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From: "Public Relations"
<publicrelations@cubanmission.com><br><br>
Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2005 11:21:34 -0400<br><br>
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</font><font face="arial" size=3><b>President Fidel Castro reiterates
Cuba’s offer of medical aid to the American people on the Round Table
program aired on September 2, 2005.<br><br>
<br><br>
</b>These remarks had to be written in a rush, as sometimes happens when
things occur quickly and unexpectedly. I’ll explain the reasons for this.
<br><br>
Yesterday, a press conference, the kind typically held in the US State
Department, was held. The Department’s spokesman, Sean McCormack,
participated.
<br><br>
I will read the spokesman’s declarations verbatim.<br><br>
<i>“State Department Press Room, Washington, DC, 12:46 pm, Thursday,
September 1, 2005”. <br><br>
</i>At that time, we were in the middle of a National Assembly session,
addressing important matters; one of the points we touched on was the
tragedy which befell the United States. <br><br>
“Mr. McCormack said: Good afternoon. I wanted to begin with a brief
update on a matter which is of interest to everyone who is here today, on
the aid efforts following the passage of hurricane Katrina, and on offers
of aid coming from abroad”.<br><br>
“Let me begin by saying that we have received numerous and generous
offers of aid from foreign governments and organizations, and Secretary
Rice, after consulting with the White House, has made it clear that we
will accept all foreign aid offers. Anything that will help alleviate the
difficult situation, the tragic situation faced by people living in the
area affected by hurricane Katrina will be accepted”. <br><br>
Further on, he says:<br><br>
“I can read you a list. Until now, this list has grown and is being
updated constantly, every hour, in fact.<br><br>
“We’ve received general offers of aid and more specific ones from a
number of countries and organizations, including Russia, Japan, Canada,
France, Honduras, Germany, Venezuela, the OAS, Jamaica, NATO, Australia,
the United Kingdom, Holland, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Colombia, the
Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, China, South Korea, Israel and
the United Arab Emirates. <br><br>
<br><br>
“I will try and keep you posted on what is added to the list. As I said,
it literally grows by the hour”.<br><br>
It was only later, almost at night, after the Assembly session ended,
that we started to look at the press wires, and we weren’t even able to
read them all. Some of the news we received in the morning, today, the
piece I’ve just read among them. <br><br>
This puts me in the position of having to clarify Cuba’s position,
because many of our friends, within and outside the United States, who
know that our country always offers assistance when situations like these
arise, regardless of existing conflicts, political, ideological or any
kind of difference, started calling us, thinking it odd that we hadn’t
offered any kind of aid to the United States following the devastation
wreaked by Katrina. <br><br>
The calls kept coming in, one after the other, so this declaration, whose
text is self-explanatory, became indispensable. Among other things, you
can appreciate that it is not simply a question of public relations —not
in the least—but rather a matter of importance, even from the practical
point of view. <br><br>
I’m going to read you a brief chronology of events, in which you can see
the various offers of aid made by the Cuban government to the United
States in connection with the hurricane. <br><br>
“August 25, 2005. Hurricane Katrina lashes Florida, resulting in the loss
of human lives and heavy material damage”. <br><br>
“Days later, on August 29, 2005, after reaching category 4 in the
Saffir-Simpson Scale, hurricane Katrina lashes the states of Louisiana,
Mississippi and Alabama. The first news revealing the magnitude of the
tragedy begin to be divulged”. <br><br>
“On August 30, 2005, the last gusts of winds of the hurricane were still
blowing over Louisiana and other southern states, with which we have
trade relations, purchasing significant amounts of food products.
Authorities from that state and others have even visited us in connection
with these purchases, made by Cuba from the United States, which began a
number of years ago”. <br><br>
Many things have happened. I’ve talked with thousands and thousands of
American farmers, because hundreds came for the first fair we held; I met
with one group, then with another, and, in the course of these last four
years, I’ve
exchanged with thousands of US farmers and state authorities, governors,
senators and representatives. <br><br>
Only two months ago, the governor of the state of Louisiana, a very
affable person, paid us a visit; she came, as governors do, because she
was interested in addressing matters and problems affecting her state.
