Saturday, August 13, 2016
Fidel at home
“Treat
me like one of your own” Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro once told Cuban
journalists, on another occasion writing that being among them felt like being
among family
Author: Tubal
Páez | internet@granma.cu
GRANMA, August 12,
2016 17:08:30
Fidel
in the linotype workshop with then editor of Granma Jorge Enrique Mendoza, June
10, 1970. Photo: Valiente, Jorge
“Treat me
like one of your own” Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro once told Cuban
journalists, on another occasion writing that being among them felt like being
among family. Such statements, made by someone who has always professed an
unwavering respect for the truth, and profound distain for demagogy, express a
genuine sincerity, especially when we remember that communication and the press
were an intrinsic part of Fidel’s political activity, which began at an early
age.
This family
continued to grow around the revolutionary leader starting with the comrades
that worked alongside him on radio broadcasts in his days at Radio Rebelde in
the Sierra Maestra, to the revolutionary press which developed after the
triumph of the Revolution on January 1, 1959, spreading to other latitudes with
Operation Truth that same year; it also included colleagues who worked in
television; strengthened and expanded by the efforts of all to combat U.S.
imperialism and the corporative media in Cuba, opposed to the social measures being
implemented.
At
transcendental moments during Cuba’s revolutionary process, it was however at
Granma where Fidel simultaneously conveyed his directives – in the form of
editorials, articles and news reports – to the leadership of mass
organizations, state institutions, and the people. A former colleague, Juan
Marrero vividly recalls one of these moments, which saw him take on a leading
role in an intense nationwide mobilization led by Fidel from Granma, in
solidarity with the sister people of Peru, victims of a devastating earthquake
in 1970.
Fidel
entitled one of the two editorials he wrote regarding the tragedy, “Blood
needed to help Peruvians.” In the other article published 10 days later, he
reported that Cubans had made 104,594 voluntary blood donations. The country’s
political leadership also turned to Granma to address other exceptional
situations, for example following the events which occurred as a result of the
incident at the Peruvian Embassy in Havana in May 1980, which sparked mass protests
by the revolutionary Cuban people and ended with the government authorizing
citizens to leave the island from Mariel bay.
The Granma
family learned many valuable lessons in ethics, history, politics and
journalism from the Comandante en Jefe. For me, perhaps the most important of
all, given its drama and impact on the nation, and the fact that it constitutes
a prime example of Fidel’s strength of character, was when he officially
announced that the 10 million ton sugar harvest of 1970 had not been met.
Fidel
arrived at the paper at midnight and typed the word “Defeat” in red ink on the
back of a press dispatch. This was the headline he proposed for the next
edition. Those of us present didn’t share the same view of the day’s top story,
having witnessed his colossal personal effort and that of the national campaign
involving millions of Cubans who, despite failing to reach the goal, produced
the largest sugar harvest in the country’s history.
We
disagreed citing various reasons, but he was decided. He argued, with brutal
honesty, that the previous day, following the rescue of a group of fishermen
kidnapped by a terrorist faction, the almost half-a-page headline on Cuba’s
main newspaper had read “Victory.” We hadn’t been able to convince him by the
time he left the editing room.
Later that
May morning of 1970, Fidel returned and said: “We’re going to change the
headline.” The front page of the May 20th edition was informative, bold and
fair. The article was appropriately self-critical and defiant: “We will not
reach 10 million tons.” “We have worked so hard for this; we have devoted our
last atom of energy, thought, and feeling to this endeavor, and the only thing
I have left to say to any Cuban, to he or she who feels deeply hurt by this
news, is that this pain is the same pain we all feel, and the same pain felt by
all our comrades.”
”More
courage and bravery than ever!” He concluded with a thought that would guide
future actions: “We must have the revolutionary integrity to turn defeat into
victory.”
In those
years the Granma daily was composed of a larger team than the one we have
today, including typesetters, printers and distribution staff, responsibilities
which would later be assumed by other entities.
Many
members of staff knew Fidel from his former links with important media outlets
and presence in the printing press, where the young revolutionary would chose
the letter-sizing for the headlines of his articles.
Years
later, as President, he continued to visit this important which no longer
exists due to modern technology; where he would greet old acquaintances and ask
them about their working conditions and health, speaking with them at length,
just like old friends. I remember Silvio Rayón who came from Alerta, a daily
that published important works by Fidel; and also the editorial staff, who were
his colleagues at Radio Rebelde, such as Jorge Enrique Mendoza, editor of the
paper, Ricardo Martínez and Orestes Valera. Other witnesses to those nights and
early mornings, such as copy editors, photographers, cartoonists, correctors,
designers, managers, secretaries and archive staff have special stories,
anecdotes and memories of their encounters with this exceptional man, leader of
the people and one of the greatest revolutionaries in history, who on his 90th
birthday remains faithful to his principles, ideas and an example of someone
committed to working for the benefit of others.
