Two Cuban doctors, among a group of 152 trying to relieve the crisis in
 Zimbabwe's state hospitals, were reported Thursday to have sought refuge at the
 Canadian Embassy in Harare, the Zimbabwean capital, in a bid to defect.

 Leonel Cordova, 31, and Noris Pena, 25, told Zimbabwe's Daily News that they
 were defecting ``to fulfill lifelong dreams of leaving Cuba forever.''

 Cuban diplomat Javier Viamontes said the Cuban Embassy was unaware of the
 case. The Canadian Embassy, closed Thursday for a Zimbabwean public holiday,
 had no one available for comment.