http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2009/febrero/vier13/Reflections-12feb.html
Havana. February 13, 2009
Reflections of Fidel
Meeting with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet
(Taken from CubaDebate)
IT doesn't matter what I say about our friendly meeting; some news
agencies and publications will take the information and say the old man, the
one convalescing from a serious illness, or some other adjective aimed at
reducing the modest value of what I told my prestigious interlocutor.
Michelle has the merit of having been elected president of Chile by the
majority vote given to the Socialist Party that nominated her. It was the first
time in recent years in Latin America that a leftist organization won such a
victory, without any help from money, weapons or the yanki publicity apparatus.
That credit is due even more to the Socialist Party of Salvador Allende,
who died during the treacherous direct air assault on La Moneda (Palace) and
who was fulfilling that duty as the constitutionally-elected president of
Chile. He did not ask for or concede a truce. He had resolved to die in his
post, as he had promised.
The betrayal of the sinister chief of the Chilean army, who was false
toward everyone and deceived everyone until the very last, was unprecedented.
Even the house where his (Allende's) family lived, in Tomás Moro, was
attacked and destroyed.
During those very difficult times, when thousands were tortured,
assassinated or disappeared, a very young woman, Gladys Marín, was the leader
of Communist Party of Chile, forged over dozens of years of efforts and
sacrifices by the Chilean working class, which led her to that responsibility.
Gladys Marín and her party were not wrong; they gave all their support to
Michelle Bachelet, thus determining the end of Augusto Pinochet's influence. It
would have been impermissible for the dictator created and placed in power by
the empire to govern Chile's destiny again.
World opinion abhorred his behavior.
Despite that, it has not been and still is not easy to undo the legal
intrigue that, with yanki help, the vengeful and fascist oligarchy uses to tie
down the Chilean nation, worthy of a better destiny.
More than 100 years ago in the war of 1879, those same oligarchs robbed
Bolivia of its maritime coast, which gave it extensive access to the Pacific
Ocean.
Bolivia suffered an extraordinary historic humiliation in that conflict.
Not only did they take away its maritime coast and its outlet to the sea, they
also deprived that country - of authentically American origin, above all
Aymaras and Quechuas - of extensive lands very rich in copper, which were the
largest reserves in the world. After having been exploited for 130 years, they
produce as much as 5.364 billion tons annually, contributing around $18.452
billion annually to the Chilean economy. It is impossible to conceive of a
modern society without copper, which tends to rise in price.
Other extremely valuable minerals and natural products, some now
exhausted, and other new, extremely high-priced ones, have appeared. It is not
know which of them are Chilean and which are Bolivian.
Evo Morales, Bolivia's current president, does not bear any grudges about
that; on the contrary, he offered his territory for a wide, modern highway,
over which the products of Chile's efficient industry -which is booming and
developing, with its laborious and productive workers - could be sent to many
markets in the world.
Chile also is particularly efficient at producing nutritious foods and
high-quality lumber, on its farmland and mountains and with its privileged
climate.
There is no other country that surpasses it in the efficiency of its
aquiculture and high-demand products like salmon and other farmed or natural
species, in its rich maritime and terrestrial waters.
Today we are very close to February 15, the day of the referendum for a
constitutional amendment in the fraternal Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
José Martí was Cuba's most profound revolutionary thinker ever and our
national hero. In front of a granite likeness of that thinker, Michelle
Bachelet laid a wreath on behalf of her people, and we are very grateful.
Regarding Bolívar, he (Martí) said 115 years ago, "What he left undone
remains so today, because Bolívar has much to do in America still."
"Bolivar awakens every 100 years," the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda
said, for his part.
On the verge of the closure of the second century of his rebellion
against Spanish colonialism, Bolívar is once again awakening in the
revolutionary actions of Chávez. If the new leader, who is leading his
combative people, does not achieve his objective, it will be hard for any other
leader to do so. It would not be possible to overcome the media resources of
the oligarchy and the empire.
What can be done, then, so that this planet refrains from becoming like
Dante's inferno, where a sign at the entrance demanded leaving all hope behind?
Nevertheless, I am still confident that in Venezuela, the Revolution will
be victorious, and that in Chile, the ideal of socialism for which Salvador
Allende fought and gave his life will finally triumph.
These were the issues I discussed with Michelle Bachelet, who did me the
honor of listening with interest, conversing warmly and extensively expressing
her ideas.
I will always be satisfied with her friendly visit.
Fidel Castro Ruz
February 12, 2009
5:12 p.m.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