Tribute to Fidel Castro on His 90th Birthday
By DAN
KOVALIK
AUGUST 12, 2016
On Saturday, August 13, the world will celebrate the 90th
birthday of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro Ruz, the only individual
ever to be acknowledged by the UN as a “World Hero
of Solidarity.” It is very hard to think of a more important world leader
than Fidel. The contribution he has made to the world socialist movement, to
the Third World liberation struggle and to social justice has been monumental –
especially when one considers that he has been the leader of a tiny country
with roughly the same population as New York City.
At the current
time, the Colombian government and leftist FARC guerillas are engaged in
a peace process in Havana, and are very near to reaching a final peace
accord, in large part due to Fidel’s efforts.
As Nelson
Mandela himself has acknowledged, South Africa is free from apartheid in
no small measure due to Fidel’s leadership in militarily aiding the liberation
struggles in Southern Africa, especially in Angola and Namibia, against the
South African military which was then being supported by the United States.
In addition, The Latin American Medical School (ELAM) in Cuba,
which trains doctors from all around the world, but particularly from poor
countries, was Fidel’s brainchild. Today, 70 countries from around the world
benefit from Cuba’s medical internationalism, including Haiti where Cuban
doctors have been, according to The New York Times, at the
forefront of the fight against cholera.
As we speak,
Cuba has hundreds of doctors working in the slums of Caracas, Venezuela where
Venezuelan doctors fear to tread. There are Cuban-trained doctors in remote
parts of Honduras which are otherwise not served by the Honduran government.
Patients from 26 Latin American & Caribbean countries have traveled to Cuba
to have their eyesight restored by Cuban doctors. Among this list is Mario
Teran, the Bolivian soldier who shot and killed Che Guevara. The Cubans not
only forgave Mario, but also returned his eyesight to him. Cuba even
offered to send 1,500 doctors to minister to the victims of the Hurricane Katrina,
though this kind offer was rejected by the United States
As Piero Gleijeses, a professor at John Hopkins University,
wrote in his book Conflicting Missions about
Cuba’s outreach to Algeria shortly after the Cuban Revolution:
It was an unusual gesture: an underdeveloped country tendering
free aid to another in even more dire straits. It was offered at a time when
the exodus of doctors from Cuba following the revolution had forced the
government to stretch its resources while launching its domestic programs to
increase mass access to health care. ‘It was like a beggar offering his help, but we knew the Algerian
people needed it even more than we did and that they deserved it,’ [Cuban
Minister of Public Health] Machado Ventura remarked. It was an act of
solidarity that brought no tangible benefit and came at real material cost.
These words are
just as true today as they were then, as this act of solidarity is repeated by
Cuba over and over again throughout the world. And, it has been done even as
Cuba has struggled to survive in the face of a 55-year embargo by the United
States which has cost it billions of dollars in potential revenue, and even as
it has endured numerous acts of terrorism by the United States and
U.S.-supported mercenaries over the years.
Just recently,
I was reminded of the fact that, for the past 25 years, Cuba has been treating
26,000 Ukrainian citizens affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident at its
Tarara international medical center in Havana. Cuba has continued to do so, it
must be emphasized, though even the potential for any help for this effort from
the Soviet Union passed long ago.
According to
Hugo Chavez, when he came to power in Venezuela in 1999, “the only light on the
house at that time was Cuba,” meaning that Cuba was the only country in the
region free of U.S. imperial domination. Thanks to the perseverance of Fidel
and the Cuban people, now much of Latin America has been freed from the bonds
of the U.S. Empire.
That Cuba not
only stands 25 years after the collapse of the USSR, but indeed prospers and
remains as a beacon to other countries, is a testament to Fidel’s revolutionary
fervor and fortitude. Indeed, Fidel’s very life at this point – one that the
U.S. has tried to extinguish on literally hundreds of occasions – itself
constitutes an act of brave deviance against wealth, power and imperialist
aggression. Incredibly, Fidel has survived 12 U.S. Presidents, a full quarter
of all the U.S. Presidents since the founding of our nation.
I join the
world in honoring Fidel Castro Ruz on his birthday, and hope that he continues
to live and to lead for some time to come.
Daniel Kovalik lives in
Pittsburgh and teaches International Human Rights Law at the University of
Pittsburgh School of Law.
Fidel, History Absolves You
By R Arun Kumar
People’s
Democracy, August 07, 2016
THIS 13th August, we
will be celebrating the 90th birthday of one of the living legends of our times
– Fidel Castro Ruz. Fidel Castro was born on August 13, 1926 in a relatively
well-to-do family and studied in various religious schools for the wealthy,
before graduating in law from the University of Havana. For many, this would
have provided the perfect platform to pursue conservative politics. But not for
Fidel, as he is fondly called. He chose a different path, to become one of the
greatest and finest revolutionaries. He not only challenged the imperialist
hegemon, the US, from what it considered was its 'backyard', but stood up to it
without flinching. All the attempts of the US to bring down Cuba to its knees
have spectacularly failed. Instead of Cuba getting isolated in the region and
the world, it is the US, which is getting increasingly alienated from the
people of the world. And Fidel Castro had a major role to play in all these
developments.
