Ven. govt. defies court that barred help from Cuban doctors

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tensions seem to be building rapidly in Venezuela, although the latest
opposition demonstrations clearly bombed.  The literacy and medical
campaigns, with the help and experience of Cuban teachers and doctors,
are taking hold in the working-class and peasant communities,
entrenching the revolutionary process more deeply.

The development of a national-revolutionary labor movement which has
largely pushed aside the pro-boss, pro-US bureaucratic union
federation, is giving organized workers a louder voice in politics and
on the job (a number of factories abandoned by their bosses, or where
sabotage linked to the opposition has been taking place are now
occupied by the work force).  And the U.S. setbacks in Iraq and
failure to stabilize Colombia are increasing confidence among Chavez's
supporters.

Venezuela is becoming a leading factor in the struggle against the
unpayable, immoral debt. Unlike in 1985, when Fidel Castro made little
headway  with the call for a Latin American united front, one of the
key countries on the mainland is taking the lead in the fight against
the debt and the attempt to deepen unequal trade relations through the
FTAA.

Washington has also made little headway in developing Iraqi oil as a
counterweight to dependency on Venezuela.  At the same time, an
economic crisis still rages in the country and Washington and the
Venezuelan ruling class fear the actions that the government and its
working class and peasant supporters will take to confront the
problems. Fred Feldman


August 22, 2003

Venezuelan gov't defies court over Cuban doctors

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's left-wing government Friday
condemned as politically motivated a court decision to bar Cuban
doctors from working in Caracas' slums and said they would remain in
their jobs.

The ruling Thursday by the First Administrative Court rekindled a
fierce debate in Venezuela about growing cooperation between President
Hugo Chavez's government and communist Cuba.

Accepting an appeal by the Venezuelan Medical Federation, the court
decided that 417 Cuban doctors working in Caracas' Libertador district
under a bilateral cooperation program were practicing illegally and
should be replaced by local doctors.

Calling the decision "grotesque," Health Minister Maria Urbaneja said
the government would appeal.

She told a news conference the Cuban doctors would stay in Venezuela
and their numbers would be increased. "There is not a court decision
that can be above our commitment to provide health and well-being for
the people," she said.

Urbaneja and other officials said "coup-mongering" foes of Venezuela's
president were behind the court decision.

Opponents accuse Chavez, a close friend of Cuban President Fidel
Castro, of trying to install Cuba-style communism in Venezuela. He
says his self-styled "revolution" in the world's No. 5 oil exporter
aims to help the nation's poor.

Leaders of the Venezuelan Medical Federation had argued that the Cuban
doctors were hired in violation of Venezuelan laws regulating the
practice of medicine.

They accused the Cubans of being political activists, of not having
proper training and of taking jobs away from local medical
professionals.

Urbaneja said the Cuban doctors were brought in because the government
could not find enough Venezuelan doctors willing to work in
crime-ridden slums of Caracas.

Venezuelan Medical Federation President Douglas Leon said the
government should respect the court ruling. "I hope they are going to
send the Cubans home," he said.

More than 1,000 Cuban doctors, sports trainers, sugar experts and
other technicians are working in Venezuela under a cooperation treaty
that includes the shipment of 53,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan oil
to Cuba.
REUTERS