Operation Miracle, an initiative created in 2005 by the then presidents Fidel Castro (Cuba) and Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) carried out more than 2,728,000 free eye surgeries in its first 10 years.
 
Granma newspaper recalls today how the idea came about, which occurred on August 21, 2005, during the broadcast of one of the "Alo Presidente" programs, in the presence of both leaders at the Bolivar Square in the municipality of Sandino, in Pinar del Rio province, where the Venezuelan government built 150 homes for Cuban families affected by hurricanes.
 
Restoring sight to millions of people that due to their low incomes lacked access to this specialized kind of medical service, is the purpose of this program.
 
Initially, patients were brought to Cuba to be operated in health centers equipped with advanced technologies, but it was the so-called "Compromiso de Sandino," name of the project emerged from that speech between the two leaders, when the program was extended to other Latin American, Caribbean and African countries, to freely assist millions of people in need.
 
Norberto Ramos, of the Central Unit for Medical Cooperation, told the daily that about 2,728,229 surgeries were carried out until July 2015.