These states that have been most severely affected by the hurricane are
among the poorest. Agriculture is most important in their economies, like
ports used to export their products. <br><br>
“At 11:32 am on August 30, 2005, I called our Minister of Foreign
Affairs, our colleague Felipe, to ask him to immediately convey to the
government of the United States, via the US Interests Section in Havana
and Cuba’s Interests Section in Washington, a message expressing our
sympathies over the damage caused by the hurricane and offering
assistance in the area of health, as we knew from the news we were
receiving, that what was happening there was catastrophic”.<br><br>
If there is anything we can offer that may be considered important
—primarily thanks to the experience we have dealing with hurricanes and
in the implementation of measures to protect, evacuate and offer
assistance to the population, among other things— it is in the area of
medical services. Following the catastrophic events of September 11, Cuba
was the first country to offer the United States support. Upon receiving
news that there were planes in the air that could not be authorized to
land on US airports, we immediately offered our airports and, later, we
offered what we were in a position to offer: medical assistance, in
response to the magnitude of the damage and the immense number of
potential victims. <br><br>
We’re closer to New York than California is. Aid from Cuba can reach New
York before aid coming from California, it’s a three-hour trip from Cuba
to New York. I believe it’s twice that time from California to New York.
<br><br>
Anyway, we offered medical assistance. It wasn’t a ridiculous gesture,
since sometimes a blood transfusion can save someone’s life, and a rare
blood type may be required. One, two, three, ten lives, that’s not the
issue: if you can save one life, you’re duty-bound to save it. <br><br>
<br><br>
“At 12:45, complying with these instructions, the acting head of the
North America Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affair, Josefina Vidal,
met with the deputy chief of the US Interests Section in Havana, Edward
Alexander Lee, to pass this message to him verbally and, in addition, to
give him a written copy of the same”. <br><br>
We don’t waste one minute, that’s the truth. Comrade Josefina is with us,
here. <br><br>
“Following the instructions received, comrade Josefina Vidal told Mr.
Lee, verbatim: ‘We would like to put our differences aside for a moment’
—this alludes to the current state of relations between Cuba and the
government of the United States— ‘in view of the serious situation caused
by hurricane Katrina’”. The hurricane affected us also, don’t forget
that, as it was approaching Florida, we were gathered for a round table
discussion, and it had already knocked down electric poles and caused
power failures. <br><br>
It was something almost unexpected. The tail of the hurricane, as it
crossed Florida from the east to the southeast of the peninsula, affected
us also: many flights were cancelled, others had to be rerouted, and
these were planes carrying patients that were to be operated on in Cuba.
Some had to land in Camaguey, others in Holguin; Cuban planes scheduled
to leave Venezuela were unable to take off. <br><br>
The following day, no one knew what the path of the hurricane was going
to be; it even neared Cuba and caused problems in Pinar del Rio, heavy
downpours. Then, it turns north, leaving behind it heavy showers and
floods in some areas. Warnings about sea flooding in Pinar del Rio are
issued, you have to see the photos. In fact, the following day we were
also suffering the effects of the hurricane, and receiving news that it
was headed north and that it was gathering strength, between a category 4
and 5, exactly like the one that passed through here several weeks ago.
<br><br>
After this introduction, Josephine read the message, which reads as
follows:<br><br>
“On instructions from Cuba’s top leadership, I convey to you our
condolences for the loss of human lives and the material damage caused by
hurricane Katrina and inform you of our willingness to immediately send
the medical and health personnel that may be needed to any of the
affected areas and, in addition to this, to set up three field hospitals
with the personnel needed”.<br><br>
Complying with the instructions, Josefina concluded telling Mr. Lee that
“we are not after publicity. We await your reply”. That is the reason we
didn’t make the offer public, we didn’t publish anything, in fact. We
didn’t want it to be interpreted as a publicity effort. <br><br>
That same August 30, “The head of the Cuban Interests Section in
Washington, Dagoberto Rodríguez, was received, at his own request, at
4:30 pm in the State Department by the official John Reagan, to whom he
passed the exact same message delivered in Havana and gave the same
written text”.<br><br>
On the August 31, at 2:15 pm, “the head of the Cuban Interests Section in
Washington, Dagoberto Rodríguez, attended a meeting with the diplomatic
corps accredited in Washington called by the State Department, in which
information about hurricane Katrina, information mechanisms and
institutions linked to disaster protection efforts was given”. We felt
that the fact they invited him the next day, something which doesn’t
happen often, was a positive sign. <br><br>
Two days later we made our offer, that is, yesterday September 1, at the
time I said, while we were meeting at the National Assembly, the
spokesman makes his statement, which I really didn’t get to read until
today, September 2. We got nearly all of the news today; we were at the
Assembly until 11:00 pm, and busy receiving visitors after that.
