[Marxism] Fidel reiterates Cuba's medical aid offer to the American People (complete)

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

(Excerpts from the transcript of Fidel's speech on
Friday's Mesa Redonda. Complete remarks are here:) 
http://www.walterlippmann.com/fc-09-02-2005.html

(Why won't Washington permit the Cubans who really
have immense experience in this field, to provide
it to the desperate people of the US to need it NOW?

(This really helps prove that the blockad not only
harms the people of Cuba, but harms the interests of
the people of the United States as well.)
==================================================

Neither propaganda nor conditions, but solidarity aid 
to the people of the United States

President Fidel Castro reiterates Cuba?s offer of medical aid 
to the American people on the Round Table program aired on 
September 2, 2005.

---------------------------------------------------------

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.

---------------------------------------------------------

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.

---------------------------------------------------------

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.

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.

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.

---------------------------------------------------------

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.

---------------------------------------------------------

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?

---------------------------------------------------------

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.

---------------------------------------------------------

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

---------------------------------------------------------

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.? 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.?

---------------------------------------------------------

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.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Cuban message of solidarity with the American people:
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2005/septiembre/vier2/37mensaje-i.html
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


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.

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.

----------------------------------------------

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.




________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism