-DATE- 19900702 -YEAR- 1990 -DOCUMENT_TYPE- -AUTHOR- -HEADLINE- Castro Speech at Soviet Childrens' Facilities -PLACE- CARIBBEAN / Cuba -SOURCE- Havana Cuba Vision Network -REPORT_NBR- FBIS-LAT-90-129 -REPORT_DATE- 19900705 -HEADER- BRS Assigned Document Number: 000011499 Report Type: Daily Report AFS Number: FL0407000190 Report Number: FBIS-LAT-90-129 Report Date: 05 Jul 90 Report Series: Daily Report Start Page: 3 Report Division: CARIBBEAN End Page: 6 Report Subdivision: Cuba AG File Flag: Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Language: Spanish Document Date: 02 Jul 90 Report Volume: Thursday Vol VI No 129 Dissemination: City/Source of Document: Havana Cuba Vision Network Report Name: Latin America Headline: Castro Speech at Soviet Childrens' Facilities Author(s): President Fidel Castro presenting the facilities to be used by the Chernobyl children at the Jose Marti Pioneer City in Tarara on 1 July--recorded] Source Line: FL0407000190 Havana Cuba Vision Network in Spanish 0130 GMT 2 Jul 90 Subslug: [Speech by President Fidel Castro presenting the facilities to be used by the Chernobyl children at the Jose Marti Pioneer City in Tarara on 1 July--recorded] -TEXT- FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE: 1. [Speech by President Fidel Castro presenting the facilities to be used by the Chernobyl children at the Jose Marti Pioneer City in Tarara on 1 July--recorded] 2. [Text] Comrades and guests: Since it is so hot here.... [changes thought] I cannot give you air conditioning or a breeze. Are there any of those consoles around here? No, there is no air conditioning here. It is not the same here as it is in the rooms of the houses and the hospital, where it is very cool. When we arrived here, it felt like it was on fire. [laughter] I said, we cannot give them air conditioning, but there is something we can do for those who are here and that is to speak for a short time, to be brief. [Audience says: ``No!''] Do not worry; the people always say no, and I always do the opposite, but this time it is true. [laughter] [Castro chuckles] This time it is true; I have to be brief. [video shows Castro, in uniform, perspiring] 3. Yesterday and the day before, I participated in about 20 hours of analyses, debates, and speeches. There are other things that I have yet to do today, but under no circumstance did I want to miss the opportunity to express the appreciation of our people, party, and government for the true feat of labor performed here. I did not want to miss the opportunity to thank the men and women who participated in the accelerated repair, remodeling, and reconstruction of the Jose Marti Pioneer City. Thousands worked on it. At one point, there were 7,000 workers here. The minibrigade comrade said there was an average of 4,000 workers here, but we have to consider how many were here from the start. He is talking about an average. At one point, however, there were 7,000 workers here, so there was no lack of effort. This project involved everyone's cooperation; the People's Government, the party, the administration, all municipalities, all organizations. There was the special and outstanding participation of the FAR [Revolutionary Armed Forces] and the Minint [Interior Ministry]. We could say the same practically about all the organizations that worked toward finishing this project by the beginning of June [as heard]. 4. The idea was barely mentioned of using the Pioneer City to provide treatment for the thousands of children who were affected by the tragic Chernobyl accident when everyone reacted with a great fraternal spirit, with a spirit of internationalism. That spirit is reflected here because the people have had to be patient since we cannot get any more people in here. They fulfilled ambitious plans, not just plans for remodeling, but also plans for expansion and adaptation for the new functions that this city will undertake. The construction of new projects was also part of their plans, for example, the construction of pools. In addition, they planned to repair existing pools. Here once again, as I said earlier, a true labor feat has been performed. 5. When we presented the diplomas this afternoon, at midday, we had the privilege of listening to the comrades who received the diplomas. None of them knew they were going to speak here. No one told them they would speak here. I got the idea with the first person. I asked him something and then told him: Why don you not tell the rest of the people here? That was Lazaro. He was followed by Desiderio de Armas. He is a man of arms. [play on words] [audience laughs] He says he retired 16 years ago and was one of the first who took off to work here. He settled down here and worked tirelessly. How nice, is it not? Lazaro and Desiderio expressed themselves well. One could tell that they were deeply motivated in their souls, hearts, and intelligence. 6. They were followed by Silvio. He was nervous because he saw that the other two had to come up here. [laughter] Silvio thought: They are going to do the same to me, too. I told him: Yes, you will have to say something here, too. [Castro chuckles] He also made very moving remarks that truly reflect the idea, awareness, and motivations that encourage our people to do things in all areas. Our people are noble, a fighting people, combative, internationalist, and heroic. 