<br><br>
After that statement yesterday, we began getting a downpour of calls
today. We didn’t want any kind of publicity in connection with this. But,
what were we supposed to say to the people calling us? And are we going
to allow the world’s public opinion to perceive us in a strange position,
to think that, following a tragedy of this magnitude, we don’t even offer
our condolences to the American people?<br><br>
There’s something else: yesterday, at the beginning of the Assembly
session, the first thing the members of the chair proposed was that we
send out a message of solidarity to the US people, a message which was
published in full today. <br><br>
It reads as follows:<br><br>
“Message of solidarity to the American people”. <br><br>
“The people of Cuba have followed with deep concern the news on the
damage hurricane Katrina has caused in the states of Lousiana,
Mississippi and Alabama. Though the information received is still lacking
in detail, it allows us to surmise that the hurricane constitutes a
tragedy of immense proportions.<br><br>
“In terms of the physical destruction and material damages caused, the
hurricane is considered the most costly natural disaster recorded in US
history. This country’s Red Cross believes it will have to work harder
than it did following the atrocious attacks of September 11, 2001.
<br><br>
“Tens of thousands of people are trapped in flooded areas, have lost
their homes, been displaced or taken in by shelters. The governor of
Louisiana described the situation in New Orleans —where water levels
continue to rise— as desperate. This city’s Mayor declared that hundreds,
perhaps thousands of people may have perished there. <br><br>
“This disaster, with its death toll and suffering, affects all citizens
of the United States, but its scourge is felt all the more strongly by
Afro-Americans and by poor Latino and US workers, who constitute the
majority of those who are still waiting to be rescued and taken to safe
places, and account for the greatest number of fatal victims and people
who have lost their homes. <br><br>
“These news bring much pain and sorrow to the Cuban people. On their
behalf, we wish to send out a sincere message of solidarity to the
American people, to state and local authorities and to the victims of
this catastrophe. Every nation must feel this tragedy as its own.
<br><br>
“National Assembly of People’s Power of the Republic of Cuba, <br><br>
Havana, September 1, 2005”.<br><br>
<br><br>
A minute of silence was observed for the victims. It was truly a moving
and sincere gesture, on behalf of our people, towards the people of the
United States, respectful towards the authorities, not in the least bit
offensive or aggressive. <br><br>
This is the situation we’re facing, the news we’re receiving are ever
harsher. There may be thousands, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions
of people amazed that Cuba didn’t offer any kind of aid, and we’re the
next-door neighbour. No country is closer to the United States; we’re
certainly much closer than Japan, any contribution, modest as it may be,
will get to the south of the United States much more quickly if it comes
from Cuba rather than Japan or Asia. Well, they’ve expressed their
admiration for Sri Lanka, for the aid they offered in spite of the
country’s difficulties. The Arab Emirates are even farther away.
<br><br>
Actually, we’re closer to the United States than Honduras is, closer than
Central America and considerably closer than any country in South
America. We’ve done the math: in an hour and fifty minutes, one of our
planes can reach the international airport closest to the place where the
tragedy occurred. <br><br>
The main reason for our being here is to make the truth known and
reiterate our willingness to cooperate. We are not here to criticize,
that’s not our intention. We were not mentioned in that long list and we
were perhaps the first to offer aid; if you have a look at the time when
the instructions were given and the message was passed, I think it’s fair
to say we were quick to make our offer, which was concrete: doctors to
work in the affected areas, precisely what they need now in many places.
