A dozen groups in Chile have joined the campaign Pon tu grano de amor por Cuba, sponsored by graduates of the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) and the Gladys Marín Foundation.

This initiative seeks to raise funds to send food, medical supplies and other items to the island, Dr Amaya Candia told Prensa Latina.

The president of the non-governmental development organisation ELAM-Chile said that communist militants, the Movement of Solidarity with Cuba, the Coordinating Committee with its different zones and the Siboney and 2 de diciembre collectives have joined this crusade.

The Grupo de los Internacionalistas, the Instituto Chileno Cubano de Cultura José Martí, the Sociedad de Escritores and the Asociación de Madres y Padres de Graduados en la isla (Association of Mothers and Fathers of Graduates on the island) also joined in.

«Today we want to reaffirm our commitment and say, once again, that Cuba is not alone, there are many of us who will stand up once and a thousand times in its defence,» said a letter from the organisers.

The doctor explained that they are currently making progress in collecting funds for the purchase of supplies.

The initiative will have several milestones, the first of which will be a large event on 26 July, with a dinner and another event planned for late November and early December, he said.

«Put your grain of love for Cuba is an ethical and moral duty that commits us to the free peoples of the world,» said the sponsors of this campaign.

Some 600 Chilean doctors graduated from the Latin American School of Medicine, a project created at the initiative of Comandante Fidel Castro to train young people from poor families free of charge.

Amaya Candia declared that the First International Congress of ELAM Graduates will be held in Havana next November, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the institution.