Aris Chatzistefanou
There is a certain word that neolibs around the world never mention in the many comments they make about Fidel Castro’s death – and that word is “embargo”.
Their ability to talk about a country that has survived the cruelest and longest economic embargo of the last centuries without even mentioning that defining characteristic is beyond believe.
Despite the harsh conditions, Cuba’s health sector still defies their world views about free market, and that thought makes them feel the ground shake under their feet.
For decades now, Cuba has lower infant mortality rates than the American superpower, and that fact alone is enough to blow away any arguments for the currently dominant economic system.
Today, Cuba stands at the forefront of many medical research areas.
While thousand of poor American citizens have to wait in lines from 5 in the morning in order to see an ophthalmologist, Cuban doctors have performed up to 3 million free ophthalmological surgeries at 33 countries around the world, mainly 3rd world ones.
Cuba has “exported” up to 50.000 doctors that offer their services for free. They were once founded by the Hugo Chavez government at Venezuela.
When the WTO attempted to put itself together in order to face the Ebola virus, Havana had already set up free clinics in order to prevent the spread of the virus and help the inhabitants.
But how did USA respond to all this movement? They tried to convince the doctors to abandon their patients and seek asylum at the nearest American embassy.
United States implemented the same practice when Cuba sent doctors who took care of 40% of the victims at Haiti or when 2.400 doctors were sent for the Kashmir earthquake in 2005. Those doctors left behind over 30 medical clinics. USA embassies tried to keep the doctors away from the patients just so they can achieve their propagandistic goals.
Naturally, by trying to ridicule Havana, the American diplomats only managed to bring embarrassment upon their country and their economic system.
Of course, it was to be expected that a country which has lived under the shadow of the embargo for so many decades would face important economic, political and human rights disturbances.
However, neolibs will never forgive Fidel for creating a health sector that’s more efficient than the American system, despite the harsh conditions that were imposed on Cuba.
Extract from Michael Moore’s film “Sicko”:
Translation: Panos Chatzistefanou
