This week, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel's visit to Russia included the unveiling of a monument to Fidel Castro in Moscow and talks between the top leaders of the two countries. Young scholar Yusmira Savon Vassiano said that Cubans in St. Petersburg watched the news with a feeling comparable to the one both countries had 60 years ago, when that very song "Cuba is near!" was born.
The charismatic, strong-willed and passionate commander in the legendary olive coat fell in love with almost the entire Soviet Union. He visited our country more than once, moreover, during his first trip in 1963, lasting 38 days, he made a march from Severodvinsk to Samarkand. No other foreign or even Soviet leader has done this before him or since. Castro was the first foreigner to stand at the Mausoleum and the only foreign head of state to visit a submarine base in Severodvinsk and see Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles with his own eyes.
"Fidel remains for us a man of legend, during whose hours-long speeches there was silence in the Republic as the entire population froze in front of the TVs. The fact that 60 years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, which brought about a lull in our states' relations, they erected a monument to Fidel in the Russian capital is a very important event for all citizens of Cuba. It is a symbol of the development of cooperation in the 21st century. You supported us in our struggle for independence and provided help when it was needed. You supplied us with cars, agricultural machinery and oil. Such industries as mineral fertilizers and electric power generation appeared on the island thanks to the Soviet specialists. There are examples and not only from the past," says Yusmira Savon Vasiano, a graduate student at St. Petersburg Mining University.
For example, in 2014, Russia wrote off nearly $32 billion of the Latin American country's debt. When a serious accident occurred at a Cuban medical oxygen plant during the pandemic, the Russian Federation sent a plane with cylinders and plants that produce the concentrate. This plane delivered oxygen twice a day to hospitals across the state.
"An equally telling example of support is the training of Cubans in Russian universities. Within the quota allocated by the Russian government, they are given 100 budgetary places in universities and institutes every year. This is how I got into graduate school," shares Yusmira Savon Vassiano.
She was born and raised in Guantanamo, a city in the same province as the famous American prison. She completed her bachelor's and master's degrees at Moa University, Cuba's leading university for geology, mining and metallurgy.
After her training, Yusmira was offered a position as a senior specialist at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (Center for Mountain Development). Analyzing the patterns of dangerous landslides, which regularly cause the loss of life and evacuation of entire cities in the east of the country, she wanted to improve her own skills.
"Management advised me to go to Russia for training, 'where there's one of the strongest schools of geology in the world'. Given that my alma mater, in fact, was founded by professors who taught on the St. Petersburg Mining Institute, I chose it. And it turned out to be the best decision possible. Here I get the latest information in the field of mining and oil and gas geology, surveying and subsurface geometry. Ore deposit development and mineral processing specialists are also strategic to the Republic's economy. Our nickel-cobalt-iron ore reserves with advanced mining and smelting plants to produce concentrates will allow the Cuban economy to recover after years of U.S. sanctions," notes the Cuban graduate student.
According to her, the shortage of qualified mining engineers in the labor market provokes another larger problem for Cuba: the deterioration of national energy facilities and the technological crisis. A shortage of modern and depreciated existing equipment has led to constant power outages across the island.
"Most of the power plants, power transmission, distribution facilities and transformer substations were built with the help of Soviet specialists. Today, these facilities are obsolete and need to be modernized as soon as possible. Today, Havana is most interested in assistance and cooperation in this area. And this partially explains our president's choice of countries for the trip", emphasizes Yusmira.
In addition to Russia, Diaz-Canel's foreign tour included visits to Algeria, Turkey and China, countries that are leaders in the field of energy.
Today, the governments of Moscow and Havana have developed a plan of cooperation until 2030, which outlines a large number of various projects in areas of mutual interest, ranging from scientific, educational and cultural to long-term economic ones. Such domestic companies as "Zarubezhneft", "VO Zarubezhtsvetmet" and "Industrial Engineering" are already engaged in modernization of metallurgical plants, construction of power units for thermal power plants and implementing projects on development of hydrocarbon reserves.
As for science, in the beginning of December in St. Petersburg, scientists and politicians of 70 countries, including Cuba, Ecuador and Peru, will have an opportunity to discuss the issues of technologies, minimizing the anthropogenic impact on the environment and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as working out the solutions contributing to the consolidation of efforts of the world community. They will gather at the International Forum "Nature Management and Conservation of the World Natural Heritage," which will be held at the site of the Mining University.
"In St. Petersburg Lomonosov, Mendeleev and Pavlov made scientific discoveries that changed the world. Today this majestic city continues to make history, and I am happy to be here," summarizes Yusmira Savon Vassiano.
