Fidel Offers 3000 Medical Workers for AIDS in Africa
Speaking in front of the UN at the second Roundtable meeting of the Millenium Summit on Sep 7, 2000 in New York, Fidel Castro lambasted first world nations as being trapped in arguments concerning the US$1000 per person necessary to provide adequate medicines for AIDS sufferers in Africa. African representatives at the UN, he reported, have declared that even if they had the medicines, the haven’t the infrastructure to distribute them. Since Cuba has more educated medical professionals than it needs, Castro offered to spare one thousand doctors and two to three thousand heath workers to help Africa in ways medicines alone could not.
Thanks to the intensive educational programs that have been developed over many years, Cuba now has a significant human capital, and human capital is decisive; I would say that it is even more important than financial capital. And our country has sufficient medical personnel to cooperate-if the United Nations agrees-with the World Health Organization and with the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa, who are suffering from this destructive scourge to the greatest degree, in order to organize the infrastructure needed to administer those medications in Africa on an emergency basis… Africa needs thousands of doctors in order to provide one doctor per 5,000 inhabitants; our country has one doctor per 168 inhabitants.
Castro pointed out that Cuban doctors have been fulfilling missions abroad for years with respect and acknowledgement from local populations, and without talking about religion, politics or philosophy.
The full transcript of his speech is available in English translation at http://www.granma.cu/ingles/sept1/38fdplan-i.html
American Legion: Lift Cuban Embargo
The American Legion wrapped up its 82nd annual convention by urging Congress to lift the U.S. economic embargo on Cuba with a caveat that the island nation move “towards a more open and free society.”
The veterans group unanimously approved the resolution Thursday. “The embargo has basically hurt the people of the country of Cuba and has made a martyr out of Fidel Castro,” said the Legion’s national commander, Al Lance.
“If we’re going to forgive Vietnam and trade with them and we’re going to forgive China and start trading with them, why shouldn’t we do the same with the people of Cuba?” Legionnaires also approved a separate item calling on the United States to maintain control of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base on Cuba, continue intelligence flights over the island and remain “firm in opposition to export of revolution by Cuba.” The organization also voted to reject “permanent normal trade relations” with China until that country cooperates with efforts to account for missing U.S. servicemen from the Korean and Cold Wars. (AP)