Fidel took an interest
in student activism while studying law and was attracted to Left,
anti-imperialist politics. He was a voracious reader, a trait we observe in
many of the leading revolutionaries. Though he was aware of the writings of
Marx and Lenin, having read them, it was Marti who had a tremendous influence
on him, whom he read and re-read extensively. Taking inspiration from Marti, he
joined the rebellions against right-wing governments in Dominican Republic and
Colombia, apart from protesting the dictatorial rule in his own country. During
his early days of activism, he joined the Party of the Cuban People (Partido
Ortodoxo) led by Eduardo Chibas, attracted by its slogans for social justice,
honest government and political freedom. It is during this time he started
publishing a clandestine newspaper El Acusador (The Accuser), exposing the corrupt and
anti-people Batista regime. It is during this time, that he started mobilising
people against the Batista government. As a part of these efforts, Fidel and
his group planned to attack the Moncada garrison on July 26, 1953. Though this
attack failed and many of the participants, including Fidel were captured, it
marked a significant turning point in the history of Cuban revolution.
In a speech he gave
enthusing the participants in the attack on Moncada garrison, he stated: “In a
few hours you will be victorious or defeated, but regardless of the outcome –
listen well, friends – this Movement will triumph...If we fail, our action will
nevertheless set an example for the Cuban people, and from the people will
arise fresh new men willing to die for Cuba”. These words are indeed prophetic,
because Moncada attack had failed, but the 'Movement' lived. People began
organising under the banner of 26 July Movement, which played an important role
in the overthrow of Batista government and success of the Cuban Revolution. The
speech Fidel gave in defence of his activities, during his trial in the court,
'History will absolve me',
became very famous and was considered as an exposition of the ideals for which
the fight should be carried on.
After being released
from imprisonment due to popular pressure, Fidel once again plunged into
mobilising people against the Batista government. Announcing that he was
“leaving Cuba because all doors of peaceful struggle have been closed...I
believe the hour has come to take our rights and not beg for them, to fight
instead of pleading for them”, he left for Mexico, where he organised a group
of revolutionaries. It is here that he had met Che Guevara, who joined the
Castro brothers – both Fidel and Raul – along with other Cuban revolutionaries
in the famous Granma expedition. They started with 82 people on board but many
lost their lives immediately in the attack that followed on their way towards
the Sierra Maestra mountains. According to Fidel, the fight resumed “with seven
armed men, who managed to reunite on December 18”. After the addition of some
more members of Granma yacht who joined the group, “A small force of no more
than 18 expedition members and a number of young campesinos from the Sierra
achieved the first victories on January 17 and 22, 1957”. It is because of this
heroism and never-say-die attitude even in the face of fierce repression that
Fidel Castro became famous.
The barbudos, the bearded
guerillas, as they were called, were supported by the Cuban people, both in the
urban and rural areas. The local leaders of the July 26 Movement were active in
the cities and rural areas, supplementing the armed struggle of the guerillas
in the mountains. Unable to withstand the increasing popular anger against the
regime and having failed to defeat the guerillas led by Fidel, Batista was
forced to flee from the country on January 1, 1959. The Revolution triumphed,
with a victorious Fidel, accompanied by Che, Raul and Camillo marching into
Havana. Fidel served as the prime minster of the country from 1959 to 1976 and
then as the president from 1976 to 2008.
The US began its
efforts to subvert Cuban revolution, immediately after the decrees passed by
the revolutionary government undermined its economic interests in the island.
The nationalisation of US companies that were exploiting the Cuban people and
resources for many years, had further angered the US corporates and the
government. It is then that the US government had imposed its infamous trade
embargo, to squeeze and bleed Cuba to submission. The US, all the years hence,
instead of withdrawing the embargo, only further tightened its screws through
the imposition of Helms-Burton Act and Cuba Adjustment Act. It is undoubtedly
to the credit of Fidel Castro and the people of Cuba that they withstood this
inhuman blockade without compromising.
Fidel Castro became the
first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba in 1961, after the Revolution
declared its socialist characteristics and continued in this responsibility
till 2011. In 2002, socialism as an irrevocable characteristic of the Cuban
State was enshrined in the constitution. Eight million Cubans have signed the
petition for this change to be brought into the constitution, as a response to
the threat issued by Bush to 'change the socio-economic, political system in
Cuba, in the aftermath of 9/11 (2001). The reasons for people's belief in
socialism were not far to fathom, when one considers the transformation
achieved in Cuban society. The tremendous advancements made possible by the
Revolution, in the fields of education, health, social equality and employment,
in spite of the blockade, inspired people to stay true to the cause of
socialism. This was also made possible because, Fidel and the Communist Party
took the people into confidence in all the decisions that were taken and also
admitted frankly before them the mistakes that were committed in the process of
socialist construction.
