On January 13, 2022, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Belize and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration held a ceremony at the House of Culture to give recognition to thirteen recipients of the Cuba-Belize Scholarship Programme 2022. Of the thirteen recipients, ten will be majoring in medicine, two in nursing and one in psychology.
The Cuba- Belize Scholarship Programme is an annual scholarship awarded to young Belizeans who are interested in pursuing careers in the medical field. The scholarship is awarded in full by the Government of the Republic of Cuba.
In speaking to this year’s recipients, Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, Hon. Francis Fonseca, highlighted the generosity of the Government and people of Cuba in light of the illegal and unjust embargo imposed on their nation by the United States, and the current difficulties being endured globally as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister Fonseca motivated the awardees to be resolute in the pursuit of their studies despite challenges. He also encouraged them to respect and embrace the Cuban culture, people and values and experiences during their time there.
Ambassador of Cuba to Belize, Her Excellency Mrs. MarÃa Caridad Balaguer Labrada, also addressed the awardees. She congratulated them for the success in their education so far and wished them well in the further pursuit of their studies and in her home country. She highlighted the commitment to building the human resource capacity of small developing nations like Belize, as one of the main goals of the Cuban government since the revolution.
This year, Belize and Cuba celebrate 27 years of bilateral relations, solidarity and cooperation. Over the course of those years, 200+ Belizean students have had the opportunity to study in Cuba. We look forward to continuing the development cooperation with our sister Caribbean nation.
