Although it may seem incredible, March is almost over, and with it several milestone commemorations.

Just to mention a few, I will put you for example; On the first day, the Light Industry Workers’ Day was celebrated, on the 3rd World Wildlife Day, on the 8th a tribute was paid to Women all over the world, on the 14th to the Cuban Press, on the 15th the Baraguá Protest was remembered , the 22nd was the World Water Day, the 23rd the Meteorology Day and the birth of the poet from Camagüey Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, the 24th the creation of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC, by its acronym in Spanish); and today the 25th is the anniversary of the signing of the Montecristi Manifesto. On the 27th the day will be dedicated to the International Theater and the 31st to the Cuban Book.

While in another order we can refer within this month, to the 10th; in which the Military Coup led by Fulgencio Batista takes place and from which Carlos Prío Socarrás, president of Cuba in turn, is overthrown in 1952; thus continuing another period of administrative political corruption in our country.

A trace in our memory

While on the 11th of last year, without fear of being wrong, it will never be forgotten by Cubans; it was precisely on that date that the disastrous news were announced that the first three cases of COVID-19 patients were diagnosed in the Island. Tragedy that has been accompanying us, the whole world, and from which we have not been able to free ourselves, despite the enormous efforts that both health personnel, science, and so many others make to do so.

I believe we were different people, before and after the pandemic, because the effects of all kinds that it has brought with it, have flooded humanity and the damage it is causing will be recorded by history as one of the most terrible threats to the human life.

Hope is not extinguished

Of course, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and although in those days we saw it very far away, I would say that it was barely a glimpse, the Soberana, the Mambisa and the Abdala appear; Cuban candidate vaccines that are almost in their third phase of testing. This shows that this light is already on the rise and will soon illuminate all of us Cubans. I am also sure that for many other countries that will trust it, it will be like an oasis in the middle of a desert, from which we will be able to leave; with the joy and enormous pride, as so many times before, of having once again contributed to the salvation of humanity.

Very firm steps are taken, many sleepless nights, hours of research, fatigue and exhaustion that they dedicate to studying in detail this fearsome disease, its possible causes, its various manifestations, but together with this must be their own care and protection of each one of us, for ourselves, for our family, our colleagues and our community.

And that friends, I consider that we still lack, because we think that it will never affect us, that we will not suffer it, that we are sacred and no, it is not like that, unfortunately. That is why the responsibility of each one counts, and a lot, because without it, we will never be able to reduce the immense numbers of COVID-19 cases that have been appearing these days.

I intend this article for this month of March to be one more grain of sand to the call that is made to us every day to take care of ourselves and our people, knowing that life will reward our actions; because we will be being consistent with the values ​​that we have always been taught to profess.

Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García