Fidel Castro says: “For
a pretty long time, there's been a tendency here to assume that criticism,
denunciations of things not done right, play into the hands of the enemy, aid
the enemy, aid the counter-revolution. Sometimes there's a fear of reporting on
something because people think it might be helpful to the enemy...And we've
encouraged a critical spirit. I have been stimulating (that critical spirit) to
the maximum, because it's fundamental to perfecting our system. Of course we
know that there are drawbacks, but we want responsible criticism. And despite
the possible consequences, anything is better than the absence of criticism”.
And further, “In this battle against vices there will be no quarter given
anyone, we're going to call a spade a spade, and we are going to appeal to the
honour of each sector...And a revolutionary's first duty is to be extremely
harsh with himself. We are going to fight this battle, and use the highest
calibre weapons we have”. It is this brutal honesty with the people that Fidel
employed in his communication with them, that had won their trust.
Fidel has enormous
confidence in the people. This is reflected in his response to the US efforts
to project socialist system as a failed and outmoded concept. He invited the
then president of the US, George Bush to come to Cuba and debate with the
people. He promised to mobilise people, filling up the Plaza de la Revolucion
and also setting up loudspeakers all over the country so that their arguments
can be heard by all the people. Fidel confidently states, “the vast majority of
the people of Cuba support the Revolution unwaveringly” and that socialism is
“not a question of living by dogmas, it is a question of defending what you
think on the basis of arguments, reasoning”.
Fidel, is one of the
finest orators who is heard in rapt attention, even when he speaks for hours
together. He is considered a workaholic, whose day ends at two or three in the
early morning. He barely sleeps for more than four hours and he continued to
work at this pace till he relieved himself of all his responsibilities. He saw
the US governed by ten presidents spend millions of dollars to subvert
socialist Cuba. He survived nearly 600 assassination attempts on his life. On
another plane, many eminent intellectuals, statesmen, artists, sports
personalities expressed their admiration for him. People thronged to see him
and hear him speak, not only in Cuba and in Latin America, but in other parts
of the world as well.
In spite of all this
adulation, he modestly assesses himself as: “I like actions; I am not
interested in glory. I'm also witness to the fact that throughout the years,
influence, power, rather than gradually making me conceited, vain and all that
– every day, I think, I am less conceited, less pretentious, less
self-satisfied. It's a struggle against your instincts, you know. I believe
that it's education, or sincere and tenacious self-education, that turns a
small animal into a man. One thing I see quite often: when men have a little
power, they get all puffed up and want to use it; sometimes it's almost like a
drug. You see all those things, and it's a constant struggle. And I know that
as the years pass, it's possible to have not less enthusiasm, but more; not
less energy, but more – energy stems from conviction...I never lose spirit, and
I believe in people; I have never had any sense of ingratitude”.
It is his conviction in
socialism, equality, social justice, freedom, liberty and belief in people that
earned him the admiration of the oppressed people all over the world. Love him
or hate him, Fidel is someone, who cannot be ignored.
On his 90th birthday,
let us learn from his life and rededicate ourselves to the struggle for a world
free of exploitation and discrimination. Hasta la victoria siempre! (Until the eternal victory)
The Cuban People Will Overcome
by Fidel Castro
Remarks by the leader of the
Cuban
Revolution, Fidel Castro
Ruz, during
the closing of the 7th Party
Congress
It constitutes, compañeros, a
superhuman effort to lead any people in times of crisis. Without them, the changes would be
impossible. In a meeting such as this,
which brings together more than a thousand representatives chosen by the
revolutionary people themselves, who delegated their authority to them, for all
it represents the greatest honor they have received in their lives, to which is
added the privilege of being a revolutionary which is the product of our own
consciousness.
Why did I become a socialist, or
more plainly, why did I become a communist?
That word that expresses the concept most distorted and maligned in
history by those who have the privilege of exploiting the poor, dispossessed
ever since they were deprived of all the material wealth that work, talent, and
human energy provide. How long has man
lived in this dilemma, throughout time without limit? I know you do not need this explanation but
perhaps some listeners do.
I speak simply so it is better
understood that I am not ignorant, extremist, or blind, nor did I acquire my
ideology on my own, studying economics.
I did not have a tutor when I was a
student of law and political science, in which the former is of major
importance. Of course then I was around
20 years old and was fond of sports and mountain climbing. Without a tutor to help me in the study of
Marxism-Leninism, I was no more than a theorist and, of course, had total
confidence in the Soviet Union. Lenin's
work violated after 70 years of Revolution.
