A struggle to the death
It took Fidel Castro’s hearse four days to traverse about 900 kilometers from Havana to Santiago. Three generations of Cubans united by gratitude lined the roads shouting his name.
The 1959 Cuban revolution which took place at the doorsteps of the US came as an inspiration for millions who were fighting against t colonialism and US imperial policies in Asia, Africa and Latin America. This explains why leaders from Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean came to lionise the communist leader at his send-off.
The achievements of the Cuban revolution as well as its weaknesses can be understood only by putting them in the perspective. The revolution took place in a backward country ruled by a corrupt military junta bolstered by the US. Cuba made historic achievements after revolution. Land ownership was limited to 993 acres per owner. Today, Cuba reports 99.8pc literacy rate on par with the developed countries. Cuba’s healthcare system based on prevention-focused holistic model has helped Cuba introduce universal immunisation with child mortality rate only next to the US and 79.7 year life- expectancy which is above the US. The country has one of the highest ratios of doctors per capita in the world. Cuba volunteered to send the largest medical team to Pakistan, along with field hospitals after the catastrophic 2015 earthquake. Cuban doctors volunteered to treat Ebola patients in West Africa when other countries were hesitant
Cuba does not qualify as an objectively free society. The new government had to face imperial predations, a punishing economic embargo, and unending attempts by the CIA to overthrow the new government, including about 600 attempts at Castro’s life The paranoia in the government was not unfounded.
The leaders in Pakistan need to learn from Fidel Castro who led a Spartan life, with no corruption allegations Following his will the Cuban government announced that his name would never be used on institutions, streets, parks or other public sites, and that busts, statutes or other forms of tribute would never be erected. The man who replaced him was not merely his brother but also a leading figure in the 1959 revolution.