More
than 7,000 Venezuelan Patients Treated in Cuba
Havana, Nov 30 (AIN) As part of the health cooperation agreements signed between Cuba and
Venezuela, more than 7,000 patients from the South American country have been assisted in
45 Cuban health care institutions for free.
The program began four years ago and benefits low-income people needing urgent and
expensive treatment. It also serves the relatives that accompany them to the island.
The Cuban coordinator for the program, Pedro Llerena, explained that most of the patients
have been treated for nervous disorders, ophthalmologic, osteomuscular and skin diseases.
Llerena is currently in Caracas to analyze the results of the last 12-month period with
his Venezuelan counterpart, reported Prensa Latina news agency on Tuesday.
He said congenital malformation, deformities, traumatisms, tumors and mental disorders are
also common among the Venezuelan patients assisted at Cuban health facilities.
Through the humanitarian collaboration program, 2,700 major surgeries in the disciplines
of angiology and cardiovascular medicine have been carried out. Venezuelan patients have
also benefited from orthopedic rehabilitation and a total of 117 cornea, bone marrow and
kidney transplants.
US Role in Venezuela Destabilization Highlighted on Round Table
Havana, Nov 30 (AIN) The close ties between the US government and violent attempts to
destabilize Venezuela were highlighted on Monday evening’s broadcast of The Round
Table program, which dealt with the situation in Latin America.
Evidence of the complicity of Venezuelan terrorists living in Miami, with full support
from Washington, in the recent car bomb killing of 38-year-old prosecutor Danilo Anderson
in Caracas was cited by panelists.
Anderson was in the process of investigating those who participated in the coup that took
place in Venezuela on April 11, 2002, and for 47-hours had the country on the brink of
becoming a right wing dictatorship.
President Hugo Chavez’ denouncement that US government officials had advanced
knowledge of the actions being prepared to subvert the constitutional order of the South
American nation were confirmed by evidence discussed on the program.
Despite US government censorship, several declassified CIA documents, recently released
under the Freedom of Information Act, reveal the connection between Washington and the
terrorists.
Now, investigations that followed the murder of prosecutor Anderson have led to the
discovery of several arms and explosives caches in Caracas, with a trail leading north.
Venezuelan authorities have reportedly identified the terrorists that planted the car bomb
that killed Anderson, and say that in the coming days the names of the intellectual
authors of the horrendous event will be made public.
Meanwhile the current tour of President Chavez to Spain, Libya, Russia, Iran and Qatar was
also reviewed on The Round Table, which noted the warm welcome the Venezuelan leader has
received.
The scandal ridden Organization of American States was another topic of Round Table
discussion.
After former Costa Rican president Miguel A. Rodriguez was forced to resign as OAS
secretary general over corruption charges only a month after his appointment, one of the
candidates to replace him, ex-Salvadoran President Francisco Flores, is being questioned
in his country for taking bribes and other illicit activities during his term in office.
A report by CNN about testimonies taken from 35,000 people that were tortured and
subjected to other atrocities during the reign of terror imposed in Chile by dictator
Augusto Pinochet was cited.
Chilean President Ricardo Lagos has acknowledged the institutionalized mass violence that
occurred and announced compensation for all victims. However many political analysts
assure that justice won't really be done until those responsible for the killings and
torture in Chile are prosecuted and sent to prison.
Other highlights of The Round Table included praise for Argentinean President Nestor
Kirchner for his clear stance to not sacrifice his country’s population in debt
negotiations with the IMF and Bush administration concerns with the recent Latin American
tour of Chinese President Hu Jintao, who signed important agreements that show the great
potential of trade and relations between the region and that Asian nation.
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