What a history lesson! It is safe
to say that it should not take another 70 years before another event like the
Russian Revolution occurs, in order that humanity have another example of a
magnificent social revolution that marked a huge step in the struggle against
colonialism and its inseparable companion, imperialism.
Perhaps, however, the greatest
danger hanging over the earth today derives from the destructive power of
modern weaponry which could undermine the peace of the planet and make human
life on earth's surface impossible.
The species would disappear like
the dinosaurs disappeared; perhaps there will be time for new forms of
intelligent life, or maybe the sun's heat will increase until it melts all the
planets of the solar system and its satellites, as many scientists
recognize. If the theories of several of
them, of which we laypeople are not unaware, are true, the practical man must
learn more and adapt to reality. If the
species survives much longer the future generations will know much more than we
do, but first they will have to solve a huge problem. How to feed the billions of human beings whose
realities are inevitably at odds with the limits of the drinking water and
natural resources that they need?
Some or perhaps many of you are
wondering where is the politics in this speech.
Believe me I am sad to say it, but the politics is here in these
moderate words. Let us hope that many of
us human beings will concern ourselves with these realities and not continue as
in the times of Adam and Eve eating forbidden apples. Who will feed the thirsty people of Africa
with no technology at their disposal, no rain, no reservoirs, no more
underground aquifers except those covered by sands? We will see what the governments, just about
all of which signed the climate commitments, say.
We must constantly hammer away at
these issues and I do not want to elaborate beyond the essentials.
I shall soon turn 90. Such an idea would never have occurred to me
and it was never the result of an effort; it was sheer chance. I will soon be like everyone else. Our turn will come, to all of us, but the
ideas of the Cuban communists will remain, as proof that, on this planet, if we
work with fervor and dignity we can produce the material and cultural wealth
that human beings need, and we must fight relentlessly to obtain it. To our brothers in Latin America and the
world we must convey that the Cuban people will overcome.
This may be one of the last times
that I speak in this room. I voted for
all the candidates submitted for election by Congress and I appreciate the
invitation and the honor of your listening to me. I congratulate you all, and firstly compañero
Raúl Castro, for your magnificent effort.
We will march on and perfect what
we should perfect, with the utmost loyalty and united force, like Martí, Maceo,
and Gómez, in an unstoppable march.
En español
26.04.16
Brother Obama
We don’t need the empire
to give us anything. Our efforts will be legal and peaceful, because our
commitment is to peace and fraternity among all human beings who live on this
planet.
March 28, 2016 12:03:14
The kings of Spain brought us the conquistadores and masters,
whose footprints remained in the circular land grants assigned to those
searching for gold in the sands of rivers, an abusive and shameful form of
exploitation, traces of which can be noted from the air in many places around
the country.
Tourism today, in large part, consists of viewing the delights
of our landscapes and tasting exquisite delicacies from our seas, and is always
shared with the private capital of large foreign corporations, whose earnings,
if they don’t reach billions of dollars, are not worthy of any attention
whatsoever.
Since I find myself obliged to mention the issue, I must add -
principally for the youth - that few people are aware of the importance of such
a condition, in this singular moment of human history. I would not say that
time has been lost, but I do not hesitate to affirm that we are not adequately
informed, not you, nor us, of the knowledge and conscience that we must have to
confront the realities which challenge us. The first to be taken into consideration
is that our lives are but a fraction of a historical second, which must also be
devoted in part to the vital necessities of every human being. One of the
characteristics of this condition is the tendency to overvalue its role, in
contrast, on the other hand, with the extraordinary number of persons who
embody the loftiest dreams.
Nevertheless, no one is good or bad entirely on their own. None
of us is designed for the role we must assume in a revolutionary society,
although Cubans had the privilege of José Martí’s example. I even ask myself if
he needed to die or not in Dos Ríos, when he said, “For me, it’s time,” and
charged the Spanish forces entrenched in a solid line of firepower. He did not
want to return to the United States, and there was no one who could make him.
Someone ripped some pages from his diary. Who bears this treacherous
responsibility, undoubtedly the work of an unscrupulous conspirator?
Differences between the leaders were well known, but never indiscipline.
“Whoever attempts to appropriate Cuba will reap only the dust of its soil
drenched in blood, if he does not perish in the struggle,” stated the glorious
Black leader Antonio Maceo. Máximo Gómez is likewise recognized as the most
disciplined and discreet military chief in our history.
Looking at it from another angle, how can we not admire the
indignation of Bonifacio Byrne when, from a distant boat returning him to Cuba,
he saw another flag alongside that of the single star and declared, “My flag is
that which has never been mercenary...” immediately adding one of the most
beautiful phrases I have ever heard, “If it is torn to shreds, it will be my
flag one day… our dead raising their arms will still be able to defend it!” Nor
will I forget the blistering words of Camilo Cienfuegos that night, when, just
some tens of meters away, bazookas and machine guns of U.S. origin in the hands
of counterrevolutionaries were pointed toward that terrace on which we stood.
