Matanzas to Receive Three National Esperanza Awards.
These results once again place Matanzas among the most active territories in the country in the fight against HIV and in the promotion of responsible lifestyles.
Activists and organizations from the province of Matanzas will receive the 2025 Esperanza Awards at the national level in the categories of Prevention, Solidarity, and Mutual Aid. This result confirms the strength of the Network’s community work in the region, according to Pablo Omar Milián Valle, a specialist at the Provincial Center for STIs/HIV/AIDS.
Since the creation of these awards, Matanzas had consistently been one of the most reliable provinces in terms of participation, contributing one or two candidates annually at the national level. However, 2025 marks a milestone: all three submitted applications were accepted as national nominations, all based on more than 15 years of experience supporting key populations and actions with a direct impact on HIV prevention.
In the Mutual Aid category, Nurys de la Caridad López, coordinator of the Network in the municipality of Matanzas, was selected. She has already received the municipal and provincial awards. Her sustained work in community support has now placed her as a candidate for the National Award, a distinction that will be awarded on November 30th at 5:00 p.m. at the Teatro América in Havana.
For its part, the Metropolitan Church of Matanzas, with over fifteen years of active collaboration, was awarded the National Solidarity Prize. Its work in inclusion, emotional support, and accompaniment of vulnerable groups has also been recognized at the provincial level.
In the Prevention category, the La Ruina de Matasiete institution, located in Palmares, was once again recognized as a national leader. This organization, historically linked to working with key populations, maintains a systematic program of preventative actions that earned it the National Prevention Prize, an award that reinforces its role as one of the sites with the greatest community impact in the province.
According to Milián Valle, these results once again place Matanzas among the most active territories in the country in combating HIV and promoting responsible lifestyles. The delegations responsible for each endorsement will travel to Havana to officially receive their awards, a source of pride for the Network and for the province.
Written by Yunielys Moliner Isasi.
