Via Hablemos Press, a report by Jaime Leygonier: Estado reconoce epidemias y muertes por cólera, pero... [State admits cholera epidemics and deaths, but...] Excerpt, with my translation:
En el periódico Granma del martes 3 de julio el Estado reconoce -evasivamente- muertes por cólera y epidemia de enfermedades gastrointestinales causadas por la contaminación de las aguas. Seis días después de que Hablemos Press lo informara.
In the periodical Granma for July 3, the state admits—evasively—deaths from cholera and an epidemic of gastrointestinal illnesses caused by contaminated water. Six day after Hablemos Press reported on it.
Es la primera vez que el Gobierno declara la presencia del cólera en Cuba -enfermedad erradicada del País desde el comienzo del siglo XX.
It's the first time that the government has declared the presence of cholera in Cuba—a disease eradicated from the country since the start of the 20th century.
La nota del Ministerio de Salud Publica no emplea el término epidemia, enfatiza que "el brote/…/ está controlado", juega con la ignorancia del público al mencionar al cólera únicamente en Latín y calla sobre las epidemias en La Habana, donde hay dengue hemorrágico también.
The note from the Ministry of Public Health doesn't use the term "epidemic"; it emphasizes that "the outbreak...is under control," playing on public ignorance by mentioning cholera only in Latin, and silent on the epidemics in Havana, which also has hemorrhagic dengue.
Hablemos Press publicó el 28 de junio el trabajo del periodista independiente Calixto R. Martínez sobre dos muertes por cólera en Manzanillo y mi trabajo "Epidemias por contaminación de las aguas"; y en días siguientes le reportaron a Martínez el aumento de las muertes a 4 y, finalmente, a 16.
Hablemos Press on June 28 published the work of the independent journalist Calixto R. Martínez on two cholera deaths in Manzanillo as well as my own "Epidemics from water contamination"; in the following days Martínez reported the increase in deaths to 4, and finally to 16.
La nota "informativa" del Gobierno silencia absolutamente el curso de las epidemias en La Habana y sólo reconoce "brotes" en "algunos territorios", empleando eufemismos y contradiciéndose sobre si 3 pacientes fallecieron de cólera o de otras causas, como la vejez y enfermedades crónicas.
The "informative" note of the government was absolutely silent on the progress of the epidemics in Havana and only admitted "outbreaks" in "some territories," using euphemisms and contradicting itself on whether 3 patients had really died of cholera or from other causes such as old age and chronic illnesses.
I've missed those reports on the growing number of cholera deaths, but I have to agree with Leygonier on the bland tone of the official statement on cholera.
He goes on to say that sanitary conditions are bad all over Cuba. Rumors of cholera have circulated among doctors since the 1980s—usually blamed on foreign students or Cuban doctors returning from missions to countries with cholera. He suggests that dengue was imported by Cuban soldiers and guerillas returning from Africa and Latin America. I have no idea if he's right, but it's an intriguing glimpse into the politics of public health in Cuba.