<br><br>
Our position cannot be perceived as resentment or even complaint. As the
deputy chief of the US Interests Section, Mr. Lee was told we were not
after any kind of publicity. Perhaps their interpretation was that we
wanted no publicity whatsoever. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding; I’m
not saying Cuba’s name was intentionally omitted. Even if it had been
omitted intentionally, it’s not something that worries us, we’ve never
done anything for recognition or to be thanked, that’s the way we’ve
acted not once, but many, many times. <br><br>
Somoza was in office in Nicaragua when that terrible earthquake destroyed
the city, however, the Cuban field hospitals and doctors were among the
first to arrive there. <br><br>
We had no relations with Peru, and with many other countries, and that’s
never been an obstacle, we’ve always and immediately offered our aid.
<br><br>
Immediately after the tsunami hit across the globe, we sent medical
brigades to two countries. That was costly, sending a plane, which
consumes much more fuel, say, than a Boeing —our planes consume quite a
lot of fuel— it’s costly. Sending a medical brigade to Oceania in one of
those planes is costly, we’re talking about hundreds of thousands of
dollars, precisely because of the costs of plane fuel today, and the
costs of the medication and tents, which aren’t brought back to Cuba,
they stay there. <br><br>
<br><br>
When Santo Domingo, Haiti and Central America were terribly battered by
hurricanes which claimed tens of thousands of lives in the latter, we did
even more. These events gave rise to the brigades that today make up a
huge movement. The Latin American School of Medicine was also born of
these events. In terms of training for doctors, of the services it brings
to the region and to humanity as a whole, this is an extraordinary
institution which will produce 200,000 doctors, doctors that Venezuela
and Cuba will be graduating in the course of 10 years. <br><br>
All of this was born of the spirit of cooperation, recognized in many
parts of the world today; even in Honduras, where there was talk of
removing the doctors, there have been a number of declarations by the
population, insisting that not one of them be removed; that they are
attending to 2.5 millions of people who do not receive any other kind of
medical care from anyone else. Everyone mobilized to keep the doctors
there, and we said that we would never remove them on account of any
grievance, that we would not withdraw our medical assistance, unless the
country’s government requested it. Our doctors remain in these countries
even when war breaks out; that’s what happened in Haiti, not one of them
left and they treated the ill, the wounded and anyone in need of medical
care. <br><br>
That is how our doctors behave, that is the code of ethics that guides
our doctors and our country too. We’re not going to send a medical team
overseas to bring it back home due to a diplomatic skirmish, when
differences or even things that are very offensive for our country arise.
We would never act that way. <br><br>
That’s where we’re coming from, which is why I say this is not the time
to complain about the fact Cuba was omitted from the list read by the
State Department spokesman.<br><br>
So, we would like to reiterate our wish to cooperate with the American
people, and all the more so after what we and the world have seen.
Therefore we would like to take this opportunity to state exactly what
position we are taking and repeat it with even more precision:<br><br>
Our country is ready to send, in the small hours of morning, 100 general
doctors an specialists in Comprehensive General Medicine, who tomorrow
Saturday, at dawn, could be in Houston International Airport, Texas, the
closest to the region struck by the tragedy, in order to be transferred
by air” –it would be in helicopters mainly--, “river or land” –amphibious
crafts that sometimes enter heavily flooded areas-- “to the more distant
shelters, facilities and neighborhoods in the city of New Orleans, where
the population and families are that require emergency medical care or
first aid treatment.<br><br>
These Cuban personnel would be carrying backpacks with 24 kilograms of
medications, known to be essential in such situations to save lives, as
well as basic diagnostic tools.”</font><font face="arial" size=2>
</font><font face="arial" size=3>They will have to take blood pressure,
pulse and other readings, all these basic resources are needed to
establish a clinical report, something which our doctors have a lot of
experience in. At the moment tens of thousands of them are working
overseas, and in many places there was no X-ray machine or ultrasound
equipment, there was nothing, not even blood or other lab tests, and they
arrive and make clinical diagnoses with an exceedingly high level of
precision. They are practically clinical experts, because they are used
to working in areas of the Third World that don’t have diagnostic
equipment. “They may work alone or in groups of two or more people,
depending on the circumstances, for as long as necessary.”<br><br>
“Likewise, Cuba is ready to send via Houston, or any other airport of
your choosing, 500 additional specialists in Comprehensive General
Medicine, with the same equipment, who could be at their destination
point at noon or in the afternoon of tomorrow, Saturday, September 3.
