• Submitted by: manso
• Society
• 11 / 20 / 2010

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Three members of a 70-person Cuban medical team sent to Chile to help in the aftermath of an earthquake in February have decided to stay in that country, the Chilean newspaper La Nación reported Friday.

The newspaper identified them as Argelio Santana Cano, Joel Hernández and Orlando Campusano. They have not yet requested political asylum, the paper says.

The rest of the medics were scheduled to return to Cuba on Friday.Cuban Ambassador to Chile Diana Díaz Argüeyes told Radio Cooperativa that the defection, if confirmed, "responds to the motivations of each person, to each person's values. Some people value material values more. That's everyone's own decision.

"What the defectors decided, not to return to the homeland, is a personal decision. What's important is that the majority of the medics is returning," she said.(PHOTO SHOWS the Cuban medical team – minus three – at farewell party in Santiago this week.)–Renato Pérez Pizarro.

Source: //miamiherald.typepad.com/cuban_colada/2010/