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AAPSO Greets Fidel Castro on his 80th
Birthday
Fidel Castro will be 80 years on the 13th of August 2006. This day will
not be missed even by his opponents. Castro’s whole life was dedicated,
not only to the cause of Cuban people, but also to the down trodden
people all over the world. He is perhaps the only charismatic
revolutionary leader who remain still respected providing inspiration to
the millions throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia. They all will
join the Cuban people in showering their profound love on his 80th
birthday.
Fidel Castro started his revolutionary career with a band of young
revolutionaries in the early 1950s. Under his leadership they launched
the momentous attack on Moncado Barracks in 1953 which reverberated
throughout the world as the beginning of the Cuban revolution. Despite
setback, it was a historical event which will remain ever in minds of
the Cuban people. He and others were accused for waging a war against
the state and were produced before the courts for prosecution. Castro
turned the table against the accusers, the pernicious dictator Batista,
and made a moving tirade which turned out to be a political thesis,
concluding with the memorable words “History shall absolve me”.
Coming out of jail, they fled to the mountains, organised for several
years and in 1959 Batista government was overthrown and Castro
triumphantly entered Havana to form the new revolutionary government.
Ever since then for 47 years he remains the president and the leader of
the revolution. The U.S. not only refused to recognise the new regime,
but continued to undermine it with imposing sanctions and clandestinely
organised a band of Cuban exiles for the invasion of Cuba with U.S.
funding. Castro was in the forefront of the resistance and at the Bay of
Pigs, the mercenaries were annihilated and others fled to United States.
Despite unfriendly environment, specially as the sword of U.S. hanging
over his lead; many a time attempting assassination, Cuban people under
Castro built a new nation of socialism. With the collapse of the Soviet
Union and the Socialist countries, Cuba’s’ difficulties were multiplied.
But Castro and Cuba did not retreat.
Under Castro’s leadership, Cuba’s achievements were remarkable. Within a
year of the revolution, it eliminated illiteracy and to be the first
country in Latin America to do so with UNESCO award. U.S. sanctions did
not discourage Cuba. It developed the pharmaceutical industry inventing
rare medicines. Health service was developed and doctors and
paramedicals were trained in large numbers. Cuba remains the only
country in the world to provide free medical service to all its people.
Today the whole world has acknowledged that Cuba has the highest number
of doctors, 500 per capita with averages life span of 77 years par with
most developed nations. It is providing over 5000 scholarships annually
to train doctors in Cuba for the Latine American, Africans and Asians.
Even U.S. citizens are studying medicine in Cuba.
Cuban doctors are sent around the world as messengers of solidarity,
healing the people in poor countries. To Venezuela alone Cuba has
despatched over 17,000 doctors who work in remotest areas free of
charge. Volunteers are sent to hurricane affected countries such as
Haiti. There are many more things Cuba has developed under Castro.
Looking back on the 80th birthday, Fidel Castro no doubt will be happy
to find the changing environment in Latin America, where more and more
countries are beginning to acknowledge the path he has chosen,
Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguage, Argentina, Chile and Bolivia have chosen to
be in the new path through electoral process. All these are birthday
gifts to Fidel. The biggest gift once again will be the holding for the
second time of the Non-Aligned Summit in Havana in September under his
leadership where world leaders will great him with many happy returns.
Afro-Asian peoples’ Solidarity Organization will be joining them to
greet the great revolutionary leader.
Nouri Abdul Razzak, General
Secretary
Dr. Mourad Ghaleb,
President
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