Thus, the 1100 said medical doctors, with the resources described, would
be caring for the people in most need of attention in the aftermath of
the hurricane.<br><br>
“A third group of 500 specialists in General Comprehensive Medicine could
also be sent, and would arrive in the morning of Sunday, September 4.
Consequently, in under 36 hours, 1100 of these doctors equipped with said
resources’ –the back-packs--, ‘which amount to 26.4 tons of medication
and diagnostic kits’ –mostly medication-- ‘will be caring for the
neediest people in the aftermath of a hurricane like Katrina.”<br><br>
And the damage that it left in its wake, in a flat, low area with many
rivers. That is to say, it seems that accidents have happened there as
well, levees that burst, all those occurrences. A hurricane is a
hurricane, ranking five on the scale is a hurricane. The one that hit
Cienfuegos was a category four. It hit with more force, in fact, when it
got closer.<br><br>
“These medical doctors have an elementary knowledge of the English
language that would allow them to communicate with the patients.
<br><br>
“All we are waiting for is a response from the U.S. authorities’<br><br>
Our doctors have worked in South Africa, in many English speaking
nations, and even in areas where dialects are spoken; but it is very easy
to communicate with doctors. Children of eight months, for example,
cannot speak, and doctors diagnose them simply because they are able to
make diagnoses, sometimes language isn’t even needed; but they do have
the basic language skills.<br><br>
The significance of this proposal can be deduced from a press wire from
New Orleans, dated today, September 2, from the EFE agency. It is worth
reading and says, and I quote:<br><br>
‘Due to the fact that the hospitals are without electricity, the drug
stores of New Orleans are under more than a meter of water, thousands of
patients have no access to sanitary care and there is growing threat of
infection, the health of tens of thousands of people affected by
hurricane ‘Katrina’ is at risk.<br><br>
‘The crisis that has hit New Orleans and large areas in southern
Louisiana is made worse by the fact that the majority of the tens of
thousands of people trapped by the water are the poorest of the country’s
poor; individuals who suffer from more mental and physical illnesses that
any other social group’.<br><br>
‘A tragic example of the sanitary problems that ‘Katrina’ and the
accompanying floods have caused the inhabitants of New Orleans could be
seen last Thursday in the doorways of the city’s Convention Center, where
between 20 000 and 25 000 people have taken shelter.’<br><br>
‘Against one of the outside walls of the center is the corpse of an
elderly lady, sat in her wheelchair with a blanket over her. On the other
side of the Convention Center, two people try to resuscitate a man lying
unconscious on the floor, in a vain attempt to save his life’.<br><br>
‘The elderly, young and sick of the poor of New Orleans –where, according
to official figures, almost a third of the 1.4 million inhabitants are
poverty-stricken, almost half a million-- ‘the most vulnerable are the
ones paying the highest price for the disaster.<br><br>
<br><br>
‘Some experts have begun to warn about the psychological consequences
that the chaos and violence that prevail in New Orleans will have on the
children that experience the crisis at first hand, in some cases without
their parents.<br><br>
‘Another concern that experts have begun to express is the outbreak of
infectious diseases such as cholera or typhoid fever.<br><br>
‘80% of New Orleans is under water. Authorities fear that hundreds,
probably thousands, of people have died over the last few days or are
trapped by the water in the attics of their homes’.<br><br>
We are talking about helping people who are trapped in a building, in a
stadium, wherever, in small communities, a medical team that will reach
them, with medication. This medical team could save the lives of people
like that man who was being resuscitated following a heart attack, and
medication for these and other serious problems that doctors and their
backpacks with essential medication can sort out. Who knows if maybe they
