Fidel Castro Extols Cuban Health Workers Fighting Ebola

The leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro praised the Cuban doctors and nurses who traveled to Sierra Leone to combat the epidemic of Ebola and invited doctors from countries with more resources to join this effort.

Cuban Presence in West Africa Headlined in US Newspaper

A group of 165 Cuban doctors and nurses traveled to Sierra Leone on Wednesday, part of a total of 461 health workers from Cuba, who volunteered several weeks ago to go to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

“The delivery of the first medical brigade to Sierra Leone … is an example of which a country can be proud of” said an article authored by the Cuban leader and published Saturday in the official Communist Party newspaper Granma.

“May the example of Cuban’s march to Africa also be in the hearts and minds of other physicians in the world, especially those with more resources,” added Fidel.

“There are enough doctors on the planet so that nobody has to die for lack of care,” said the Cuban leader.

Cuban health workers are in 66 countries as part of a comprehensive program developed by Cuba to send medical and paramedical staff to poor countries and disaster or epidemic areas.

Moreover, in his article, Fidel Castro lamented the recent killing of a young parliamentarian in Venezuela, member of the ruling Socialist United Party. He also praised the Venezuelan government’s handling of the situation.

“Venezuelan National Assembly legislator Robert Serra was killed by enemies of the revolution… I can never believe this crime (committed against) this young Venezuelan legislator happened by chance,” he said.

Castro claimed the killing was reminiscent of the “practices” of the “worst Yankee intelligence agencies,” and “fits” the aspirations of the “enemies of the Venezuelan revolution.”

Serra and his partner Maria Herrera were killed in their Caracas apartment on Wednesday.

Authorities say preliminary investigations indicate the pair was executed in a premeditated murder.