US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA1792

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001792 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/PD, WHA/CCA, WHA/PPC, AND WHA/CEN 
STATE FOR DRL/PHD, INR, AND IIP/G/WHA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KPAO, PHUM, PREL, KDEM, CU, HO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON CUBAN BRIGADES, AUGUST 29, 2005 
 
 
1. On 08/28 the San Pedro Sula-based liberal daily "Tiempo" 
owned by a Liberal Party opposition congressman carried an 
op-ed by Silvia Ayala Figueroa entitled "Hondurans don't 
want Cuban doctors to leave the country." 
 
"Through several media outlets President Maduro has 
expressed his intention to `remove' the Cuban doctors that 
have served the poorest areas of Honduras."  (Note: 
President Ricardo Maduro is from the National Party.  End 
Note. 
 
"The Honduran government's intention will deny healthcare to 
2.5 million Hondurans. This is a blow to the country's 
health, a `crime to humanity.' The government says that the 
situation in Honduras has changed so the country doesn't 
require all of the Cuban doctors already working in the 
country. They will be leaving from the country gradually and 
the agreement will be renegotiated according to necessity. 
But we have to ask ourselves, whose necessity is that? Maybe 
it's the necessity of the Honduran Medical College, which 
has conflicts with the Cuban doctors because the Cubans have 
proved that medical practice is not merchandise but a gift. 
Or perhaps a necessity or interest of the North American 
government that has told Honduran officials that some 
members of the Cuban intelligence may be disguised as 
doctors or President Bush's necessity to maintain an 
inhumane blockade against Cuba." 
 
"Which necessities does the Honduran government refer to? 
Perhaps they are referring to the Honduran youth's necessity 
for superior education.  President Maduro has rejected some 
of the [medical] scholarships given by the Cuban 
administration. Scholarships such as the ones given to the 
Honduran doctors that just graduated from the Latin American 
Medical School in Cuba." 
 
"It is clear that the Honduran government doesn't answer to 
the people's interests and is incapable of developing a 
health and education policy. The government even rejects 
help from Cuba. It is also clear that the Honduran people 
don't want the Cuban doctors to leave the country and want 
that young people to have access to Cuban [medical] 
scholarships. We would like to show our gratitude to the 
Cubans who have shared with us the benefits that eleven 
million Cubans have enjoyed for more than 40 years." 
 
2. On 08/29 "Tiempo" published an editorial entitled "Cuban 
Doctors."  "President Maduro announced that a special 
commission will decide if the Cuban doctors will continue to 
give free medical assistance in our country." 
 
"The Honduran Medical College, The National University 
(UNAH) and the Ministry of Health will be part of the 
special commission. According to public opinion, President 
Maduro wanted this commission so he wouldn't have to decide 
for himself the destiny of the Cuban brigades." 
 
"The government says that Honduras is in an advanced stage 
but we are living a different reality. Overall health has 
decreased in the current government and there are fewer 
medical doctors per population (2.28 doctors for 10,000 
habitants.)" 
 
"But when several political factors intervene we see bad 
attitudes, such as the concern towards the Venezuelan 
President's interest in giving more medical scholarships to 
Latin America." 
 
"So, lets make some conclusions.." 
 
Williard