Pretoria, April 30, 2020.- 'To the Cuban people we say, we are aware that when you left Angola after the historic victory [over the racist apartheid regime in the Battle of CuitoCuanavale in 1988] you did not demand either gold or diamonds, and you did not take anything whatsoever but you left only with the corpses of your fallen combatants. We have many of their names inscribed here at the Freedom Park. We will forever be indebted to you for the march to liberation in our region and country, the march that you left behind for us to defend, advance and deepen. You left us behind in order to defend our national sovereignty and not sell it to the highest bidder.’
This message of sincere gratitude to the Cuban people by SACP General Secretary Dr Blade Nzimande on 31 October 2017, on the occasion of the first year of the death of former Cuban President Fidel Castro, contains a long standing principle of Cuban internationalist solidarity. Like in Angola after the historic Cuban victory over the South African apartheid regime, the much needed health-care provided by Cuba through its Internationalist Medical Brigade in the war against the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is completely founded on humanitarian grounds. Cuban medical care is completely different from activities undertaken in capitalist societies for private profit gain or self-enrichment.
The SACP unequivocally reiterates its support for the health-care solidarity offered by the Cuban government through its Internationalist Medical Brigade at the request of our government. In a country like South Africa where millions of people, especially workers and poor are excluded by the profit-based private health sector because they do not have money to pay for health-care, no individual involved in such an exclusionary health-care practice can convince a normal person, and for that matter during a deadly crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic, that they always cared about them. To this day the private health-care sector in South Africa, for instance, is not taking part in the fight against Covid-19 on humanitarian grounds – that is, without demanding pay for private profit.
Certain quarters that embarked on a propaganda drive against the Cuban internationalist medical care are still bitter as a result of the defeat of the apartheid regime by Cuba in Angola in the Battle of CuitoCuanavale, while other quarters are indoctrinated in associated, capitalist-embedded and imperialist anti-communist propaganda. The victory over apartheid forces in Angola was conducted under a campaign in memory of Carlota Lucumi who died in March 1844 after leading a slave rebellion against Spanish slavery, colonialism and imperialism at the Triunvirato plantation in Matanzas, Cuba in 1843–1844. The campaign was named after the African-born woman hero and was known as Operation Carlota. A museum in memory of the Cuban fighters who died in Agola has been built at the Triunvirato plantation in Matanzas where Carlota led the slave rebellion. That important victory by Cuba over apartheid forces paved the way for our April 1994 radical democratic breakthrough to South African freedom.
Cuba’s record of internationalist solidarity in Africa and other continent speaks for itself. Cuba’s health-care system, biotechnology and genetic engineering are world renowned, are recognised internationally, including by the World Health Organisation. Cuban health-care and education achievements, such as a long life expectancy rate and training of medical doctors for many countries across the world, including South Africa, speak for themselves. In a number of cases, Cuba graduates more medical doctors for other countries than their own universities produce.
The facts and figures about Cuban internationalism, health-care and other forms of humanitarian solidarity set the record straight. Although summarised, below we start from the beginning, after the triumph of the Cuban revolution, in addition to the well-known help offered by Cuba in Africa to combat the deadly Ebola Virus Disease.
Cuban internationalism and solidarity
From the outset of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution on 1 January 1959, the revolutionary Cuban government began to apply two basic principles in its international co-operation policy, namely – solidarity and internationalism.
In 1960, the Chilean people were hit by a strong earthquake that caused great damage and loss. Cuba offered its first international medical solidarity, sending a medical brigade along with eight tons of medical supplies, food and clothing.
The first Cuban internationalist solidarity outside Latin America was in Africa, in Algeria in defence of Algerian independence.
However, in terms of health-care, 23 May 1963 is considered as the initial date of the beginning of the Cuban international medical collaboration, with the deployment of the first medical brigade to Africa, in Algeria, with 55 health-care professionals who provided assistance for 12 months.
Since that date, Cuba has been present, with many emergency medical brigades, in a number of countries in different continents affected by different catastrophes, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, epidemics, and volcanic eruptions.
The United States of America imposed an inhuman, illegal blockade on Cuba, for over half a century now. The Donald Trump administration has tightened the blockade. Despite the difficult circumstances created by the U.S. through the imperialist economic, financial, military and political aggression, Cuba maintained its internationalist principles and provided health-care and other forms of solidarity assistance to many countries across the world. The SACP reiterates its call to the U.S. to lift its blockade on Cuba and evacuate Guantanamo Bay in Cuba unconditionally with immediate effect.
