Many participants in the Second Cuba-U.S. Youth Exchange are college or high school students, and a few are workers. Representing a range of political viewpoints, some have previously been involved in actions to oppose the U.S. government's course of aggression against Cuba, while others only recently began to learn about the revolution and jumped at the chance to see the country for themselves.

Juan Carlos Marsán, head of international relations of the Union of Young Communists (UJC) of Cuba, welcomed the U.S. delegation at the opening of the July 22-30 trip. "In the United States, there are a lot of distortions of the truth about Cuba by the media and the government," he said. "We hope that here you will be able to see for yourselves what the real situation is.

Marsán noted that in Cuba today "we are living through an exceptional moment." He noted that the Cuban Revolution has gained strength over the past few years through responding both to Washington's hostile policies and the economic challenges facing Cuba, which seeks to defend its revolutionary gains in a world dominated by the international capitalist market.

"Our revolution today is reflecting on its projects," he said, referring to political steps being taken by the revolutionary leadership to draw millions of Cubans into fighting for a socialist course.

The Cuban hosts took those taking part in the Youth Exchange to see some examples of these political campaigns, from the new Latin American School of Medicine to the School for Social Work.

In the first few days, the U.S. visitors were also taken to the José Martí monument and museum to learn about Cuba's anti-imperialist history; several medical and scientific research centers that have created pharmaceutical products used to treat a range of diseases afflicting particularly the Third World; the national center for computer training; the world-renowned psychiatric hospital; and a Havana neighborhood to talk to working people there.

One of the first events was a meeting with members of a municipal assembly of People's Power, Cuba's legislative system, which is organized on the national, provinwhich is organized on the national, provincial, and local levels. Taking part in the exchange were most of the 108 delegates to the local assembly in the Playa district, an area in western Havana with 188,000 residents. Municipal assembly president Edel Correa explained how elections take place in Cuba. He also described the municipal assembly's responsibility for the 41 child-care centers; 65 elementary, secondary, and adult education schools; nearly 300 family doctor's offices; seven agricultural markets; three computer centers for youth; and other vital services in that district.

Some of the U.S. visitors expressed surprise to learn that Cuba had elections in the first place, since the U.S. big-business press hides this fact. They were even more interested to find that elected delegates are not full-time functionaries but continue to work their regular jobs, performing most of their legislative duties after work and on weekends, while receiving no salary apart from their normal wages.

A visitor from Tucson, Arizona, and one from Washington remarked that the U.S. media argues that the fact that Fidel Castro remains president is proof that Cuba is undemocratic. They asked why he continues to be reelected. This question sparked an animated exchange on the nature of democracy, a discussion that continued informally afterward.

A municipal delegate who is retired from the Cuban navy took the floor. He pointed out that to answer this electoral question it's necessary to understand that Cuba has made a deep-going revolution, and its leadership has retained political support by its deeds, not words alone. Fidel Castro, he said, "didn't buy this respect in a store--he has won it by what he has done over the years, going back to the assault on the Moncada barracks on July 26, 1953," when Castro led a group of young revolutionaries to attack an army garrison of the U.S.-backed Batista dictatorship. Unlike politicians in the United States, Castro and the central leadership in Cuba continue today to take political initiatives in the interests of the Cuban people--"and take the message of the revolution all over the world," he added.

The 48th anniversary of this action, which launched the revolutionary struggle leading to the overthrow of the capitalist regime and the taking of political power by workers and farmers, would be celebrated a few days later throughout Cuba, including a rally of hundreds of thousands in Havana.

Another delegate, Daniel Morales, from the Santa Fe neighborhood, commented that the People's Power legislature "is made up of workers, farmers, students, and others--not factory owners."

Shem Morton, from Los Angeles, added that "the Cuban Revolution is an example to working people and youth in the United States that people are capable of freeing themselves from imperialism and that human beings can take their destiny in their hands."

The U.S. delegation later visited the Latin American School of Medicine. Director Juan Carrizo Estévez explained that "the origin of this school is Cuba's response to catastrophe in Central America caused by hurricane Mitch in Central America and Georges in the Caribbean in 1998. Cuba sent volunteer doctors, nurses, and health-care workers to the affected areas, and they are still there."

Then, to help address the longer-term social problem of limited health care in these nations underdeveloped by imperialism, the Cuban leadership decided to establish a medical school to train thousands of youth from these countries as doctors. "The goal is for these young people to return to their countries to help create a sustainable health-care system, and in some cases to go to the most remote and needy areas of their countries" following the example of the Cuban volunteers, Estévez said.

Today the school is training 5,000 youth from 19 Latin American countries, four African nations, and now the United States, with 11 U.S. students enrolled so far. Wilfredo Chaparro Mérida, 19, a student from Oruro, Bolivia, told the Militant that most of the students, like himself, are from working-class and rural families, and in many cases are youth of oppressed nationalities.

In the capitalist world, Estévez said, "patients are treated as customers, doctors act like managers, and medicines are viewed as commodities. Our goal is to train students, through both theory and practice, not only to have a solid scientific grounding, but to emphasize human values." The program is free--including classes, textbooks, housing, food, and all other basic needs of the students.

"How do you find the resources to maintain this school, given the U.S. embargo and the shortages of many goods that Cuba faces?" one U.S. visitor asked.

The school director underscored the fact that this is not a technical question but a political one. "It's through the political will of our leadership and the priorities of the revolution," he replied. "The embargo is a genuine problem, but we are able to combat it through the intelligence and creativity of the Cuban people."

The Youth Exchange also includes participation in the massive July 26 rally in Havana; a trip to Playa Girón (Bay of Pigs), where Cuban working people defeated a U.S.-organized mercenary invasion 40 years ago; a visit with the neighborhood organizations called Committees for the Defense of the Revolution; and a discussion forum with government ministers and others.  
 
 
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