Operation Miracle (Milagro)

In 2002, as a result of the failed plan to extend the NAFTA treaty, two of the countries that were opposing the plan, Cuba and Venzuela founded the ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the People of Our America’s). The first project launched as a result was the so-called “Operación Milagro,” Operation Miracle. This program offered free medical treatment to people with eye problems (mainly cataract) in the two founding countries and dozens more, especially in the Americas. It was even available to patients from the United States.

Live eye surgery on a monitor in the Pando ferrer eye clinic in Havana.

Francisco Cambron Pineda, patient from Mexico, waiting for his eye surgery, Hospital Pando Ferrer, "La Ceguera".

Latin American patients are waiting for their eye surgery, hospital Pando Ferrer, Havana.

Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, presidents of the ALBA founding nations Venezuela and Cuba, 2005.

A Cuban nurse prepares a patient for eye surgery, hospital Pando Ferrer, "La Ceguera".

All images this gallery © Sven Creutzmann.

In the beginning, all patients were transported to Cuba, where surgeries were conducted 24/7, it was said. Yet, for reasons unknown, the international press was not granted access to cover the story despite its enormous interest in the developments. Two years later, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held its summit in Havana and a part of the agenda included a visit to Havana’s main eye clinic, Hospital Pando Ferrer.

So, the press was invited and we all sat in the theater of the hospital, listening to speeches, when the hospital’s Director of International Relations said that they’d be showing a slide show of the hospital and activities related to Operation Miracle. We were all stunned, a colleague even asking if we weren’t going to visit the operation rooms, but the answer was a straight forward “no.” As the lights turned out for the slide show to begin, all of us graphic reporters — cameramen and photographers, silently grabbed our bags and left the theater. We got into the elevators and just randomly pushed buttons, some leaving on the first floor, the next group on the second, and so on.

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HAVANA - APRIL 8: Cuban surgeons carry out cataract surgery as part of Cuba´s and Venezuela´s joint program Operacion Milagro, Operation Wonder, in which since 2004 some 1,562.608 patients of all thee Americas have been operated, on April 8, 2009, in the Ramon Pando Ferrer eye clinic in Havana, Cuba. In this program both countries offer free eye surgery for patients from all the Americas, while Venezuela takes over the travel expenses and Cuba pays for the operation and other costs occurring in Cuba. (Photo by Sven Creutzmann/Mambo photo/Getty Images)

A Cuban nurse prepares a patient for a cataract surgery as part of the Operacion Milagro porgram.

A Cuban medical team carries out a cataract surgey ona Latinamerican patient, Hospital Pando Ferrer, Havana.

Patients are on their way home after their cataract surgery as part of Cuba´s and Venezuela´s joint program Operacion Milagro, Operation Miracle.

All images in this gallery © Sven Creutzmann.

What we saw exceeded most of our expectations — impeccable operating rooms, top-notch equipment, dedicated and fully focused medical personnel. And of course, most importantly — patients from all over the Americas, most of them poor and almost blind, receiving surgeries and the miracle of sight upon arriving in Cuba.