The life of Dr. Carlos Tamayo, who emigrated to the United States, is the recurring story of many Cuban healthcare professionals who have defected, and for whom this island is like a mother who always waits for her children, wherever they may be, with all their virtues and flaws.
A member of the Félix Varela Cuban Emigrant Club, this Cuban shares his testimony with Radio Havana Cuba.
For me, defection was a forbidden topic.
In Dr. Carlos Tamayo’s case, his defection occurred while he was serving in Venezuela with the Cuban medical brigade.
For one, it’s tacitly a betrayal of many things, leaving many things behind, even creating a point of no return. That’s what I felt in order to cope… abandoning the medical mission was a very immature decision; perhaps in these times, I wouldn’t have done it. But there was an atmosphere that fostered such decisions; there was a US campaign to convince doctors to leave…
Upon arriving in the United States, those promises and those campaigns are not fulfilled. The Cuban who arrives there, the doctor or healthcare worker who arrives there, has to face a new life with their own resources, with help practically from their families, or simply, as in my case, face life alone. In the mainstream media, especially on social networks, the message is that you can’t return afterward.
Dr. Carlos Tamayo
The prodigal son returns to the land of his birth
Family is very important to me. I was born into a humble, farming family. I’m proud to have my best friend, who is my father. Returning to Cuba was fundamentally motivated by that bond with my family; my family was truly my primary motivation. Seeing my father after eight years… And I return many times. And when I return, I return to recharge…
At a certain point, my immaturity led me to leave my country. Now I can tell you that maturity makes me return again and again, and at the same time, understand how important it is to return, to help and contribute, to continue expanding a network of friends, professionals, people who, in these times of threat, of energy blockade, of precarious situations that Cubans face, allow me to realize that I am needed here more than there…
Coming back to Cuba will always be a privilege. Seeing family, the hug of the elderly, the neighbor’s coffee. That always provides spiritual health. Which is truly what one takes to the grave, the spiritual health that nourishes us…
Returning to Cuba means dusting off medical books, sharing stories from the corner with friends, roasting a pig at the end of the year, sitting down to chat with friends, meeting intelligent people. So returning to Cuba means a lot…
And not only for me, but for many who, like me, were manipulated. I think, for example, of the Cuban doctors who have defected, as I did, and who still haven’t been able to return to Cuba. A vast pool of scientists, academics, and highly professional people who truly long for their homeland.
Moving forward with the normalization of relations between the people of the United States and Cuba must be the first step toward eliminating everything else: the blockade, interference and threats.