[NYTr] Venezuela's Debt to Cuba
 
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:07:39 -0500 (CDT)

Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
[Like Nicaragua, Venezuela has the benefit of Cuba's huge experience
and wisdom.  Unlike Daniel Ortega in the 1980s, Hugo Chavez has had the
sense to listen, and learn. -NY Transfer]

Progreso Weekly - Oct 25, 2007
http://progreso-weekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=202&Itemid=1

Venezuela's debt to Cuba

By Salim Lamrani

Venezuela's oligarchy bitterly criticizes President ChC!vez for the oil
aid it furnishes the government of Havana. In fact, Cuba receives
98,000 barrels of oil daily, at preferential rates.

However, the Caribbean island is not the only nation that benefits from
such favorable accords. Most of the countries in the region -- such as
Haiti, Jamaica and Nicaragua -- enjoy that policy of solidarity. London
and several U.S. cities also enjoy Venezuela's generosity without
creating much controversy (1).

ChC!vez answered those attacks personally during his TV program "Hello,
president," on Sept. 30, 2007. According to him, the debt the
Venezuelans have contracted with Cuba is much more important than the
aid in energy that they provide to the Caribbean island.

"Those who accuse me of giving oil away to Cuba are foolish. If someone
figured it out, bolivar by bolivar, cent by cent ..."

The president recalled that 30,000 Cuban doctors have been working for
more than five years in Venezuela, in a voluntary and gratuitous
manner. He said the Cuban health professionals saved more lives in five
years than the Venezuelan doctors throughout Venezuela's history of
health service.

That aid "has no price," he stressed. "What is worth more, in objective
prices? The barrels of oil we sell to Cuba or this?" (2).

At present, about 9 million people benefit from the care given by the
Cuban doctors, who have seen more than 60 million patients nationwide.
The "Barrio Adentro" ("Inner City") missions have allowed all
Venezuelans to have universal and gratuitous access to medical
attention. The development of preventive medicine saved the lives of
1,153 children in 2007, according to the Ministry of Health (3).

Thanks to the Cuban medical presence and ChC!vez's political will, six
new hospitals are being built in Barinas, MC)rida, GuC!rico, Miranda,
Apure and the Capital District. "Inner City" has gone into its fourth
phase. The government expects to invest 800 million euros (2.5 billion
bolivares or US$1.14 billion) in the Public Health System (4).

ChC!vez also announced a 60-percent wage increase for Venezuelan doctors
who work for the State, beginning Nov. 1, 2007. "I know that doctors'
salaries fell behind. [...] This is fair for those who work for the
health of Venezuelans," he declared (5).

He also emphasized that the rise in the price of oil had permitted that
economic effort (6). Of course, the Medical Association of Venezuela
expressed its satisfaction (7). The minimum salary for a physician
starting to work for the public administration will be 822 euros per
month, [US$1,175] an extraordinarily high sum in a Third-World country
(8).

Teachers are not falling behind. The Public Education Ministry has
increased their salaries by 40 percent, beginning on Nov. 1, 2007 (9).

On the opposite end, President Bush vetoed legislation approved by
Congress that would provide medical care for poor children, claiming
budget restraints, yet he spends billions of dollars in the
illegitimate and murderous occupation of Iraq.

Two visions of society -- ChC!vez's and Bush's -- are pitted against
each other: the welfare of the neediest on one hand, and the profits of
the multinational corporations on the other (10).

To fight the excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco and to reduce
the population's health problems, the Venezuelan government increased
the taxes on liquor (50 percent) and cigarettes (70 percent). "We are
one of the countries that consume the largest volume of whiskey,"
ChC!vez lamented. The sale of beer on the streets will be prohibited
from now on.

[Chavez has also railed against the latest fad of the rich in
Venezuela: breast implants as a "gift" from parents to daughters for
their 15th birthday -- an outrageous practice. It's the sort of social,
cultural and mental/public health intervention that Fidel has often
done, and that the capitalist press is fond of ridiculing. It's neither
trivial nor "micro-managing" and it has a beneficial impact on the
whole society. -NY Transfer]

This entire arsenal of measures is part of the preventive policy that
compels the government to improve the health of Venezuelans (11).

Cuba and Venezuela again fortified their regional integration by
signing 14 new accords of economic cooperation on Oct. 15, 2007 (12).
During his speech, ChC!vez reiterated his admiration for Cuba, much to
the ire of the Venezuelan opposition.

"Fidel is a father to our people. Cuba is an example to our revolution.
Venezuela loves Cuba; our people love the Cuban people and have much to
thank them for" (13). Then, addressing his detractors, he asked: "How
much would any country have to pay for having 30,000 doctors, nurses,
eye doctors and dentists 24 hours a day, serving throughout the
territory? [...] Someone please answer me!" (14).

The integration of Cuba and Venezuela is a model the rest of the
continent should follow. It is the only way to ward off Washington's
threats, achieve true independence and improve the standard of living
of the populations.

Notes

(1) Mauricio Vicent, "Venezuelan president alludes in Cuba to a
federation of the two countries," El PaC-s, Oct. 16, 2007.

(2) Associated Press, "ChC!vez says Venezuela is indebted to Cuba," Oct.
1, 2007.

(3) Ibid.

(4) Bolivarian News Agency, "Inner City Four kicked off with the
construction of six specialized hospitals," Sept. 30, 2007.

(5) Associated Press, "ChC!vez announces increase in wages to doctors in
en Venezuela," Oct. 8, 2007.

(6) Bolivarian News Agency, "ChC!vez announces 60-percent wage increase
for doctors," Oct. 8, 2007.

(7) Bolivarian News Agency, "Metropolitan District's medical
association OKs 60-percent increase," Oct. 9, 2007.

(8) Bolivarian News Agency, "Doctors pleased with 60-percent wage
increase," Oct. 9 2007.

(9) Associated Press, "ChC!vez announces wage increase for teachers in
Venezuela," Oct. 5, 2007.

(10) David Stout, "Bush Defends Veto of Health Care Bill," The New York
Times, Oct. 15, 2007.

(11) Christopher Toothaker, "ChC!vez campaigns against drinking and
consumerism," Associated Press, Oct. 9, 2007.

(12) Bolivarian News Agency, "Venezuela and Cuba sign 14 new
integration accords," Oct. 15, 2007.

(13) Granma, "Cuba and Venezuela are in the best condition to move
forward in a process of union. Speech by Hugo ChC!vez FrC-as, President
of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, during the signing of accords
between Venezuela and Cuba, at the Palace of Conventions on Oct. 15,
2007, Year 49 of the Revolution," Oct. 16, 2007.

(14) Associated Press, "ChC!vez says Venezuela is indebted to Cuba," op.
cit.

[Salim Lamrani is a French professor, writer and journalist who
specializes on U.S.-Cuba relations. He has written "Washington contre
Cuba" (Pantin: Le Temps des Cerises, 2005), "Cuba face C 
lbEmpire" (GenC(ve: Timeli, 2006) and "Fidel Castro, Cuba et les
Etats-Unis" (Pantin: Le Temps des Cerises, 2006). This article may be
reproduced free of charge, so long as the author and source are cited. ]

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