Below is a timeline summarising internationalist solidarity offered by Cuba through its medical brigades to different countries that needed assistance under very difficult conditions imposed by the U.S. blockade. We start with recent Cuban internationalist solidarity and go back decade by decade.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
At the request of several countries, Cuban Medical Internationalist Brigades comprising of over 1 200 medical professionals are currently deployed in 23 countries on different continents assisting in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
The countries include Nicaragua, China, Venezuela, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Italy, Granada, Suriname, Angola, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia, Catar, Togo, Cape Verde, South Africa, Andorra, Saint Cristobal and Nevis, Argentina, Honduras, Barbados, Dominica, Haiti.
More Cuban Medical Internationalist Brigades covering other countries were being prepared in order to travel to other countries that have requested assistance in the war against Covid-19.
Period 2010 to 2020
In 2010 Chile was affected by an earthquake. Cuba sent its Internationalist Solidarity Brigade covering the period 1 March 2010 to 12 November 2010, comprising a team of 78 members, of whom 44 were medical doctors – 79 137 patients received medical care as a result of the solidarity assistance.
Haiti experienced an earthquake and cholera epidemic. Cuba sent its Internationalist Medical Brigade covering the period 2010 till present, comprising a team of 1 300 members from the ‘Henry Reeve’ contingent – 22 123 patients received medical care as a result of the solidarity assistance.
In 2015 Nepal was affected by an earthquake. On 8 May 2015 Cuba sent its Internationalist Medical Brigade comprising 49 medical doctors.
Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia experienced a cholera epidemic. In 2014 Cuba sent its Internationalist Medical Brigade comprising 256 medical professionals.
In 2015 Dominica was affected by Tropical Storm Erika. Cuba sent a team of 16 aid workers primarily comprising medical professionals.
In 2016 Ecuador experienced an earthquake. In April 2016 Cuba sent aid workers constituting a team of 753 members including medical professionals.
In 2016 Haiti was affected by Hurricane Mathew. In October 2016 Cuba deployed a team of 38 aid workers primarily comprising medical professionals – 104 934 patients received medical care.
In 2017 Perú was affected by intense rains and floods. Cuba sent a team of 23 members including medical doctors – 24 349 patients received medical care as a result of the Cuban solidarity.
In 2017 Mexico experienced an earthquake. In September 2017 Cuba sent a team of 40 aid workers primarily comprising medical professionals.
In 2019 Mozambique was affected by a hurricane. In March 2019 Cuba sent a team of 40 members primarily comprising medical professionals – 29 259 patients received medical care and 331 surgical operations were performed.
Cuba’s International Medical Brigade ‘Henry Reeve’ has been present since 2005 in nearly 20 nations, has provided medical care to more than 3.5 million people, and has saved more than 80 000 lives.
More than 400 000 Cuban health professionals have fulfilled solidarity missions in 164 countries in the last 50 years.
Currently, more than 55 000 Cuban health-care professionals provide aid in 60 countries, under the principle that: health is a right of the people.
In 2005 Cuban President Fidel Castro created a permanent, Specialised Cuban Contingent of Medical Doctors and support personnel to assist other countries in situations of disasters and serious epidemics. This Internationalist Medical Brigade, formally constituted on 19 September 2005, was named ‘Henry Reeve’, in memory of that exceptional young American fighter who died fighting for the independence of Cuba.
Fidel described that contingent as an ‘Army of White Coats’, a phrase that is widely used today. The aim of the Cuban Internationalist Medical Brigade is to co-operate – in solidarity, with its specially trained medical personnel, with any country that experiences a catastrophe, including hurricanes, floods or other serious natural phenomena, and in addition to epidemics.
In epidemic cases, the brigades that Cuba deploys provide comprehensive epidemiological coverage in the affected areas, with campaign hospitals. These hospitals have all the equipment and qualified personnel necessary to have surgical units, intensive care units and advanced diagnostic services.
Likewise, each deployed hospital serves as the centre for health-education, prevention, cure and rehabilitation of those affected.
Period from 2005- 2009
In 2005 Guatemala was affected by Hurricane Stan. On 8 October 2005 Cuba sent its Internationalist Solidarity Brigade comprising 687 members, of whom 600 were medical doctors.
In 2005 Pakistan experienced an earthquake. On 14 October 2005 Cuba deployed its Internationalist Solidarity Brigade comprising 2 564 members, of whom 1 463 were medical doctors.