7. The motivation here is very profound. We would do this for any child in the world. Many children come to our hospitals from other countries and many adults come for the same purpose. They come from Nicaragua, El Salvador, or Latin America to undergo cardiovascular surgery or to receive specialized treatment in an area in which our country has advanced. In this case, we are not doing this just because it involves children--and children always win the hearts of the peoples--but, in addition, they are children from the Soviet Union, a country with which we have extensive ties, which is so closely tied to us, and which has given us so many gestures of solidarity. 8. The idea of providing cooperation for the Chernobyl children did not emerge immediately. We did not know what the situation was. It is possible that the Soviets themselves--and I am certain of this--were not aware of the magnitude, the seriousness of that accident until years later. A group of Soviets, a Soviet association--the Komsomol, yes, it was the Komsomol of the Ukraine-- asked us if we could take some children for medical attention. They told us they asked all the countries in Europe, as well as other countries, and the only thing the other countries sent to Chernobyl was journalists. They said that only Israel received a group of vacationers for a few days. 9. We immediately answered: Yes, you can send as many as 200. They cited a certain number. Initially, they talked about sending a hundred children. We told them they could send up to 200. That is how this matter arose. They sent us children. We sent doctors there to study the situation, to select the children. That is how we received almost 140 children. I do not recall the exact figure of the first group that arrived. [Unidentified speakers respond: ``There were 137 in the group.''] We received 137 children, and a few family members accompanied them. 10. When I received them at the airport, I listened to news from the family members, from the doctors themselves. They said that it was a big problem, the problem is serious, grave. I asked one of the mothers from a mothers' association how many children were affected. She told me that there were at least 100,000 children. We then got news from Cuban comrades and news from the Ukraine, as well as from the Russian Federation and Belorussia. They told us about the problem. We received letters saying that there were many children affected by this. They said it was not possible to know how many are ill. There is only one way to find this out and that is to conduct diagnostic tests there, to conduct a diagnostic analysis there. We said, if the number is very high, the USSR will need cooperation. It is a large country with resources and it needs cooperation from abroad. That is how the idea emerged to offer help for 10,000 children. 11. At first, we thought about converting schools into hospitals. Then we remembered the Pioneer City and the role it played during the dengue epidemic. Going against our plans, we asked whether we should suspend vacations. We said: Do not suspend them. We can create conditions so they are safer in the Pioneer City than in their own homes. Of course, at home, they do not have a doctor alongside them. If a child had any kind of symptom, they might have to wait before calling a hospital, before taking the child to the hospital. We knew that here, however, as soon as the first symptom was seen, we would have to run tests on the child. Of course, we can guarantee that there are no mosquitos here, not a single one. We took measures to ensure that there is not a single mosquito here when the children come. [chuckles] Of course, the children that come might have the virus but they cannot contaminate anyone else because there are no mosquitos. We determined immediately who had the virus and we used interferon, which we recently created. [corrects himself] No, we did not create it; we developed it. It is very efficient in treating viral diseases. No child became seriously ill. We adapted hospitals, everything. We had two or three right here, two or three hospitals. I think the city's public health department was responsible for it. They sent someone here, and he organized all of this. 12. Then we contacted the Pioneers and asked for their opinions. We asked them if they were willing to make the Pioneer City available. We knew they would have to make a sacrifice to treat the Chernobyl children. They met, analyzed the matter, and, without hesitation whatsoever, offered the Pioneer City. 13. The Pioneer City was going to mark its 15th anniversary, and it was being remodeled and repaired. Now, it was more than a matter of repairs. It turned into a project to reconstruct the Pioneer City and expand it services. During the brief time between the arrival of the first Soviet group and the Pioneers' offer to turn their city over to the Chernobyl children, a great construction, repair, and labor movement was initiated to get the city ready by the first of June. We were talking about June. It took us some time, a short time. It was finished just a few days ago. There are a few isolated projects that have not been finished yet because of their characteristics, such as the pools or elevators we had to purchase and build [as heard]. They have been purchased and are being installed. 