Ending U.S. embargo could help this country of contradictions

[Judi Lynn]

Tuesday, April 1, 2008 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

Ending U.S. embargo could help this country of contradictions
By Lynn Davison and Judith Clegg

Special to The Times

We were in the city of Trinidad, Sancti Spiritus province, the day that Fidel Castro Ruz officially stepped down as leader of the Cuban revolution. For most of us, the revolution is a historical event; for Cubans it is an ongoing process. Billboards and graffiti proclaiming Viva la Revolution and Viva Fidel pepper cities and the countryside. Despite the dramatic change in leadership, most Cubans do not expect major changes soon, although most would like to see some.

We found Cuba to be a country of contradictions. Most people are poor by any standard; street sweepers, physicians, teachers and most other workers earn about $19 a month. Yet, the population is well-educated and healthy. Cuba's health status indicators, literacy rates and percentage of the population with college degrees are the envy of most first-world countries.

Heath care is free for all Cubans. Neighborhood-based primary-care physicians are distributed throughout the country at a ratio of 1 per 120 families. While the focus is on preventive and primary care, Cuba also offers excellent specialty and inpatient care and trains doctors and other health workers for all of Latin America. We talked to an obstetrician working in a maternity home in Havana, who described the services available to high-risk mothers and proudly told us of their remarkably low infant-mortality rate.

Education is promoted as the key to the future. All education, including undergraduate and postgraduate studies, is free to Cubans. Many people seem to take advantage of the educational system even though more education is not directly linked to greater incomes.

More:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004317810_cuba01.html