The retired Communist Party Leader, Fidel Castro, has written several commentaries on the situation in Haiti, Cuba’s help, and the “US military occupation” that has followed the disaster. Immediately, Cuban medics, supplies, and Cuban-trained Haitian doctors were sent to Haiti in a “strictly humanitarian effort”. Cuban medics have been supported by Norway which has sent US $885,000 in medical supplies and care to Cuban doctors working in Haiti. The unique and priceless contribution of Cuban medics is their collaboration with a Chilean anesthesiologist. Because of the risk of infection of limbs, and crush syndrome, many Haitians are undergoing amputations. However, these amputations are taking place in most cases without anesthetics, with hacksaws, and barely any painkillers post-op. The addition of a Chilean anesthesiologist offers the Cuban team a necessary and highly coveted advantage.
Castro goes on to question the introduction of US troops into Haiti after the earthquake. Castro accuses US militants of not allowing aide into Haiti. He also suggests that US troops will stand in the way of international humanitarian efforts with aide endeavors in Haiti. The age-old question is: medics or military?
Before the earthquake hit, the Haitian government wasn’t the most stable government within the Western Hemisphere. If they were, the relief efforts would be led by President Rene Preval who is curiously not visible in reports on relief efforts. The mayor of Leogane, a city outside of Haiti announced on camera that there was nothing he could do to help the people of Leogane because there was no heavy machinery to remove the rubble. While in this interview the mayor was wearing sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt. He seemed relatively unmoved by the events of the earthquake. He continued to stress his inability to help.
Following the earthquake, aid workers began to arrive in Haiti to distribute meals. They were met with absolute chaos. UN peacekeepers weren’t able to distribute food in the first few days following the earthquake because crowds were out of control. Most of the Haitian police force, which was crooked pre-earthquake, was scarce. The few that were left have been found adding to the number of Haitians dead. In order to get into Haiti, there needed to be control of crime, crowds and chaos. If the US government did not step in, it would be perceived as the US not responding. And after the event in New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina, the US could not afford another instance where troops and resources did not immediately respond. Castro claims that Cuba directly offered their services to the US government in the hours following this major hurricane but the US denied that help. Whether this claim is true or not is almost improvable. If the U.S. admits to denying Castro’s help in the face of the devastating hurricane, we stand further embarrassment and scrutiny as an inhumane nation.
The history of military occupancy of Haiti is filled with stories of most military occupations: rape, abuse of power, and resistance. Current orders indicate that the US military is not allowed to police Haiti. The troops are only there to protect themselves and other aid workers. However, Haitian police are allowing random killings, criminals are on the loose, and the streets are unpoliced by Haitian government, officials, and authorities. How will aide workers and medics be able to tend to the masses if there is no order? Granted the presence of US troops creates conflict. But if the US did not react greater conflict and confrontation would be taking place.
Cuba has offered an unwavering, cooperative, and steady hand in helping Haitians post-earthquake. Though coverage of this help is not well-documented, it is there. Cuban forces are helping lives and have been since the first hours after the quake. But while discussion of Cuban medical and ethical attention is at hand, one must ask about why Cuban officials do not tend to the young women of their country in the same way that they are tending to Haitians? Cuba’s state-controlled tourism industry is known for the sexual exploitation of under aged women to attract wealthy Westerners to tour its beaches and resorts. The Cuban economy relies heavily on its tourism as the trade embargo still exists with the US. At the cost of this tourist industry is the livelihood, innocence, and future of young “exotic looking guajiras”. Further investigation into the issue of human trafficking in Cuba is absolutely crucial to securing the future of young women who are preyed upon as sex objects for Western tourists. In exchange for basic items like food and water, Cuban girls are forced into commercial sex. Commercial sexual exploitation to such a degree suggests that there is an internal disconnect. What’s off about the Cuban economy that is forcing girls younger than 14 years old to trade their innocence for a meal?
In a perfect world, it would be understood that while top-trained Cuban doctors are tending to the sick and ailing survivors of the earthquake, the US is working with this effort in manning the streets and keeping order. In a crisis situation, one should not have to ask whither military or medical attention is more important. Both of these important sectors are symbiotically co-existing.
Other Posts by Eryn:
Black History’s Leading Literary Lady
The Black Panther Party For Self Defense
Intelligence of Interference? COINTELPRO and the Black Panther Party
“How they sold Marcus Garvey for rice”-LH
Yes you’re a woman…just a different kind
Vote to Discontinue Black History Month
Where’s my Forty Acres and a Mule
Too black to be white, too white to be black
I don’t date outside my species!