Obama was born in August of 1961, as he himself explained. More
than half a century has transpired since that time.
Let us see, however, how our illustrious guest thinks today:
“I have come here to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in
the Americas. I have come here to extend the hand of friendship to the Cuban
people,” followed by a deluge of concepts entirely novel for the majority of
us:
“We both live in a new world, colonized by Europeans,” the U.S.
President continued, “Cuba, like the United States, was built in part by slaves
brought here from Africa. Like the United States, the Cuban people can trace
their heritage to both slaves and slave-owners.”
The native populations don’t exist at all in Obama’s mind. Nor
does he say that the Revolution swept away racial discrimination, or that
pensions and salaries for all Cubans were decreed by it before Mr. Barack Obama
was 10 years old. The hateful, racist bourgeois custom of hiring strongmen to
expel Black citizens from recreational centers was swept away by the Cuban
Revolution - that which would go down in history for the battle against
apartheid that liberated Angola, putting an end to the presence of nuclear
weapons on a continent of more than a billion inhabitants. This was not the
objective of our solidarity, but rather to help the peoples of Angola,
Mozambique, Guinea Bissau and others under the fascist colonial domination of
Portugal.
In 1961, just one year and three months after the triumph of the
Revolution, a mercenary force with armored artillery and infantry, backed by
aircraft, trained and accompanied by U.S. warships and aircraft carriers,
attacked our country by surprise. Nothing can justify that perfidious attack
which cost our country hundreds of losses, including deaths and injuries
As for the pro-yankee assault brigade, no evidence exists
anywhere that it was possible to evacuate a single mercenary. Yankee combat
planes were presented before the United Nations as the equipment of a Cuban
uprising.
The military experience and power of this country is very well
known. In Africa, they likewise believed that revolutionary Cuba would be
easily taken out of the fight. The invasion via southern Angola by racist South
African motorized brigades got close to Luanda, the capital in the eastern part
of the country. There a struggle began which went on for no less than 15 years.
I wouldn’t even talk about this, if I didn’t have the elemental duty to respond
to Obama’s speech in Havana’s Alicia Alonso Grand Theater.
Nor will I attempt to give details, only emphasize that an
honorable chapter in the struggle for human liberation was written there. In a
certain way, I hoped Obama’s behavior would be correct. His humble origin and
natural intelligence were evident. Mandela was imprisoned for life and had
become a giant in the struggle for human dignity. One day, a copy of a book
narrating part of Mandela’s life reached my hands, and - surprise! - the
prologue was by Barack Obama. I rapidly skimmed the pages. The miniscule size
of Mandela’s handwriting noting facts was incredible. Knowing men such as him
was worthwhile.
Regarding the episode in South Africa I must point out another
experience. I was really interested in learning more about how the South
Africans had acquired nuclear weapons. I only had very precise information that
there were no more than 10 or 12 bombs. A reliable source was the professor and
researcher Piero Gleijeses, who had written the text Conflicting Missions:
Havana, Washington, and Africa, 1959-1976, an excellent piece. I knew he
was the most reliable source on what had happened and I told him so; he responded
that he had not spoken more about the matter as in the text he had responded to
questions from compañero Jorge Risquet, who had been Cuban ambassador and
collaborator in Angola, a very good friend of his. I located Risquet; already
undertaking other important tasks he was finishing a course which would last
several weeks longer. That task coincided with a fairly recent visit by Piero
to our country; I had warned him that Risquet was getting on and his health was
not great. A few days later what I had feared occurred. Risquet deteriorated
and died. When Piero arrived there was nothing to do except make promises, but
I had already received information related to the weapons and the assistance
that racist South Africa had received from Reagan and Israel.
I do not know what Obama would have to say about this story now.
I am unaware as to what he did or did not know, although it is very unlikely
that he knew absolutely nothing. My modest suggestion is that he gives it
thought and does not attempt now to elaborate theories on Cuban policy.
There is an important issue:
Obama made a speech in which he uses the most sweetened words to
express: “It is time, now, to forget the past, leave the past behind, let us
look to the future together, a future of hope. And it won’t be easy, there will
be challenges and we must give it time; but my stay here gives me more hope in
what we can do together as friends, as family, as neighbors, together.”
I suppose all of us were at risk of a heart attack upon hearing
these words from the President of the United States. After a ruthless blockade
that has lasted almost 60 years, and what about those who have died in the
mercenary attacks on Cuban ships and ports, an airliner full of passengers
blown up in midair, mercenary invasions, multiple acts of violence and
coercion?
