Home > Martinez: Cuban aid should be welcomed

Martinez: Cuban aid should be welcomed

by Open-Publishing - Friday 9 September 2005
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Health Catastrophes USA South/Latin America

Sen. Mel Martinez said he was ’grateful’ for Cuba’s offer to send doctors to assist in the Katrina relief effort, though the Bush administration has not responded to the offer.

BY PABLO BACHELET

pbachelet@herald.com

WASHINGTON - Florida Republican Sen. Mel Martinez said Wednesday that the U.S. government should accept Cuba’s offer to send hundreds of doctors to treat victims of Hurricane Katrina, provided they are needed and reasonably well-trained.'' Cuban leader Fidel Castro has offered to send nearly 1,600 physicians, potentially introducing another element of friction in the four-decade-long confrontation between the two adversaries. The Bush administration has said it will accept all offers of aid, but has also suggested that the United States did not need more doctors. Castro's offer has put the administration in a tight spot. Refusal could be perceived as placing politics before the needs of victims. Martinez, the first Cuban American to serve in the U.S. Senate, said he wondered if it was ''appropriate'' for Cuba to send the doctors, because many had already been dispatched to Venezuela and there was a shortage of medical help on the island. Cuba sends Venezuela doctors as part of payment for subsidized oil. ''But if we need doctors, and Cuba offers them and they provide good service, of course we should accept them,'' he said in his Washington office.And we’re grateful for that offer.’’

DIFFERING VIEW

Martinez is distancing himself from some of his fellow Cuban-American lawmakers.

Miami Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said: I see no need for us to accept the doctors, because we have many U.S. doctors who can meet the medical needs of Katrina's victims. Cuban doctors should take care of poor Cubans who lack proper medical care on the island.'' Martinez recalled how Cuba rejected a U.S. offer to send $50,000 when the island was ravaged by Hurricane Dennis in July. ''I regretted that,'' he said. Castro has refused all U.S. aid as long as Washington maintains the trade embargo against the island. The Bush administration has not responded to Cuba's offer, which was made over a week ago. ''We will wait as many days as necessary,'' Castro said Sunday, when he thanked the doctors, many of whom had volunteered for the service. VENEZUELA'S OFFER Martinez also welcomed an offer by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, a close ally of Castro and a fierce critic of the Bush administration, to donate $1 million to the Red Cross. Venezuela will also ship one million barrels of oil to the United States this month, in addition to the usual exports. Venezuela is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil to the United States. Asked if he thought Chávez was using the offer for political purposes, Martinez said,I think at this time we accept any offers of assistance in good faith. He’s offered oil. That would be very helpful.’’

In December 1999, Washington dispatched two boatloads of aid for Venezuela when more than 15,000 people perished in mudslides. But Chávez refused help, and the vessels, which were transporting members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, were turned back. Venezuela never gave a reason for the refusal.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiheral...

Forum posts

  • Well Bush has his pride....and besides the taxpayer suckers and their great great great grandchildren are the ones footing the bills for this deficit, and for the non bid contracts to the corporations owned by Bush’s friends and business partners so he doesn’t need any stinking help from Fidel...just send the bills to the suckers in the economic slave camps of America.