Two days after the catastrophe in Haiti, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, now retired, wrote in his journal: "In the field of health care and other areas, Cuba – despite being a poor and blockaded country – has been cooperating with the Haitian people for many years. Around 400 doctors and health care experts offer their services free of charge to the Haitians. Our doctors are working every day in 227 of the country's 337 communities and at least 400 young Haitians have trained as doctors in our homeland. They will now work with the reinforcement brigades which left for Haiti yesterday to save lives in this critical situation."

Castro also wrote that in Cuba there are 1,000 doctors and healthcare experts who can be mobilized to cooperate with any other States that wish to save the lives of the Haitian people and rehabilitate the injured. Without humanitarian aid from the international community, Haiti would surely be doomed.

Reporters Eric Toussaint and Sophie Perchellet have asked, "Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world,why is there no explanation for its being an 'accursed land'?" Indeed, that is a thought-provoking question. Haiti was devastated by an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale. We have all been horrified by the apocalyptic images of human suffering and consoled by generous contributions made by various countries.

However, Toussaint and Perchellet have stated in their reports that most mainstream comments fail to look beyond the terrible earthquake and while we are constantly reminded that Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world, no explanation has ever been given as to how or what blighted Haiti's existence. Did poverty just happen? Certainly not; it would be good to know so we can learn from Haiti's negative and unfortunate example. (gemma601@yahoo.com)