-Very interesting post, however, there are some questions to be made
1-Are those statistics reliable? Since Cuban economy suffered losses after the USSR fall, it is difficult to believe those vital statistics went on improving during the 90´s. If this really is happening, it is a fantastic achievement.
2-It seems the second better country in Latin America is Chile, a country where there was absolute negligence towards social spending and the virtual destuction of the welfare net during the 80´s, withouth much recovering in the 90´s. Chile has the second worst unequality level in Latin America (only Brazil is worse). So I can´t explain the remarkable improvement in vital statistics in this country...?????
3-What about growth rates for Cuban economy?
Alexandre Fenelon
So far as I know the statistics are reliable. I read a scholarly book describing the health care system in Cuba and basically it showed how in the space of two generations, Cuba went from the level of Haiti to the level of the most advanced first world countries in the quality of UNIVERSAL health care and went further than any other country in providing medical help and training to other third world countries. I have lent the book to a friend, but when I get it back, I'll specify the title and author. What I do remember is that the author was not a socialist but a centrist/democrat mid-western scholar type. He kept ascribing "sinister" motives to Cuba's health care program: like how much it was about creating "political capital" to persuade the world about the virtues of socialism. But at NO point did he find any information about the statistics being fake or the care being reserved for a privileged few.
I also read an interview with Castro recently where he insisted that although they have had to cut back on other stuff since the disengagement from the Soviet Union, they did not close one clinic or school throughout this period of hardship.
I have no doubt that there are less than rozy aspects to life in Cuba. But it is extremely comforting to know that when people really care about health and education, they can actually make astonishing changes in a very short period of time.
Cheers,
Joanna