Close friends Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban President Fidel Castro handed out diplomas on Saturday to several graduates of the Latin American Medical School, a regional initiative funded by Cuba that Chavez promised would be repeated in his own country.
Chavez, Panamanian President Martin Torrijos and several Caribbean prime ministers flew in to Havana for the evening ceremony marking the first graduation of students, more than 1,500 in total, since the school was created in 1998.
The two leaders chatted with the top students, shaking their hands and embracing them. Castro put rings on the hands of the female students, and patted many of the males on the head.
Ex-Salvadoran guerrilla leader Shafick Handal and former Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega also attended the event at Havana's Karl Marx Theater.
The medical school was created in 1998 after Hurricanes George and Mitch devastated several Caribbean and Central American nations, provoking serious health and sanitation issues.
Students at the school hail from Latin American, Africa and the US. Most come from low-income families and receive a free education on the condition they return home to serve their communities after graduation.
Dominica's prime minister urged the students to fulfill their promise after receiving their diplomas.
"I know that there are times when we're interested in acquiring material wealth," Roosevelt Skerrit said. "But you must see your journey as a mission, in the world and in your communities, to make a contribution."
The average age of the graduating students was 26, with 46 percent female. About 300 of them spent their last year of study working in Haiti, Honduras and Guatemala. Many are children of farmers and laborers, and will return to rural and indigenous communities.
RSS