could have saved that person in the wheelchair. Nobody knows what she
died of.<br><br>
What I am trying to say is that we are not offering to send our doctors
to Disneyland or to stay in five-star hotels.<br><br>
‘With temperatures of over 30°C’ –that’s nothing for a Cuban doctor– ‘the
decomposing bodies of people and animals are rapidly becoming a breeding
ground for bacteria’.<br><br>
‘Furthermore, the sewers in the metropolitan area of New Orleans have
emptied their contents into the stagnant waters in the city’s streets,
through which its inhabitants are forced to walk in their attempt to
flee.’<br><br>
And as if this wasn’t enough, patches of dangerous chemical products can
be clearly seen from the air floating in the water discharged by
companies and industries, such as refineries or farms, located in the
outskirts of New Orleans.’<br><br>
‘Experts warn that human contact with this water could cause
infection’.<br><br>
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that the population should
avoid eating or drinking perishable products such as meat, fish, milk and
eggs that are not stored appropriately, as they could cause illness if
consumed, even if they have been cooked correctly.’<br><br>
<br><br>
To deal with all these problems it is essential to have a professional
there, where there may not be a doctor, to say what type of food can be
eaten, if it is canned food.<br><br>
The doctors with their backpacks of medication, well distributed in
hundreds of different places, could be of extraordinarily use.<br><br>
It is even thought that they will be able to tell us, if they have the
means of communication to do so, what they need and then it will be much
easier, they will make diagnoses, and realize if an epidemic is about to
break out, identify the first symptoms. There is no way they could not be
useful.<br><br>
If there was ever a situation where this was needed it is this, in which
many doctors who have been to the jungles, to the plateaus, to lots of
places could participate; not because they’re Cuban, it’s not the enemy
that’s going there to kill, it’s a professional, like the tens of
thousands that we currently have in other countries, where others don’t
go.<br><br>
‘The FDA added that
‘no-one should eat any food that has been in contact with the flood
water.’<br><br>
‘With the desperate pleas for water and food by the thousands of people
trapped in the Superdome and the Convention Center’ –I don’t know if they
have been evacuated by now or not--, ‘who in some cases haven’t eaten in
the last three days, there is a strong chance that the FDA’s warning –if
it reaches the ears of the victims-- will not have much effect.’<br><br>
This
cable arrived today, I received it a few hours before I arrived
here.<br><br>
That is why I have come to reiterate the offer. We stuck to the notion
that we didn’t want any publicity so resolutely that three days went by
and no-one found out about what we were willing to do. Everyone has said;
‘I offered this, I offered 50 000 dollars, I offered that’. We offer
lives, to save 10, 100, 500, 1000; to help to take measures that could
save tens of thousands, at least to avoid the sorrowful sight that the
world is witnessing. <br><br>
Are
they going to reject our cooperation because of the things that have gone
on between our two countries? I feel that it would help everyone and it
would be a good example, set not only by us, but by them as well, because
these phenomena could repeat themselves.<br><br>
<br><br>
Today
a group of American experts were saying that a strong hurricane like this
one could hit within a month or two, one more violent that this one could
sweep the United States.<br><br>
Therefore our gesture is sincere and peaceful. It does not seek publicity
or impose conditions of any kind, it does not request that the blockade
be lifted or anything like that. We have never imposed conditions on
anybody; we offer what we have and this is what we have; we do not have a
large financial capital. The costs are covered by us; the travel, the
fuel; we don’t even have to get fuel over there, it’s so near. They can
go there or to another airport, or to a military base, if there is one.
