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A
team from UNISON North West cycled 225 miles in Western Cuba from 5th to
12th May 2001. This was part of a team of ten. The purpose was to raise
a minimum of £1,200 per cyclist to assist Health and Education Projects
in Cuba.
WHY CUBA - THE AMERICAN BLOCKADE - A RELIC
OF THE COLD WAR
Cuba
a relatively poor, small country of 10 million people, has faced the
most sustained blockade in peace time of any country from her giant
neighbour, the USA in an undeclared war that has been waged since 1960.
In 1992 this was intensified to make American Companies liable for legal
challenge even if an overseas subsidiary trades with Cuba. This has
resulted in extreme hardship and shortages of vital medical equipment,
drugs and educational equipment. Recently, a European Company was forced
to stop supplying Cuba with heart pacemakers when taken over by a U.S.
firm.
HEALTH/EDUCATION
ACHIEVEMENTS-IMPRESSIVE
BUT UNDER THREAT
Cuba
now has 70,000 doctors compared with 6,000 in 1959. Life expectancy has
risen from 59 in 1958 to 75 years today. 7 children per thousand born
die before their first birthday compared with 60 per thousand in the
1950's. Every neighbourhood has a doctor and nurse serving 700 people
the highest doctors per head in the world. Health of working class kids
is equal or better than Britain or the USA, so much so that teams from
Britain have visited to investigate their success. There is a free
prompt hospital system for almost everything that the British NHS can
treat. Cuban medical specialists have made major break throughs.
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AT
A TIME WHEN MILLIONS LIVE IN POVERTY, PARTICULARLY IN LATIN
AMERICA AS A WHOLE, CUBA HAS SHOWN ONE WAY OF MAKING DEVELOPED
WORLD SERVICES IN WHAT IS STILL A POOR COUNTRY. ITS PRACTICAL
CONTRIBUTION TO DEVELOPMENT DESERVES PRESERVING TO STAND ON ITS
OWN MERITS, NOT TO BE CYNICALLY GROUND DOWN BY THE WORLD'S
RICHEST AND MOST POWERFUL NATION.
PLEASE
SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN, AS AN INDIVIDUAL OR A TRADE UNION BRANCH -
SEND CHEQUES TO EITHER:
BRIAN
ARMSTRONG, 16 MANCHESTER CHAMBERS, MANCHESTER STREET, OLDHAM OL1
lLF.
JASON
HUNTER, UNISON NORTH WEST REGIONAL CENTRE, ARENA POINT, 1 HUNTS
BANK, MANCHESTER M3 1UN.
Tel: 0161 661 6728.
CHEQUES
PAYABLE TO
""NORTH WEST UNISON CUBA BIKE
TEAM""
Together we will continue fighting
to defend the gains of the Revolution
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