Like no statesman or political leader, even worldwide, Fidel Castro promoted the development of science, research, and technology for the good of his country and humanity with projects that were practically impossible in underdeveloped countries.
Havana, Cuba.- As early as January 15, 1960, he expressed his visionary words that “the future of our country must necessarily be a future of men of science, it must be a future of men of thought…” and today Cuban science is the result of that anticipated look.
From that moment on, Cubans understood and became participants in the efforts of a revolutionary government that demanded scientists and researchers and all intelligence to build a present and future of well-being and prosperity for all.
Thus began the comprehensive educational development with universal and free access for all Cubans, whose starting point was the mass literacy campaign, the creation of schools and universities in all provinces, and the publication of scientific-technical books.
Resources were also allocated to train thousands of scientists in Cuba and abroad, the construction of an institutional framework for science, and scientific centers nationwide and in nearly all sectors, which had the impulse, the strategic design, and the foundational presence of the historic leader.
Of all his legacies, the constitution of the Biotechnology Sector starting in 1981 stands out, which accumulated experiences and extraordinary results such as the production of interferons, which placed Cuba among the first countries in the world in this type of production.
Added to these achievements was the production of a varied nomenclature of monoclonal antibodies, and radioactive preparations for medical diagnosis and research, even though the country has always been blockaded and occupied with not a few economic and social emergencies, as was the so-called period special.
Just at that moment when nobody anticipated the relevant role of industrial development in the biotechnological and pharmaceutical sectors, Fidel instructed giving a broader scope and hierarchy to the development of science, advanced technologies, research, and the obtention of new medicines, vaccines, and products.
Its main purpose was to create a technological and productive foundation with more advanced quality and control systems, integration among institutions, a closed-cycle work system, impact on health and food production in Cuba, and direct export management as sources of financial income to contribute to the national economy.
Undoubtedly, his great contribution was to generate a science and technology development policy impregnated with ethical, humanistic values and collective work, international solidarity, and the promotion of the various fields of scientific research.
For this reason, the culmination of his imprint in science was the research and materialization of five Cuban homegrown vaccine candidates, two of which two are already vaccines, as a clinical solution to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a proven and effective impact for the containment of the disease in Cuba and other nations, which speaks of their international recognition. (PL)