They are not going to make statements or seek publicity, I want us to be
clear on this.<br><br>
We are
hopeful, seeing that today another change took place, as the Secretary of
State herself said that they would accept any help. This means that
they’d even accept help from the Martians if it was offered; but they
haven’t. A little island on this planet, that’s only a few minutes away
from that place has offered to help, and it has a moral right to discuss
the possibility of sending doctors over, it is something that is now
acknowledged by the world.<br><br>
What
we want is not to criticize, not to put the U.S. government in an awkward
situation. We are aware that the authorities are going through a
difficult time, the target of harsh criticism. We aren’t the type of
politician –we’ll call ourselves politicians, in case the word
revolutionary scares anyone– who opportunistically takes advantage of
certain situations to deal a blow to an adversary. I want to make that
clear, because this is the real spirit of cooperation.<br><br>
Once
again I shall say that this is not the first time. We have absolutely no
interest in confronting the United States or their government in any way,
shape or form, I’ve already said it, I say: ‘Let’s call a ceasefire’. And
we are not asking for anything, and we’ll foot the bill for all the
medication and the transport and everything.<br><br>
What
it’ll be like over there I don’t know, if they go to a small community, I
imagine that they’ll have whatever the people there offer them. I don’t
know if they’ll take some water with them, but our doctors are
experienced in going thirsty, suffering the heat and going without food
along with the patients. In some places that they have been we have sent
them food, out of concern for them, and they have given it to their
patients.<br><br>
When
concerned for the health of our teachers we sent them food and they gave
it to their students, and when our doctors receive something they give it
to their patients first. These are the ethics which shape our doctors,
and there isn’t just one or two of them, there are now thousands, now,
right now, and tens of thousands more here.<br><br>
A few
days ago 1610 young people from other countries graduated here, they have
now finished their studies and have gained lot of experience. About now
almost 2000 more Cuban doctors should also have graduated with clinical
experience, thus constituting reserves. Many of the experienced people on
missions overseas are currently here on holiday. We would send mainly
experienced doctors to the areas most severely affected. We already know
who would go. All we are waiting for is some response, and I hope that it
comes straightaway, so as not to loose a minute.<br><br>
All
the measures have been taken, everything is being prepared: backpacks,
medication, clothes, everything, because it’s now three days since we
made our offer and we couldn’t keep our men permanently mobilized. What
we do know is how long it takes to mobilize them and that it is the only
way to get medication to all those people who have spoken on TV. They can
be there at the airport in Houston, and from there go by helicopter to
the areas in need in a very short space of time.<br><br>
A
helicopter doesn’t require a runway, it will land in a place where it is
filled with fuel, and take the medical team to any place necessary, it is
ideal; but sometimes it could be a place where a boat or fast motorboat
arrives, or perhaps an amphibious tank, and there are men from the
National Guard, American soldiers involved in this task. I am sure that
everyone is going to work together, and the fact that American doctors,
Cuban doctors, whoever, are helping to save others in this sort of
ceasefire, this truce, will set a very good example for the world.
<br><br>
This
war is not between human beings but is rather a war for the lives of
human beings, a war against disease, against disasters that could repeat
themselves, and one of the first things that this world should learn, now
of all times, with the changes that are taking place and with these types
of phenomena, is to work together. <br><br>
Our
doctors went to Indonesia, to Sri Lanka. Our doctors are in Timor L’este,
and hundreds of doctors from over there will soon be here receiving
training. It’s on the other side of the world, I think, between Oceania
and Australia. Some weeks ago we sent a delegation over, they went, came
back, I spoke at length with them. I know the situation, what doctors
there are. We also have a program to train, within a few years, hundreds
of doctors, all that they need. It is a Portuguese speaking country, very
heroic, that lost tens of thousands of lives in the process to
attain independence.<br><br>
We
haven’t said a word about this. I feel obliged to talk about it here
today, briefly so that no-one is in any doubt about the current situation
and so that they forget about any pre-conceived notions, because what
exist are no longer just instilled lies, but rather pre-conceived notions
formed in the minds of many people.<br><br>
Furthermore, as I was saying, we have many friends in the United States,
and around 200 well-known names, administrative authorities from those
southern states, with whom our collaborators have relations, because they
are constantly in touch through a large number of activities related to
the buying, shipment and transportation of food and the payment of this,
because we have been paying for this food in cash now for four years,
without ever being late and without ever paying even a penny less. We
have developed really strong relations, based on trust. We extended our
condolences to the authorities, to everyone, and they took it well, they
were grateful. We told them that we had informed the top U.S. authorities
about this, and we told all of them that we wanted to act with
discretion.<br><br>
They
should know all about it, and there are many witnesses, but it doesn’t
matter. This isn’t about quarreling or arguing. We’re not asking anyone
to criticize themselves, nor are we criticizing anybody; we are proposing
something truly constructive that seems to us to be just, and that uses
practical, specific, immediate, action, that can be effected in matter of
hours. They can be there at 7 o’clock in the morning, with their
backpacks, which are now ready, the first hundred are ready. These are
the first hundred that could be there at
dawn. The
others could start to arrive in the afternoon, and a second group of 500
could be arriving in the evening and some more on Sunday. <br><br>
Up
until now 64,367 patients from Venezuela and the Caribbean have been
operated on, as part of ‘Operation Miracle’, at a rate of 1560 a day.
