Cuba: 8th Communist Party Congress Convened for April 2021

At the event, the 8th Congress of the Cuban Communist Party was called to be held between April 16 and 19, 2021.

Machado Ventura congratulated all those who for six decades have been part of said vital institutions for "the political and ideological preparation of cadres, militants, and revolutionaries."

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In reading the convocation to the party conclave, he said it would be a Congress of historical continuity. This stage, he stressed, has been marked by a confrontation against the pandemic and has shown the Cuban people's courage to face any difficulty, no matter how complex it may be.

"Once again, the truth of Cuba, its values, its proven humanist, solidarity and social justice vocation was demonstrated before the world, which together with the country's organizational capacity and the scientific development achieved, has allowed us to translate into visible results, a commitment to life and the well-being of our compatriots and other peoples worldwide.

It was announced that the upcoming congress would focus on core issues of the country's economic and social life. The conceptualization of the economic and social development model and the implementation of the guidelines stand out. It will also analyze the party's functioning, its links with the masses, the ideological activity, and the situation of cadre politics.

In his speech, the Central Committee's second secretary emphasized the intensification of the hostile policy of the U.S. government towards the island, "increasing the genocidal commercial and financial blockade and its political-ideological subversion."

In this context, there is a demand for greater efficiency in the economy, which implies new ways of thinking to achieve prosperity through work. "Objective and subjective problems affect the pace of approved policies. The current situation cannot become a justification for delaying the processes; on the contrary, it imposes an impulse of the need to update our economic and social model," he said.

Machado Ventura called for an increase in food production based on the alliance between science and the productive sector and strengthening links between the state and the non-state sector.

"National industry must increasingly respond to domestic demand. It is essential to banish inertia and apathy and to creatively exploit all existing potentialities, stimulating the behavior of all the people, their ideas, and their incisive skills," he said.

He also said that strict combat against illegalities, crime, and social indisciplines would be maintained, as they are incompatible with our social system. It is also necessary to strengthen the functioning of the nuclei of the party.

"The party will maintain priority attention to the Union of Young Communists, its cadres, militants, and the new generations, in whose formation and education in values it has a special responsibility.

He pointed out that in the face of the war of symbols that is being waged against us, the defense of national identity and culture and the knowledge of our history reaffirm our sovereignty and independence.

Machado Ventura concluded that this Congress would be one of continuity, expressed in the gradual and orderly transition of the primary responsibilities of the country to new generations "with the certainty that the Revolution is not limited to those who led it to the triumph on that glorious first of January but to the will and commitment of those who have made it theirs in all these years and those who will continue the work."

The occasion was also propitious to highlight the work carried out by the Party Schools to prepare ideologically the men and women who take an active part in developing our society and the country's transformations.