Cuba awards Mexican officers for support in Matanzas fire

Mexico City, Jan 20 (RHC) On Thursday, Cuba awarded the Distinguished Service Order of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) to Mexican military personnel for their support in extinguishing the fire in Matanzas.

In a ceremony held at the Cuban embassy in Mexico City, the honorable award was presented to Brigadier General Guillermo Briseño Lobera, Deputy Chief of Operations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Ministry of National Defense.

In addition, to his colleagues Colonel Ivan Navarrete Torres, chief of the Civil Protection Subsection of the same institution, and Lieutenant Colonel Alejandro López Ayón, deputy chief of Civil Protection of the Third Section.

The officers were given this award by order of the Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba in recognition of their participation in the planning, preparation, and coordination of the support sent by Mexico to extinguish the fire at the Matanzas Supertanker Base in August last year.

Also, in gratitude for the humanism, solidarity, brotherhood, courage, and sacrifice of those who supported the Cuban people in one of its most difficult moments.

The Cuban Ambassador to Mexico, Marcos Rodríguez Costa, presented the awards to the recipients and praised the friendship between the peoples of the two nations, their governments, and armed forces, as well as the relations of friendship and solidarity that distinguish them.

In particular, he referred to the important work carried out by the Mexican military who went to Matanzas to help control the fire, facing the same risk as their Cuban colleagues.

For his part, General Briseño Lobera reciprocated the words of the Cuban diplomat, reiterating the sense of solidarity and humanity of the Mexican armed forces and the reciprocity they have received from Cuba in difficult times for their people.

The simple ceremony, symbolically held in the Ernesto Che Guevara Hall of the Embassy, was attended by other officers, family members of the decorated, and officials of the diplomatic mission in the capital. (Source: Prensa Latina)