In 2006 Bolivia experienced floods. Cuba deployed its Internationalist Solidarity Brigade from 3 February– to 22 May 2006, comprising 602 team members, of whom 601 were medical doctors.
In 2006 Indonesia was affected by an earthquake. On 16 May 2006 Cuba sent its Internationalist Medical Brigade comprising 135 members, of whom 78 were medical doctors.
In 2007 Peru experienced an earthquake. Cuba deployed its Internationalist Brigade from 15 August 2007 to 25 March 2008, comprising 79 members, of whom 41 were medical doctors.
In 2007 Mexico was affected by floods. Cuba sent its Internationalist Solidarity Brigade covering the period 6 November 2007 to 26 December 2007, comprising 54 members, of whom 39 were medical doctors.
In 2008 China was affected by an earthquake. Cuban sent its Internationalist Medical Brigade covering the period 23 May 2008 to 9 June 2008, comprising 35 members, of whom 18 were medical doctors.
Decade of the 2000s
In 2000–2003 Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras were affected by the dengue epidemic. Cuba provided aid and sent medical brigades comprising of health-care professionals.
In 2003 Algeria was affected by an earthquake. Cuba deployed a medical brigade comprising 31 health-care professionals and 4.8 tons of miscellaneous medical supplies.
In 2005 Sri-Lanka and Indonesia were affected by a tsunami that left large numbers of people dead. Cuba sent medical brigade to Sri-Lanka and Indonesia, respectively comprising 24 and 25 medical practitioners and more than 12 tons of different materials to each of the two countries.
In 2005 Guyana experienced floods that left a large number of people dead. Cuba sent medical brigade comprising 40 health-care professionals and 6 tons of materials.
Decade of 1990s
In 1990 Iran experienced an earthquake that left a large number of victims. Cuba sent a medical brigade comprising 39 medical doctors and 39 tons of miscellaneous material.
In 1998 Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua experienced serious damage caused by the passage of Hurricane Mitch. The hurricane left more than 30 000 people dead or missing. Cuba sent medical brigades on an emergency deployment to Honduras on 3 November 1998, Guatemala on 5 November 1998, and Nicaragua on 11 November 1998.
In 1999 Venezuela experienced heavy rains that caused severe flooding resulting in loss of human life. Cuba deployed a medical brigade comprising 447 health-care personnel.
Decade of the 1980s
In 1985 Mexico was affected by an earthquake that caused great loss of human life. Cuba sent a medical brigade comprising 40 medical doctors and 13 tons of diverse material.
In 1988 Nicaragua was affected by a hurricane that caused great loss of human life. Cuba deployed a medical brigade comprising 39 medical doctors and 12 tons of miscellaneous material.
In 1988 Armenia was shaken by a large earthquake that caused a large number of victims. Cuba sent a large number of a medical brigade comprising 108 medical doctors and 50 tons of various materials.
Decade of the 1970s
In 1970 Peru was struck by an earthquake that left 8 000 people dead. In less than 72 hours Cuba sent its Internationalist Medical Brigade comprising 40 medical doctors and more than 10 tons of different materials.
In 1972 Nicaragua experienced an earthquake that caused great destruction and 5 000 deaths. In spite of not having any type of relationship with the Somoza government of Nicaragua, Cuba sent a medical brigade comprising 48 medical doctors and more than 10 tons of different materials.
In 1974 Honduras was affected by a major hurricane. Cuba deployed an emergency medical brigade comprising 61 medical professionals and 12 tons of various materials.
In 1977–1978 Cuba defended Ethiopian independence at the request of Ethiopia, losing over 2 000 combatants, including over 500 officers.
At one point of another, a total of 400 000 Cubans participated in situations defending the independence of African countries.
In all situations, Cuba never took away anything whatsoever, whether gold, diamond, oil, coffee. It left with only its internationalist martyrs.
In its liberation struggle in the 19th century, Cuba had people from 20 different nationalities fighting for Cuban independence. Many of them ended up in high ranks in Cuban defence, including the rank of the general. The 19th century General-in-Chief of the Cuban liberation army, Maximo Gomez Baez, and Che Guevara, were themselves not Cuban by birth – but they were granted the right to Cuban citizenship by birth! Cuba’s internationalism was forged in the history of liberation struggle and international solidarity.
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY | SACP
EST. 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA | CPSA