Dr. Jorge Gónzález Pérez, Popi

He spoke to them from the wisdom and the heart, surrounded by the mystique of someone who is a legend for Cuban and world science, but putting himself in his shoes. Such diaphanous was the meeting between Dr. Jorge González Pérez, director of Higher Medical Education of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), and a group of medical students from eastern Las Tunas province.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- This world figure, who led the team that found and identified the remains of Ernesto Che Guevara and his fellow guerrillas in Bolivia, described as brave the attitude of the Cuban medical student body that has been on the front line in the fight against SARS-CoV-2. He did so after participating in a brief evening of tribute to outstanding workers and students for their selfless work at the Los Cocos hospital center for suspected or positive low-risk patients, in this city.

Professor Popi, as he is known among his friends and colleagues, lashed out at the idea that the teaching of Medicine has regressed in this year and a half of the fight against the COVID-19 in Cuba.

"Each task in which you have participated can contribute to learning, it does not matter if it is the inquiry, in a laboratory, or the red zone," he told future Health professionals, to whom he had just handed out diplomas of recognition. He was accompanied by Dr. María Elena Mawad Santos, rector of the Medical University; Rafael Torres, secretary of the Municipal Assembly of the People's Power; and Dr. Lisbán Cala, director of “Los Cocos.”

“Wherever you are, take advantage of the time, explore new research niches, and study; study hard,” insisted the also doctor in Medical Sciences, Professor, and Second Degree specialist in Legal Medicine.

As if it was not enough what Jorge Gonzalez Perez did at the head of the group of Cuban scientists and experts who achieved the identification of Commander Ernesto Che Guevara and his comrades in struggle, his extensive record of service includes more than 100 national and international scientific events, in which he has taken part throughout his career and presented around 200 papers in different modalities, in medical and legal, anthropological, criminalist, toxicological and bioethical specialties. Not to mention his numerous publications and his membership in prestigious medical scientific societies in Cuba and abroad.

"This is a pandemic like no other and we must face it as such," he commented to continue his tour of this eastern Cuban territory, in which he evaluated the progress of the educational teaching process in Medical Sciences.

Before saying goodbye, he did not hesitate to give the students his phone number; thus, demonstrating that Popi is not only an expert of global stature; he is, above all, a teacher willing to listen to his pupils, who skip formalities and does not hesitate to share his knowledge.