Reflections by Comrade Fidel
Two days ago, close to 6 in the evening Cuba time,
already dark in Haiti due to its geographical location, the TV channels started
carrying news that a violent earthquake, --of 7.3 intensity in the Richter scale—had
severely shaken Port au Prince. The seismic phenomenon had originated at a
tectonic fault in the sea only 9.4 miles from the Haitian capital, a city where
80% of the population lives in fragile houses built with clay and adobe.
The news continued almost uninterrupted for hours.
There were no images but it was said that many stouter constructions like
public buildings, hospitals, schools and other facilities had also collapsed. I
have read that a 7.3 earthquake equals the energy released by the explosion of
400,000 tons of TNT.
The descriptions were dramatic. In the streets, the
wounded cried for medical help surrounded by ruins and their families buried
under the debris. But, for many hours no one could broadcast any image.
The news took us all by surprise. Rather often we had
heard news of hurricanes and large floods in
At
Actually, it was yesterday morning that sad news
started flowing in on the high number of human casualties in the population and
even such institutions as the United Nations reported that some of their
buildings in that country had collapsed; a word that usually does not say much
but that could mean a lot under the circumstances.
For hours increasingly dramatic news of the situation
in that country continued to flow uninterrupted with reports of different
numbers of deadly victims that depending on which version fluctuated between 30
thousand and 100 thousand. The images are appalling. Obviously, the catastrophic event has been
widely reported all over the world and many governments, sincerely moved, are
making efforts to cooperate to the extent of their capabilities.
A lot of people are sincerely touched by the tragedy,
especially natural unassuming people but perhaps few stop to think on why
It is amazing that no one says a word on the fact
that
Such a historic oblivion would not be so grave if it
were not because
Billions of people in
No place on earth should be affected by such
situations, even though there are tens of thousands of towns and villages in
similar and sometimes worse conditions resulting from an unfair economic and
political international order imposed worldwide. The world population is not
only threatened by natural catastrophes like that of Haiti that is but a pale example
of what can happen to the planet with climate change; an issue that was the
target of mockery, scorn and deception in Copenhagen.
It is fair to say to every country and institution
that have sustained the loss of citizens or members to the natural catastrophe
in Haiti that we do not doubt that at this point they will make the greatest
effort to save human lives and to alleviate the pain of that long-suffering
people. They cannot be blamed for the natural phenomenon that has taken place
there even though we disagree with the policy pursued towards
But, I must say that I feel it’s high time to seek
true and real solutions for that fraternal people.
In the area of healthcare and others the Haitian
people has received the cooperation of
Another high number of Haitian youths are studying
medicine in
We also cooperate with the Haitian people in other
areas within our capabilities. However, there is no other form of cooperation
worthy of the definition but that of struggling in the field of ideas and
political action to put an end to the endless tragedy endured by a great number
of nations like
The head of our medical brigade has informed that
“the situation is difficult but we are already saving lives.” She said this in
a brief message sent a few hours after arriving in Port au Prince yesterday
with an additional group of doctors.
Late at night she said that the Cuban doctors and the
Haitians graduated at the
We take wholesome pride in the cooperation that at
this tragic hour the Cuban doctors and the young Haitian doctors trained in
Fidel Castro Ruz