Cuban Doctors to Remain in Venezuela

Cuban doctors in Venezuela.  Photo: Caridad
Cuban doctors in Venezuela. Photo: Caridad

HAVANA TIMES — The over 40,000 Cuban doctors and other professionals working in Venezuela will continue providing humanitarian services in that South American nation, reported the official Granma newspaper in the wake of the death of President Hugo Chavez.

“The tens of thousands of Cubans working in Venezuela will pay homage to him by fervently carrying out their internationalist duties and they will continue to serve the Bolivarian people with honor and altruism throughout this ordeal,” reads the news article.

Contingents of doctors and other specialists from the island have worked in Venezuela for several years as part of cooperation agreements advantageous for the Cuban economy and Venezuelan social programs.

The Cubans currently working in Venezuela include 31,777 serving in medical missions; 6,225 in sports programs; 1,905 in the Corazon Adentro Cultural Program and 486 in education, etc.

3 thoughts on “Cuban Doctors to Remain in Venezuela

  • You have no proof of that . And if you do are you part of the problem or just another uncle thom or white boy in black face?

  • They forgot to mention the thousands of military advisers and intelligence experts that Fidel sent to Venezuela to teach Chavez how to spy on his own people. These agents were particularly valuable to Chavez in the event of another coup attempt. These Cuban specialists would not have had the same hesitation as Venezuelan guard firing upon Venezuelan revolutionaries who opposed Chavez. Besides, as long as the 100,000 barrels of oil per day continue to flow into Cuba, it makes sense that Cuba would choose to keep their missions active in Venezuela. The opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, during his presidential campaign estimated that the value of the services provided by the 40,000 or so Cubans in Venezuela in exchange for the oil that Venezuela sends to Cuba works out to an oil price of $20 per barrel. Oil currently trades at well over $100 barrel on the world market. Not a bad deal for Cuba.

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