Doctors, Not Bombs: Cuba’s Alternative Outlook

Nitheesh Narayanan

Cuba is not free from the coronavirus outbreak either. Nearly a hundred people have been affected with the virus in Cuba, and are undergoing medical treatment. Amidst the battle against COVID-19 on the island, the Cuban government has decided to continue international medical collaboration by joining the efforts around the world to contain the epidemic. The country had maintained it’s collaboration in the health sector with around 59 countries in various corners of the globe before the outbreak of the coronavirus. Now, the Cuban medical team is fighting the pandemic in more than 30 countries that confirmed the outbreak of the virus. Some more countries were also offered help by Cuba and the number could increase in the coming days.

No other country — be it a super power or ‘global leader’ — can match the progress made by Cuba, a small island of less than 12 million population. More importantly, this is done by a country that is in constant fight against economic strangulation arising out of an arbitrary, genocidal blockade. The communiqué reporting Cuba’s decision to give the MS Braemar cruise ship safe harbour, stated: “These are times of solidarity, of understanding health as a human right, of strengthening international cooperation to face our common challenges, values that are key to the humanist practice of the Revolution and our people”.

When this author met Fernando Gonzalez Llort – Hero of the Republic of Cuba, Member of Cuban parliament and also President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with Peoples (ICAP), he said, “Cuba is not in the same condition it was forty years ago. But still, the solidarity projects it initiated then continue to sustain… There is a school, the Cuba International School, where people from around the world can go become doctors at no cost. Cuba is as internationalist as it has always been.’’

This is an important lesson that the country has imbibed through the process of revolution, followed by socialist state building.

“If you read the concept of ‘revolution’ and what a ‘revolution’ is, given by Fidel back in 2001, he defines what revolution is — in between many other ideas — internationalism and that being in solidarity is part of being a revolutionary”, added Fernando.

Italy, the worst affected country today and one of the places from where some Cuban citizens too got infected, is also among the countries who are receiving aid from the Cuban medical team. A brigade of 52 doctors and nurses, from the Henry Reeve International Contingent of Doctors – Specialising in Disasters and Serious Epidemics, arrived in Italy on March 22nd, as a symbol of incomparable humanism. News spread across the world, not only inspiring the supporters of a socialist worldview, but also waking many up to think about an alternative model to the exploitative and inhuman capitalist societal set up. 

Cuba has been like this. Not only now, but ever since the period of the revolution. They have extended their hands to all those under threat — be it from deadly viruses, natural calamities, imperialist aggression, chains of unfreedom or apartheid.

Remember what Nelson Mandela said, when he was asked why never condemned Cuba like the capitalist block led by US did — “When we were fighting apartheid we sought an international solidarity for our struggle against oppressive system. It was America we reached out to first. But they denied any help. They also stood with the oppressors. But Cuba, the small country fighting for it’s own existence, did not hesitate even for a single moment to stand with us unconditionally. Now you are asking me to condemn that country for what the capitalist forces are cooking up. I cannot”. 

It is important to stress on how Cuba has trained it’s own society to live on certain values. They have neither nurtured hate nor engaged in war-mongering. Cuba has prepared it’s people to classify and differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. They have assured the existence of people armed with ideas and their unity. Humanitarian internationalism is a strong pillar of that consciousness. These fundamental ideas are the roots for what Cuba is doing now.  

Without interruptions, let me just put an excerpt from a speech delivered by Fidel Castro back in 2003. This alone will suffice our task of explaining how the Cuban leadership remained constant in training it’s rank and file with a bunch of values which wasted no chance to break any narrow domestic walls built upon hatred and isolation.

He said,

“Since I am an optimist, I think this world can be saved, in spite of the mistakes made, in spite of the immense, hegemonic powers that have been created, because I believe ideas prevail over force.…

Our country does not drop bombs on other peoples, nor does it send thousands of planes to bomb cities; our country does not possess nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, or biological weapons. Our country’s tens of thousands of scientists and doctors have been educated in the idea of saving lives. It would absolutely contradict this concept to put a scientist or a doctor to work to produce substances, bacteria or viruses to kill other human beings.

Allegations that Cuba is doing research on biological weapons have even been made. In our country, research is conducted to cure diseases as severe as meningococcal meningitis and hepatitis, to produce vaccines with genetic engineering techniques, or, something of great importance, to discover vaccines or therapeutic formulas through molecular immunology; some of which can prevent and others cure. We are moving forward along this path. This is the pride of our doctors and our research centers.

Tens of thousands of Cuban doctors have provided internationalist services in the most remote and inhospitable places. I once said that we could not and would never carry out preventive or surprise attacks against any dark corner of the world; but rather that our country could send needed doctors to the darkest corners of the world. Doctors, not bombs. Doctors, not smart weapons.”

The role of the Cuban medical team during COVID-19 has not ended with the deployment of medical teams in different countries. Over 45 countries have requested to Cuba to provide them with Interferon, the drug that has proven to be able to limit impacts of COVID-19.​​​​​​​ Interferon is produced by the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), a Cuban institution that has a prestigious position in the international scientific community. Created in the 1980s, this drug has been used in cases of acute respiratory conditions and viral infections such as Hepatitis B and C, shingles, and HIV/AIDS. For this reason, Interferon works well to counteract COVID-19, a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2, the virus.

The international community is eagerly looking at Cuba, and not Trump’s America. What people are seeking is solidarity, humanity and boundary-less cooperation. When the global community enters such a stage, capitalists stand empty handed.  

Decades ago in 1960, when speaking to medical students in Havana, Che Guevara explained to them what it means to be a revolutionary doctor. Che concluded his speech by remembering Jose Marti’s advice. He told to medical students, health workers and the entire Cuba, “The best way of telling is doing.” And Cuba continue to do so.

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Nitheesh Narayanan is the editor of Student Struggle, Central Secretariat member of SFI, and a PhD scholar at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Read his review of Sudhanva Deshpande’s Hallabol here.

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