Excerpts of speech by Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro,
in Buenos Aires, in May of 2003.
Since I am an optimist, I think this world can be saved, in spite
of the mistakes made, in spite of the immense, hegemonic powers
that have been created, because I believe ideas prevail over force.…
Our country does not drop bombs on other peoples, nor does it
send thousands of planes to bomb cities; our country does not
possess nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, or biological weapons.
Our country's tens of thousands of scientists and doctors have
been educated in the idea of saving lives. It would absolutely
contradict this concept to put a scientist or a doctor to work to
produce substances, bacteria or viruses to kill other human beings.
Allegations that Cuba is doing research on biological weapons
have even been made. In our country, research is conducted to
cure diseases as severe as meningococcal meningitis and hepatitis,
to produce vaccines with genetic engineering techniques, or,
something of great importance, to discover vaccines or therapeutic
formulas through molecular immunology; some of which can
prevent and others cure. We are moving forward along this path.
This is the pride of our doctors and our research centers.
Tens of thousands of Cuban doctors have provided internationalist
services in the most remote and inhospitable places. I once said
that we could not and would never carry out preventive or surprise
attacks against any dark corner of the world; but rather that our
country could send needed doctors to the darkest corners of the
world. Doctors, not bombs. Doctors, not smart weapons.
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