Eryn is a Bostonian native who currently resides in the Metro New York area. She completed her B.A. in Psychology from St. John’s University where she also studied Mandarin, Chinese. Eryn has conducted psycho-social, medical, and environmental research. When she’s off the clock, Eryn spends time learning about world cultures, languages, and the best restaurants in town. She is currently working on her first novel A Beautiful Autymn. You can find more of Eryn’s work ranging from free-writes, poetry, and social analysis at http://autymn.wordpress.com
At first, I was like those haitians have to get it together on their own, but then I realized how hard it is for Haitians already and that they would face certain death from starvation and we can’t have that in our backyard, if we don’t help — it strengthens our enemies like Chavez & Castro. though Cuba has been a great help to Haiti and not much of an enemy to us. So we got to rebuild before this place becomes a Palestine. As a conservative it got me to change my mind check it out:
http://wendygdphillips.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/haiti-shook-into-the-spotlight/
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Will check it out. Some additional comments by Castro:
http://www.cadenagramonte.cubaweb.cu/english/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1430&Itemid=14
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Please learn the full story about the 200 yearplight of Haiti.
What you see happening now is nothing new!
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Genetic Memory,
Please read my several articles on Haiti. They can be found on http://www.conduvicemag.com called “Tip a Hat to Haiti” as well as “Haiti and the Question of God”. If you’re referring to the occupation of Haiti by the US, or the debt to the French, or any of the other innumerable ills, I’m well aware. What would suggest be done in terms of establishing order in Haiti? How will the masses be quelled? How will you get aid to people with released convicts on the run, teenage boys and young men bearing machedes and robbing women and children of what food they do have? Or how about Haitian police officers shooting at civilians after the earthquake for picking up bags of rice? Is that order? Is that justice? And 2 hours AFTER these young men were shot, there were no additional investigations or punishments imposed by or on the offending officers. UN peacekeepers came to the aid of the men.
Please see cnn.com for all footage on the “Haitian police”. Or Rene Preval, does that name ring a bell? If not, it won’t surprise me. He’s the Haitian President that’s been M.I.A this whole time. They mayor of Leogane, smiling into the camera and overweight while the people of his town are starving, said there was nothing that he could do. Should we sit and watch chaos reign?
Please enlighten me.
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Good article, but I feel like it ignores the fact that the US is probably conducting much more humanitarian and medical aid work in Haiti than Cuba. We aren’t just sending soldiers. Our government and citizens have dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid and have sent lots of volunteers and medics. I think it is great that Cuba, the US, and other countries were so quick to respond with so much help.
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[...] View post: Cuban Contributions: Medics or Military? [...]
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Johnnie,
Thank you for bringing up that important point. I didn’t talk about as much humanitarian and medical aid that the US has been sending because I wanted to focus more on the argument of Fidel Castro. The US alongside other countries has been sending a ton of aid and really doing some great things in Haiti. Although, it is embarassing to admit that the US didn’t respond quite as well or as quickly as Israel did in setting up field hospitals. You can see American doctors reporting from Haiti saying that it’s embarassing to be an American there because of the great work of countries like Israel. This account can be found on cnn.com under “Breaking News: Earthquake in Haiti.” Then again, one country shouldn’t be held responsive to supply every need immediately. It’s great that so many countries came together and sent what they could (Canada, Mexico, China).
Thanks!
Eryn
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Help is the haitians needs, not political fight. In this case cooperation is the word.
Sorry my english.
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Your English is fine. Help is what the Haitians need. The US and Cuba were cooperating to help.
Thank you,
Eryn
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[...] Cuban Contributions: Medics or Military? [...]
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[...] Cuban Contributions: Medics or Military? [...]
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[...] Cuban Contributions: Medics or Military? [...]
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[...] Cuban Contributions: Medics or Military? [...]
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[...] Cuban Contributions: Medics or Military? [...]
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[...] Cuban Contributions: Medics or Military [...]
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[...] Cuban Contributions: Medics or Military [...]
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[...] Cuban Contributions: Medics or Military? [...]
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[...] after the earthquake and now resides in the U.S. I interviewed Josephine about the state of Haiti, relief efforts, and attitudes of Haitians after the quake. I would like to share her incredible testimony with the [...]
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Fidel Castro would always be an icon of history evethough he is against the U.S.”*~
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Fidel Castro still have some good legacies despite his not so good repuation.:,’
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