By Mónica Cabanas on April 24, 2026.
Aleida Guevara, foto: Bill Hackwell
Aleida Guevara, a Cuban pediatrician and international expert in the field of health and international cooperation, will be in Europe during March and April 2026, participating in a busy schedule of debates, conferences, and public meetings, she gave this interview to Brasil De Fato.
The tour of the continent included activities in countries such as Spain, Germany, and Switzerland, as part of initiatives bringing together journalists, health professionals, social movements, and the general public to discuss the reality in Cuba and the impact of economic sanctions on the country.
During her tour, Aleida Guevara participated in roundtables and public dialogues in cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, and Bern. In the German capital on April 11, she received the 2026 Rosa Luxemburg Prize, awarded by the newspaper junge Welt, in recognition of her career as a physician and her ongoing work in support of solidarity and cooperation in the field of health.
The daughter of Ernesto Che Guevara, Aleida forged her own path, marked by her work in the Cuban public health system and her participation in international medical missions.
In an exclusive interview with Brasil de Fato RS, she discusses the current situation in Cuba, the challenges posed by the geopolitical landscape, and the importance of dialogue among peoples in a world marked by crises and inequalities.
As a doctor and Cuban citizen, how would you describe the current situation in Cuba?
Aleida Guevara: With the ban, for example, on oil entering the country, Trump is trying to suffocate the Cuban people. And suffocate them in general, because if we don’t have oil, the country practically grinds to a halt.
Furthermore, it paralyzes transportation. There is no drinking water in homes because the supply depends on electric-powered pumps, even though we are now installing solar panels.
The crisis is severe. Sometimes, entire cities are without electricity for 72 hours. We live day-to-day: we buy food to consume that same day because it’s not possible to store it for the next day. These are very harsh and difficult situations for the population.
The United Nations needs to be much more representative of the people, truly, and not as it is right now.
How do you view the UN’s role in this situation?
I believe the United Nations should, in fact, become more democratic. It should abandon this “empire” where it is currently headquartered and, perhaps, relocate to the heart of Africa as an organization, to establish itself there and sustain itself financially through contributions from all peoples, according to what each can contribute, and not just from the United States or primarily from them.Today, this gives the United States the power to dominate and manipulate the situation, to impose vetoes whenever it wishes. For example, it has never been possible to sanction Netanyahu because the United States has always completely vetoed any initiative.
The United Nations needs to be much more representative of the people, and not as it is currently.The first thing the UN—and the world—should do is tell the truth about what is happening. Unfortunately, the mainstream media disguises, distorts, and alters the facts, and what reaches the public is false.Breaking this pattern is crucial. Accurate information is essential because we react based on the information we have. If we don’t know, we don’t react.Let me give you a simple example: the world’s second-largest open-pit iron mine is located in the Brazilian Amazon. For every centimeter this company expands, ancient trees disappear.
But if you are unaware of this information, how will you react? It means years and years of hardship for a people, simply because another country refuses to accept that we remain independent and free. If you’re aware of what’s happening, you can protest; you can say: humans can live without iron, but not without oxygen. The planet’s last lung cannot be destroyed. Without information, there is no reaction. Providing accurate information gives people the freedom to choose what to do and how to act.
For me, that is the most important kind of help. Then, of course, comes material aid. We receive a lot of solidarity from Brazil, for example. There is a place in Minas Gerais—Uberlândia—from where they always send us two or three suitcases full of medicines. There is great solidarity from the unions. They make an enormous effort to help us, even while facing difficulties in their own regions. Even so, they continue to offer us their support—great support.This kind of material aid is very important, but what is fundamental is the pressure that the people can exert on their governments to break the blockade and prevent this criminal blockade from continuing. It has been years and years of hardship for a people, simply because another country refuses to accept that we remain independent and free.
As a Cuban doctor with extensive experience, what is your opinion of Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS)?
Every place has its own peculiarities and customs. I didn’t have the privilege of working as a doctor in Brazil. I worked more in Argentina, for example, in medical brigades.In Brazil, my experience was with the MST (Landless Workers’ Movement), but not as a doctor, rather as a peasant. And, by the way, I am proud to be an activist with Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement. I consider it one of the most important social movements in Latin America.For me, any effort aimed at ensuring people’s health is positive. Any effort to provide free medical care is good. Medical care cannot be a commodity; human life cannot be commercialized.
When a government takes the time to send doctors to the most remote regions, thereby ensuring equitable access to medical care for all, that is very valuable. I deeply respect that kind of policy.
The Cuban people are wonderful. They are a mix of cultures—Chinese, African, Spanish—and they also have some indigenous ancestry. They are a strong, brave, and very cheerful people.
With all your personal and professional experience, what drives you to keep going? What motivates you?
My people. There is no greater inspiration. Seeing that my people keep fighting, striving, and smiling, despite all the difficulties, is what motivates me. We are even able to laugh at ourselves.
The Cuban people are wonderful. They are a mix of cultures—Chinese, African, Spanish—and also have some indigenous heritage. They are a strong, brave, and very cheerful people.
Working with these people’s children is a wonderful experience. Receiving their affection and love is priceless. When a child recognizes you as their doctor and runs to hug you, that is the greatest reward a human being can receive: the love, respect, and affection of their people.
I’d like to ask you one last question. Given your personal history, what do you think your father would think about everything that’s happening today, both in Cuba and in the rest of the world, in places like Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, and so many others in Africa where you also have experience?
I always say it’s very difficult to answer that question because my father didn’t live through that reality. First of all…
Second, if he were alive, everything would be very different. My father would never have stopped fighting. If he were alive, it would mean that the Revolution in Argentina and Bolivia would have triumphed, and for many years these countries would have been part of what we now call the socialist bloc.
This would completely change the lives of the Cuban people. Argentina is one of the world’s largest producers of food and grains. The supply of food, milk, and meat would be guaranteed. Our lives would be very different.
Therefore, it’s hard to say what he would think, because we wouldn’t be living in this world, but in another.
In any case, I always repeat something he said: “When I smell the gunpowder and the blood of the people, I will be on the barricades with them.”
That is what he said, and that is what he always did. I am sure that today he would be by our side, trying to help us, trying to find a solution to this situation.