Nobody should be under the illusion that the people of this
dignified and selfless country will renounce the glory, the rights, or the
spiritual wealth they have gained with the development of education, science
and culture.
I also warn that we are capable of producing the food and
material riches we need with the efforts and intelligence of our people. We do
not need the empire to give us anything. Our efforts will be legal and
peaceful, as this is our commitment to peace and fraternity among all human
beings who live on this planet.
Fidel Castro Ruz
March 27, 2016
10:25 p.m.
Fidel’s message to President Nicolás Maduro
Fidel
indicates that he joins all those who congratulated the Venezuelan President
for the brilliant, valiant speech he made on the night of December 6, as soon
as the election results were announced
December 11, 2015
09:12:32
Dear Nicolás:
I share the unanimous opinion of those who have congratulated
you for your brilliant, valiant speech on the night of December 6, as soon as
the election’s outcome was announced
In world history, the highest level of political glory which a
revolutionary can reach, is that of the illustrious Venezuelan combatant,
Liberator of America, Simón Bolívar, whose name now belongs not only to this
sister country, but to all peoples of Latin America.
Another Venezuelan official of honorable legacy, Hugo Chávez,
understood and admired him and struggled for his ideas until the last moment of
his life. As a boy, attending elementary school in the country where the poor
children of Bolívar were obliged to work to help support their families, he
developed the spirit in which the Liberator of America was forged.
The millions of children and youth who today attend the largest
and most modern system of public schools in the world are Venezuelan. More can
be said about the country’s network of medical care centers and the attention
paid to the health of its people, brave but poor as a result of centuries of
plunder by Spanish colonialism, and later by huge transnationals, which for
more than 100 years extracted from its entrails the best of the immense oil
reserves nature bestowed on this country.
History also bears witness that workers exist, and make possible
the enjoyment of nutritious food, medicine, education, security, housing and
the world’s solidarity. You could ask the oligarchy, if you like: Do you know
all of this?
Cuban revolutionaries - just a few miles from the United States,
which always dreamed of taking possession of Cuba to make it a hybrid
casino-brothel, as a way of life for the children of José Martí - will never
renounce their full independence or respect for their dignity.
I am sure that human life on Earth can only be preserved with
peace among all peoples of the Earth, and acknowledgement of the right to make
the planet’s natural resources common property, as well as the sciences and
technologies created by human beings to benefit all of its inhabitants. If
humanity continues along the path of exploitation and the plunder of its
resources by transnationals and imperialist banks, the representatives of
states meeting in Paris, will draw the relevant conclusions.
Security does not exist today for anyone. There are nine states
which possess nuclear weapons. One of them, the United States, dropped two
bombs which killed hundreds of thousands of people in just three days, and
caused physical and psychological harm to millions of defenseless people.
The People’s Republic of China and Russia know the world’s
problems much better than the United States, because they were obliged to
endure the terrible wars imposed on them by fascism’s blind egoism. I do not
doubt that, given their historical traditions and their own revolutionary
experience, they will make the greatest effort to avoid a war and contribute to
the peaceful development of Venezuela, Latin America, Asia and Africa.
Fraternally,
Fidel Castro Ruz
December 10, 2015
6:42 pm
What's Up With Fidel's Tracksuits?
By Joshua
Keating
The Slate,
SEPT. 21 2015 1:06 PM
Cuban
former President Fidel Castro (R) talks with Pope Francis (L) as Castro's wife
Dalia Soto del Valle looks on in Havana, Cuba, September 20, 2015.
Photo by Alex
Castro/AIN via Reuters
If you
haven’t been following Fidel Castro’s odd post-presidency, you might have been
surprised to see the former Cuban leader wearing a blue Adidas tracksuit during
his meeting with Pope Francis on Sunday. You shouldn’t be. Since his
retirement, comfy athletic-wear has replaced military fatigues as the aging
revolutionary’s signature look.
He was
first shown wearing the outfit while still president, after recovering from
surgery in 2006. Since retiring in 2008, he has occasionally slipped back into
his old uniform for major public events, but by and large, has stuck to the
sporty grandpa look during his rare public appearances. It would have been much
more surprising if the atheist Castro had put on a suit and tie for his meeting
with the visiting pontiff. After all, Castro has worn his tracksuits, usually
over button-down shirts, to meet with visiting dignitaries including, Francis’s
predecessor, Benedict XVI, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping,
Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff, France’s Francois Hollande, and many others. Castro’s
protégé Hugo Chavez even got into the act, wearing a Venezuelan-flag patterned
tracksuit of his own to a meeting with his hero in 2011.
Castro has
a collection that includes Nike, Puma, Fila and Reebok, but Adidas seems to be
his favorite. A representative for the German sportswear manufacturertold the
New York Times in 2006 that the company views Castro’s endorsement as “not a
positive, not a negative.”