Just think how many airplanes have to fly back and forth bringing and
returning these eye patients. We have a taskforce here getting ready, we
have a large number of paramedics if, as a result of the hurricane, their
services are needed in some emergency rooms, we can send them over.
<br><br>
The
United States have a lot of doctors and resources, but they also have a
special situation in a specific area, due to a specific problem. This is
no cause for shame. What I am sure of is that it is very difficult to get
all the teams necessary to where all those people from the south are in
12 hours, or in 24 hours. It is impossible to conjure up a doctor for
extreme situations, it is impossible to conjure up a trained general
practitioner for this task, or a team of men that will go anywhere. On
the other hand, this isn’t the first time for us, this isn’t a new
experience for Cuba.<br><br>
That
is what I want to say. There are more than 200 people who know this now
and they were told that we have informed the authorities in Washington,
and that we wanted to be discrete. The others can judge whether or not I
did the right thing in asking you to give me a few moments to explain
this, to address the American people and give them a response so that
they don’t think that we are vengeful and that we didn’t want to help
because of our differences with the United States. And I’ll it say it
again, we’re not asking for anything! The truth is we don’t need
anything.<br><br>
Medication, yes, as much as they want; equipment, yes, not for Cuba, but
rather to save the lives of and attend to Americans, and if they want
more doctors, if they want a thousand, we’ll give them a thousand more,
if they want five thousand, we’ll give them five thousand more, we have
them and we know where they are, and they know how to use X-ray machines,
ultrasound equipment, endoscopes, and how to treat many diseases. You may
have a lot of equipment, but you also need the people who know how to use
it. The problem is how fast they arrive. That’s all I’ll say.<br><br>
<br><br>
With
this I am voicing the good will of the Cuban people, the sentiments of
friendship that they have always felt towards the American people, which
has been demonstrated for 46 years. One of the few countries in the world
where the American flag has never been burnt, where no-one would ever
insult an American citizen, this is a for sure. We are grateful to the
country that supported the return of the little boy, the country in which
an increasing number of people support the pursuit of justice for our
compatriots, the country that we trust will one day form a bond of
friendship with us, and not only to help our two countries, but also,
fundamentally, to help others. <br><br>
The
government of the United States and Congress approved 15 billion to fight
AIDS, but money cannot solve the AIDS problem if there are no doctors in
the small communities in Africa. And they haven’t got any doctors there,
we have doctors there and the numbers will grow, into the tens of
thousands.<br><br>
The
Caribbean is going to have thousands of doctors, we are going to help to
train them and we have already trained hundreds, who speak English,
perfect English.<br><br>
The
world needs doctors, doctors who go to these places. Central America is
going to have doctors, even now they have them, and we are one big
family.<br><br>
And if
they urgently need new equipment to help the people affected, Cuba has
this equipment available, it is in the warehouses, ready, the very
resources that we acquired for our programs; as long as we are building,
there is always a supply. We are not going to take this equipment out of
our health centers. We are talking about resources destined for other
places that can be replaced in a matter of weeks. <br><br>
We
have also notified those in Washington that we were going to call this
meeting and that it was in no way aimed at creating a confrontation, but
rather to repeat our offer. At 5 o’clock in the afternoon the US
Interests Section in Havana was informed of this, and those in Washington
were also informed. They are not finding this out now on the television
and they know in what spirit it is intended. I hope that we can all learn
a fruitful and useful lesson, get something out of this huge and
heart-breaking tragedy that has befallen this country.<br><br>
<br><br>
I
don’t think, Randy, and fellow compatriots, that I have anything else to
add, or that I should add anything to what I have already said.<br><br>
<br><br>
<br>
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