Cuban cooperation

We congratulate Marie Siewnarinesingh, Sophia Ali, Neil- Ann Mc Millan, Randel Hamilton, and undergraduate scholar in health technology, Anand Hanuman.

They will be funded for a period of five to seven years.

The undergraduates stand to benefit from exposure to a country which has become world-famous for its medical expertise.

Since the 1950s Cuba has embarked on “doctor diplomacy”, practicing medical internationalism as a kind of soft diplomacy in order to consolidate its socialist reputation and exert influence.

Cuban doctors have played impressive roles on the front lines of the 2014 Ebola crisis.

It is widely believed medical doctors are Cuba’s most important export. As at 2012, 52 medical officers and 83 nurses arrived here from Cuba.

We benefit from this source of medical expertise given the clear gaps within our own beleaguered health care system. The scholarships are a chance to grow local talent.

However, it must be noted that Trinidadians trained in Cuba have in the past had difficulty when returning to practice here. The Ministry of Education must therefore ensure that it collaborates closely with the Ministry of Health and the Medical Board to ensure that appropriate systems are in place to enable returning professionals to be integrated in a system that is in dire need of an infusion.

It is also hoped that tuition and stipend disbursals will be protected from budget cuts given the problems that have arisen in the past. If we are serious about developing our human resources we must ensure that the funding for education is prioritised. Administration of these scholarships must also be efficient so that payments are made in a timely way, allowing students to focus on their education.

Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba have a long history of diplomatic ties. This began formally in December 1972. As recently as 2011, Raul Castro attended the 7th Caricom- Cuba Summit here. Caricom as a whole has maintained close relations with Cuba through thick and thin, notwithstanding the fallout between that country and the United States.

There was a time, in the 1970s, when this type of collaboration between this region and Cuba might have incurred Washington’s wrath. But the end of the Cold War and the failure of economic sanctions to effect change in Cuba have changed dynamics.

The Cuban scholarships come at a time when the fragile progress made in thawing relations between the US and Cuba have been shaken by Donald Trump’s insistence on reversing the policies of his predecessor.

The “Cuban Thaw” overseen by Barack Obama, with the help of Pope Francis, has been hampered by Trump. On June 16, 2017, he announced that he was “cancelling” the Obama administrations deals with Cuba, while also expressing that a new deal could be negotiated between the Cuban and United States governments.

Trump reinstated a ban on individual travel to Cuba by Americans, while leaving in place travel permission for organised “educational” groups and family visits.

He expanded the prohibition on American money going to the Cuban military.

But at a time of utter turmoil in Cuba’s close ally Venezuela, we must seek to deepen our ties with Cuba, not turn back the clock.

These scholarships are a sign that we will continue to engage with Cuba, not turn away.