14. This is how we created the conditions here to provide care for up to 10,000 children. Now that we have the experience of the first group and we know, more or less, the amount of time required; they stay an average of three months. Some are here longer, others are not; we determined that throughout the year, if the Soviets wish, they may send up to 30,000 children here for medical treatment. 15. We have created all the conditions. This would be the ideal situation because many times the small child feels fine even though he may have a problem. Problems could arise later. A problem could develop later. If you keep him in a hospital, he will feel imprisoned. The perfect institution for treating these cases is an institution like this, the Pioneer City, which has its own hospital that now has been expanded, along with all the other installations. 16. I do not mean to imply that all hospital services will be rendered here. We can render many hospital services here. Services can be fulfilled perfectly well here with the installations we have and with everything we have, but we have our own specialized hospitals. We have pediatric hospitals, such as the William Soler, the Juan Manuel Marquez--which is brand new--and other hospitals that have a lot of prestige. So when children need superspecialized care, they go to those hospitals. However, as long as they are being tested and until the moment arrives to move them to a hospital that will treat them, this is the ideal place for them, unless a child has a serious symptom that requires immediate attention at a specialized hospital. 17. Even the recovery period is better here. For a child, it is depressing to be imprisoned in a hospital. That is why we organized programs for the first children that came from Chernobyl. We planned recreation and vacation programs, trips to the sea for them. They like fruit a lot. We have done everything possible to guarantee that they have fruit. They are crazy about bananas. [laughter] They also like pineapple, citrus. They arrived during mango season. You know that pineapple production increased a lot in Ciego de Avila. That area is supplying Havana with pineapple. There may be a few months in which citrus is not abundant but there is frozen citrus juice for the children that come here. All measures have been taken so they can have the fruit and juice they like so much. 18. They have people accompanying them. It is good because the mothers can accompany them here also under optimum conditions. This is the perfect institution for this situation. It is the perfect solution for these cases. 19. The children like the adventure of the trip. They like the climate, the sea. Right now it is spring in the USSR, but in the winter months you can imagine what a trip to Cuba means to them. 20. Now, good, following Cuba's example--and I must stress: following Cuba's example--some Western countries have followed our example, and we are happy about this. Some Western countries have offered a to take some vacationers. Even the United States, the United States [repeats himself], that large, immense, rich country has offered to take 300 healthy children. Several European countries have also offered to take healthy children. I think that between 10 and 12 countries--I do not know how many--have offered to reserve 1,000 spaces for vacationers. We have offered 10,000 spaces for simultaneous medical care and even up to 30,000 in a year for medical attention. Analyzing these matters in the last executive committee meeting, we stated that if it is necessary to bring children from that area here on vacation, for psychological reasons, for compensation, we also will be willing to receive them. If they come on vacation, we may have 50,000 children here during the course of a year. 21. In two months, facilities for 10,000 can accommodate 50,000, assuming five rotations. If the idea of vacations is accepted and if the idea of vacations will help the Chernobyl children, we will not oppose it. We can contribute to this. 22. The figures the West has proposed to cooperate with the Chernobyl children seem ridiculous. Regardless of the absurdity of it, we are glad that they have at least made a minimal gesture, a minimal gesture [repeats himself] of solidarity. 23. This camp, as you know, can hold 20,000 children. Under these circumstances, we have reduced the capacity by half so they can be more comfortable, have more room. 24. There is always someone who asks, not just about this, but about other things.... [changes thought] We have offered to treat the Soviet Union's former Afghan combatants--up to 500 in a year--who were maimed or are seriously ill. I recently had the opportunity to greet almost 100 of them who are in the Frank Pais Hospital. I spoke to them. I learned of their concerns. I asked them if they like the sea. They said they like it a lot. I think they call it (morreh). [chuckles] They said they like it a lot. It seemed truly.... [changes thought] I felt good about that attitude, about the possibility of cooperating with those combatants. We have been doing it for years. We have cooperated with hundreds of Salvadoran combatants who were maimed. They were treated in our country over the years. They were rehabilitated as much as possible. 