Amid the intense work Cuba is currently carrying out to rescue the dead of the fire that affected the western city of Matanzas, there is no lack of spaces here to express gratitude for Mexico and Venezuela's solidarity.
 
Authorities, institutions, organizations and the population in general acknowledge the immediate response and commitment by those nations that, with specialized forces and resources, contributed to control and extinguish the large-scale fire that broke out at the Matanzas Supertanker Base after a lightning strike.
 
In letters sent to his counterparts Nicolás Maduro, from Venezuela, and Andrés Manuel López Obrador, from Mexico, President Miguel Díaz-Canel highlighted the exemplary attitude by the specialists of those nations, who without regard to risks, joined to extinguish the flames.
 
The letters express the gratitude for the immediate and courageous response of their Governments to Cuba’s request for international aid, and the timely and decisive support by those countries, which allowed the fire to be extinguished in five intense days of joint work.
 
Before their departure back to their countries on Sunday, these cooperators were decorated by the State, the armed institutions and civil organizations of the island with the Order of Solidarity, the Medal of Friendship and the replica of Major General Antonio Maceo’s machete.
 
Previously, authorities of Matanzas and representatives of Cuban institutions bestowed the crew of the “Libertador” ship of the Mexican Navy the Medal of Friendship and the Labor Achievement flag, from the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, and the Cuban Workers Federation, respectively.