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| Sunday, 9 January 2005 |
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Cuba forges ahead Message from Her Excellency Enna Viant Valdes, Ambassador for the Republic of Cuba on the occasion of the 46th Anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. Forty Six years ago, the first of January 1959, the victory of the Cuban Revolution the people of Cuba put an end to a neocolonial domination and achieved full independence and sovereignty. For the first time in its history it had the possibility to implement a police of social justice and respect to human dignity for every Cuban citizen. Cuba was a country where the best land and main resources belonged to a few foreign companies, with hundreds of thousands of landless farmers, unable to get medical assistance or education for them and their children and with 30% of adult illiteracy. Today the virtues of the educational system in Cuba, show a nation with the highest ratio of teachers per capita in the world: one for every 36.8 inhabitants, Cuban educational system, is completely free, and use audiovisual and computer programs at the various levels of teaching. Medical care is also free and there is social security for the elders and disabled. The country assign more than 12 million pesos for health, education, security and social assistance, culture, housing, science, communal services and sports equivalent to 59% of total GDP. A great feat was the position of Cuba in the last Olympic games in Athens, ranking in 11th place, among the first fifteen countries in the world, with 27 medals, 9 of them gold, 7 silver and 11 bronzes showing once more the quality attained by the Cuban policy on physical and sport education. Despite the economic, financial and commercial blockade imposed to our country for over 46 years, which have cost more than US $79 billion, the average rate of growth of the Cuban gross national product has had an steady behaviour and it grows 5% in 2004. Tourist sector is growing at an average rate of 9.5% in arrivals if we compare the same period in 2003. It has surpassed for the first time, the figure of 2 million visitors to Cuba last year. The international community supports the end to the blockade against Cuba. Every year General Assembly of the United Nations realizes this fact where 179 countries vote in favour of lifting the commercial and financial sanctions against the small Caribbean island. The successful results in various fields of the economic, social and cultural life of the Cuban society were achieved, thanks to the hard work and the unity of Cuban people and his leader President Fidel Castro and its conscious support to the correct policies of the Cuban government and also to the priceless support of the peoples of the world. On this happy occasion, we cannot forget the longstanding links of friendship and mutual support and cooperation that has been existing between Cuba and Sri Lanka for 46 years avail ourselves of the opportunity to wish the Sri Lankan people the peace, happiness and prosperity that it deserves and that friendship, collaboration and understanding will continue to prevail in our relations. |
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