Citas

"I believe that, rather than weapons the peoples need ideas. They need a change from an inhumane, unsustainable global world that threatens life on the planet, to a just and humanitarian social order that offers humanity an opportunity to survive. The peoples need a world with a bit of drinking water and air to breathe where the necessary food is available and advanced technology can be used to produce housing, schools to educate the children, medicines to preserve human health and medical care indispensable to all, children, adolescents and the elderly".

References to the original: Speech given by Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Councils of State and Ministers, upon receiving the José Bonifacio Medal, Grand Official grade, at the Rio de

"We are proud of our medical system. We will continue to trust the integrity of our doctors. May none of them ever be swayed by the temptation to grant privileges to someone offering a gift. There is no need to turn down a gift offered to a doctor as a sign of gratitude. What a Cuban doctor must never do is discriminate against a citizen of our country who does not have the resources to offer a gift or is not in the habit of doing so. May corruption and bribes never enter the ranks of our health care workers".

References to the original: Speech given by DR. Fidel Castro Ruz, President of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba to the students graduating from the Havana Higher Institute of Medical Sciences, at the Karl Marx Theater on August 9, 1999

“The most important thing will be your full commitment to the most noble and human trade: saving lives and preserving health. More than doctors you shall be conscientious guardians of the most precious human possession; you shall be apostles and builders of a more humane world.”

References to the original: Speech made at the dedication of the Latin American School of Medical Sciences.

“Intelligence is the greatest treasure. The cultivated intelligence, the human capital is what makes it possible that we can speak here of thousands of doctors helping other countries”

References to the original: Speech at the inaugural ceremony of the Alejo Carpentier Press, in Havana, April 27, 2002

“In Cuba, the social and human nightmare denounced in 1953, which gave rise to our struggle, had been left behind just a few years after the triumph of the Revolution in 1959. Soon, there were no longer (…) undernourished, barefoot, parasite-ridden children, without schools or teachers, even if their schooling took place beneath the shade of a tree. They no longer died in massive numbers from hunger, disease, from lack of resources or medical care. No longer were the rural areas filled with unemployed men and women.”

References to the original: Speech given by Fidel Castro at the ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the attack on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Garrisons, held in Santiago de Cuba.

“Over the past seven years our battle for solidarity and for the training of doctors from Cuba and from other sister nations has been intense and ever-increasing. The means and the methodology have been incredibly revolutionized, and theoretical and practical training has considerably surpassed that which had traditionally prevailed throughout history.  It would be more accurate to say that the traditional form of training  has been improved several times over. ”

References to the original: Speech given at the first graduation of students from the Latin American School of Medicine, August 20, 2005

"Let us march forward!  Forward, all of you invincible standard-bearers of such a noble profession, in demonstration of the fact that all the gold in the world cannot subdue the conscience of a true guardian of health and life, who is ready to go to any country where its services are required, convinced that a better world is possible!”

References to the original: Speech given by the President of the Republic Fidel Castro Ruz, at the first graduation ceremony of the Latin American School of Medicine, held at the Karl Marx Theatre, August 20, 2005