"It is Infuriating that Someone Could Imagine that the Freedom
and Dignity of a People Could Be Bought"
Speech given by President Fidel Castro Ruz, First Secretary of
the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and
President of the Councils of State and of Ministers, at the Event
Marking the 144th Anniversary of the Birth of Jose Marti, Held in
Havana's Central Park, on January 28, 1997. (Official translation
by the Council of State)
Dear Comrades:
I hadn't thought about, nor am I thinking of making a
speech, but I'm told that the young delegates chosen _ don't
think this is a joke (laughter) _ always say something, so I must
say: thank you for that honour. (Applause)
As Vicky [Victoria Velezquez, president of the Young
Communist League] was reading the reasons for electing me a
delegate, I was really thinking that you've been very generous
with me and have credited me with some things and some actions in
which many of us have participated, which are part of the history
that we've written together.
This is the moment to recall all those young people, like
yourselves, who have participated in this struggle since and
prior to that day of the torchlight parade, inspired by Marti,
inspired by the beautiful history of our nation, inspired by
freedom, inspired by honour and dignity. We live with a set of
values, we are sustained by values, we fight for values and we
shall continue fighting for them. Our imperialist enemies and the
reactionaries better not misunderstand or underestimate us. They
are mistaken, whatever they invent: their miserable Helms-Burton
Act, (Shouts of "Down With It!") and the even more miserable plan
to carry it out. According to news leaks reaching here from that
place to the north, in Congress they're going to propose a plan
to apply that law. We don't have many details, because up until
now these are news leaks, but we've been talking with some
comrades, with Comrade Alarcon, an expert on the Helms-Burton Act
and on the Reaffirmation of Cuban Dignity and Sovereignty Law. As
soon as that report arrives on how the aforementioned legislation
is to be applied, which the president of the United States is
said to have sent or be sending to Congress, we should take it
and study it well. Of course, these are leaks, you know how it is
with leaks.
However, as there are also different forms of leaks, we've
received some idea of their plans; nevertheless, of the little
we've heard publicly up until now, what infuriates us most is
their attempt to buy us out, (Shouts of "Never!" and "We Don't
Have a Price!") they're trying to buy us out on the day that we
give in. (Shouts of "No Way! Never!") It's truly infuriating! As
if this people was capable of betraying the blood shed from 1868
up until now. It is infuriating that someone could imagine that
the freedom and dignity of a people could be bought; that someone
could imagine that for all the gold in the world we would be
capable of accepting being slaves once more. We are waiting for
the information and data on that Machiavellian policy and will
duly respond to them. For now, in the meantime, we say to them:
free men and women can die, but there is no force or money in the
world capable of converting us into slaves.
(Chorus of "If One Day My Flag is Shredded into Little
Pieces, Our Dead Raising their Arms Will Still Know How to Defend
It!" and "Long Live the Cuban Revolution!")
We Are Proud of the Youth of Today
That's why we are proud of the youth of today, and we feel
an intimate satisfaction in knowing that there are sisters and
brothers from other parts of the world here today; (shouts)
brothers and sisters like the health minister of South Africa,
where 200 Cuban doctors are working, as always, in the most
difficult, isolated places. This also reminds us of the blood
shed selflessly by those who fell in Angola fighting against
colonialism, fighting against racism, fighting against apartheid.
That was also like a grain of sand that Cuba contributed to the
heroic victory of that people the minister is representing here.
(Applause) Or the representative of our Vietnamese brothers and
sisters who gave the world that fabulous lesson, teaching us how
imperialism could be defeated in spite of its immense power
(Applause) that the empire wielded against them and their
aspirations to independence, peace and freedom, in a war that
cost millions of lives. Today we are proudly telling and showing
them what our people and our youth are. (Chorus of "The Basic
Clay of Our Work is Youth!")
The first response to those new and Machiavellian plans is
the upcoming World Festival of Youth and Students, (Applause)
which they believed had disappeared, as if just ideas could
disappear, as if the noble aspirations of the peoples could cease
to exist.
We feel proud of being able to offer this tribute today to
Marti. His memory and his ideas will endure, associated with the
noble and just ideas of our time, like branches from the one
trunk in the history of Cuba and the world. We shall never let
those ideas die, whatever happens, whatever the cost. (Shouts of
"Socialism or Death!", "Patria o Muerte!" "Venceremos!" and "Long
Live Our Commander-in-Chief!")
We have been fighting for this country's independence and to
preserve it from that voracious empire for a long time. It's as
if our destiny was to be born on a little island, this people,
like a lamb facing a mythical dragon. With the most absolute
conviction we can say to the dragon: you can never devour this
lamb, in spite of your rockets, your airplanes, your so-called
smart weapons, because this lamb is smarter than you, and this
lamb's blood has and can only have poison for you! (Applause)
Socialism or Death! Patria o Muerte! Venceremos!
(Ovation)
Shawgi Tell
University at Buffalo
Graduate School of Education
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
