Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa acknowledged Cuba’s cooperation during a ceremony held in Quito, in which he reiterated the request for the cessation of the U.S. blockade against Cuba and the release from prison the Five Heroes.

During the meeting, Correa conferred the Honorato Vázquez National Order in the Gran Cruz degree upon Cuban ambassador Benigno Pérez, while Health Minister David Chiriboga presented the Cuban government with the Merit Award, the Prensa Latina news agency reports.

The head of state highlighted the island’s support for the literacy campaign as well as the Manuela Espejo mission, which toured the nation to locate the disabled and take care of them.

He added that Ecuador will always be against Washington’s blockade of Cuba and in favor of the release of the five antiterrorists unfairly imprisoned in the United States: Gerardo Hernández, Ramon Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González.

On behalf of all voluntary workers, the Cuban people, and Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro, the ambassador expressed his appreciation for the awards received.

He also cited examples of the development of Cuban cooperation, among them the eye surgeries more than 2,000 Ecuadorians of scant economic resources have undergone on the Caribbean island.Likewise, he referred to the creation of three eye centers in Ecuador, where 104,524 patients have been operated on, and to the fact that 144,656 Ecuadorians have learned how to read and write by way of the Cuban Yes I Can literacy teaching method.

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