So why does
Castro dress like he’s on his way to a shuffleboard engagement when world
leaders come to pay a visit? There are a few possible explanations. The Marxist
ex-leader may view business-wear as a bit too bourgeois; he rarely wore suits
when he was in office with his drab olive fatigues symbolizing the continuing
revolutionary struggle.
It may be
something of a power play, making clear to foreign heads of state, many of whom
were young children when he took power, that he feels no obligation to get
dolled up for them when they come to pay their respects.
It may also
be a sign of respect to his little brother Raul, the current president. When
Fidel retired, many wondered if he would continue to exercise power behind the
scenes. The outfits send a signal that he is very much retired. (Raul also
keeps it pretty casual by world leader standards, but he did put on a suit and
tie to greet the pope.)
Or maybe
Fidel just likes to stay comfortable.
Joshua
Keating is a staff writer at Slate focusing on international affairs.
Maduro writes Fidel
The Venezuelan President sends Fidel congratulations and celebrates the 62nd anniversary of the revolutionary assaults on the Batista dictatorship’s Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Garrisons, July 26, 1953
July 28, 2015 10:07:46
Miraflores, July 26, 2015
Comandante Fidel Castro Ruz
Our father and teacher:
From the heart of the people of Bolívar and Chávez, I would like
to send you testimony of our respect, admiration and affection, 62 years since
the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Garrisons. On this
glorious anniversary, we celebrate your dear presence and the indispensable
reference you represent. We celebrate the father and teacher of revolutionary
men and women of Our America and the world – the father and teacher of our
beloved son, our Eternal Comandante.
We celebrate the great leader who at the head of a handful of
the brave, a group of women and men motivated by what Martí called patriotic
shame, headed what would become a real, true assault on the future.
That July 26 of 1953, heroism and sacrifice shone at their
highest level to vindicate the brilliant, lasting legacy of José Martí. Not in
vain, in that memorable defense which is your ‘History will resolve me,’ you
indicated that the intellectual author and maximum leader of the assault was
none other than Martí.
Sixty-two years have now passed since the Moncada and Carlos
Manuel de Céspedes assaults, yet, Comandante Fidel, today we feel more than
ever the living flame of liberation which burns this day throughout Our
America, and beyond, lighting a path which several generations have already
followed, a path which continues and will continue.
Since 1953, until our days, the spirit of many Moncadas has
kindled and kindles the struggles of the Greater Homeland’s peoples for our definitive
independence. It can well be said that July 26 has reached a long life. And as
the great Cuban singer-songwriter Noel Nicola said, there is a calendar full of
26ths.
Haydée Santamaría, Melba Hernández, Raúl Gómez García, Boris
Santa Coloma, Abel Santamaría, Giraldo Córdova Cardín, Juan Almeida, there are
so many dear names of those who have physically departed, but who continue to
illuminate from the place so beautifully named by the immense Cuban voice which
is Fina García Marruz, ... there where the light does not forget its warriors.
Every July 26, when the past again assaults us, Comandante, the
memory shines bright once more to remind those of us who have made the banner
of Revolution our own, that only the sacrifices raise and make possible a
future more our own.
Believe me, Comandante, the unforgettable memory of Moncada is
projected in us, men and women, as our most irrefutable revolutionary
commitment. We are sons and daughters of Bolívar, as we are of José Martí,
Fidel and Che. Certainly, true revolutions are not carbon copies, as Mariátegui
said, but rather heroic creations of each people. But we are conscious that the
Cuban Revolution is the fundamental cornerstone within the Greater Homeland’s
historic development.
The homeland is an altar, not a pedestal, Martí said. That
combatative consummation that was the Moncada assault, seen from a distance, is
the historical incarnation of the sacrificial stone envisioned by Martí, before
which the best of human souls are left, to then await revelations. And just
look what a collective revelation that July 26 generated: a victorious
Revolution.
I imagine that when the decisive hour in 1953 arrived, in you,
Comandante, that impressive certainty resonated, based on Martí’s belief that
the true man does not look to the side where one lives better, but to the side
of duty, and this is the same practical man whose dream of today will be the
rule of tomorrow.
On dates such as this of dignity and victory, the presence of
our giant can be felt with greater intensity. More intimately today, Fidel, I
recall his words for you because I identify with them, and fully subscribe to
them: I would like to render tribute to Fidel and to his long walk among our
peoples, awakening us. Fidel is a soldier, a dreamer, undoubtedly an example
for us and for entire generations of Latin Americans, Caribbeans and fighters
around the world.
With great revolutionary fervor, accept the strongest and most
infinite of embraces from one who feels himself a Moncadista of these times of
Latin American and Caribbean Revolution.
Chávez lives, the homeland advances!
Forever onward to victory!
Independence and a socialist homeland!
We will live and win!
Long live the sisterhood of Cuba and Venezuela!
Long live Chávez!
Long live Fidel!
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