean country.
A highlight of the dialogue was the Agency for Cultural and Economic Exchange with Cuba (AICEC) project, which aims to collect medicines from Turin’s municipal pharmacies for distribution on the island. The project includes the procurement of an emergency electric generator for the Contramaestre hospital in eastern Santiago de Cuba, with shipment slated for the coming days.
Following the private discussion, a public meeting titled “Healing Under Siege: The Blockade and the Cuban Healthcare System” opened. Present were Guerra Izquierdo, neurosurgeon Peggys Cruz Pérez, AICEC representative Roberto Forte, and Giorgia Vernetti of the “Let Cuba Breathe” initiative, who collectively pledged continued support and cooperation between Turin and Cuba.