25. Some people ask themselves if we are sacrificing the people to provide these internationalist missions. There is always someone, some person who asks this type of question. First, I would say that this is not costing our country anything special. Why? Because the ones who will care for these children are the same workers that are here. 26. The ones who have made the sacrifice are our Pioneers because in one week during vacation or during the school year, more than 2,000 [corrects himself] 200,000 could pass through here because of the educational and recreational use of this institution. The children are providing their support. They are making a contribution, and what a beautiful thing for our Pioneers to learn early about becoming internationalists. They are learning to do things for others. That is what they have done. This educates our people. This educates our children. This trains our children. 27. Some will come here on vacation, but not many. A few thousand will pass through here this summer so they can accompany the Soviet children. There may be 3,000 or 5,000 who will come here. There will be less than 5,000 children who will be here simultaneously with the Soviet children. Normally, 20,000 children would come here. There will be about 5,000 Soviet and Cuban children here, if that many. It is true that they must have special food but only 25 percent of the number of children that would normally be here will be present this summer. The same is true for the school year. During the school year, 10,000 children would come here. If you analyze this accurately, you will see a reduction in spending, thanks to the contribution of our Pioneers. 28. The doctors are the same ones that are working at our hospitals. We do not have to pay an extra salary to Comrade Dotre because he is here or to the doctors or nurses that have come here. They are the same ones that are in our hospitals. In addition, we have graduated more than 4,000 doctors this summer and we are going to put them to work as family doctors. This does not mean medical attention for our population has been reduced by a single iota. On the contrary, it is increasing this summer. We built a large expansion onto the Frank Pais Hospital. It has 600 beds. We are not taking a single service away from a single citizen in this country to help or cooperate in the treatment and rehabilitation of the people injured in Afghanistan. 29. This is the very clear reality, in case someone gets this stupid idea, and there are stupid people. I can assure you of that. There are and will be stupid people. OK, I have explained this. 30. However, if we had to make a sacrifice, we should be willing to make it without hesitation. Our cooperation is not a sacrifice for us, but if it were, we would have to be willing to do it because a people that has been able to send hundreds of thousands of its children into combat should be able to sacrifice a few comforts or even a few material goods for solidarity with other countries, especially when it has to do with the solidarity of the Soviet people. [applause] 31. We must speak clearly, and we also must speak clearly to those souls who slither along the ground [claps hands once] or play them a tune like the snake charmers do to calm them, to get them under control. We must speak with the truth; clearly, transparently, and categorically. 32. Thus we inaugurate this renovated and expanded city. I think the children will be fine here. I think our workers will treat them with the greatest love with which one can treat children. I think they will be happy here. They have everything: recreational areas, sports areas, pools, the ocean, all the medical attention they require. Not all cases are the same. All must be checked to discover if anything is wrong or to eliminate any possibility. The diagnostic testing, the immediate application of measures, will give them a great degree of security. They will have the pleasure of traveling to this hemisphere, to the tropics. The ocean will be available to them and they will have all these things that have been repaired and remodeled with so much affection. This will not seem like a hospital and, nevertheless, it will be the best hospital. It will not only be the best hospital; it will also be the best of all the possible paradises available during these times. They will receive sun whenever they want it. They will enjoy our blue waters, our blue and pure waters. They will breathe the oxygen of our pure skies. I am certain that those children--thanks to the generosity of our Pioneers, thanks to the love of our people--the immense majority of them, if not all, will resolve their problems and will have an eternal memory of our fatherland. 33. That is why a day like today should be satisfying for all of us. We are thus fulfilling our beautiful slogan of ``Socialism or death,'' because only socialism can do this, and we are fulfilling the slogan of ``Fatherland or death'' [applause] and the slogan of ``We will win''. [applause] -END-