When socialist Cuba embraced Chernobyl's children

Thirty years after the Chernobyl disaster, the scale of the catastrophe remains difficult to grasp. Entire regions were contaminated, thousands of lives were disrupted, and the effects of radiation followed people for decades. For many families, the disaster did not end in 1986—it continued in illness, uncertainty and long-term health complications.

In the years that followed, the international response was uneven. Assistance existed, but often moved slowly, tied to political decisions or limited resources. Cuba chose a different course, as Granma recently reminded us. 

In 1990, as the island was entering one of the most difficult periods in its history, it began receiving children affected by the disaster. They came mainly from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, many suffering from cancers, thyroid disorders, skin diseases and other long-term consequences of radiation exposure.

The scale of the program was significant. Between 1990 and 2016, 26,114 patients were treated in Cuba, around 23,000 of them children. They received medical care free of charge, regardless of the complexity or duration of treatment.

The main center of this effort was Tarará, a coastal area near Havana that was converted into a medical and rehabilitation complex. But Tarará was not only a place for treatment. Children lived there for months, sometimes longer. They attended school, had psychological support, and took part in daily activities designed to restore a sense of normal life.

Cuban medical staff dealt with a wide range of conditions: oncological diseases, endocrine disorders, immune system deficiencies and severe dermatological problems. Many of the treatments required long-term monitoring and specialized care. The program adapted over time, responding to the needs of each group of patients.

What makes this experience stand out is the context in which it took place.

The program began during the “Special Period”, when Cuba faced a deep economic crisis after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Fuel shortages, food scarcity and difficulties in accessing medical supplies affected everyday life across the country. Despite these conditions, the treatment program for Chernobyl patients continued.

It required housing, food, medical infrastructure, trained personnel and constant coordination. None of this was symbolic. It was a sustained commitment over more than two decades.

The initiative did not rely on international campaigns or media visibility. It was carried out quietly, through the work of doctors, nurses, teachers and support staff who maintained the program year after year.

For many of the children, the stay in Cuba became a turning point. Some returned multiple times for follow-up treatment. Others recovered from conditions that had been difficult to address in their home countries at the time.

Today, decades later, the program is remembered not only for its scale, but for its consistency. It was not a short-term response, but a long-term effort that adapted to changing medical and social needs.

In a world where humanitarian aid is often conditioned by political or economic interests, the Cuban experience with Chernobyl remains a concrete example of sustained medical cooperation, carried out over many years and under difficult circumstances.

  IN DEFENSE OF COMMUNISM ©