Cuba: General Raul Castro on Revolution's 60th Anniversary

Army General Raul Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, spoke during the Central Act in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, January 1. Raul spoke in the Santa Ifigenia patrimonial cemetery, of the heroic city of Santiago de Cuba.

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The Cuban Revolution stopped the abject military dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and was led by Fidel Castro and others, such as Ernesto Che Guevara, Camilo Cienfuegos and Raul Castro, among others.

"Sunrise in Cuba on the 60th anniversary of the Revolution, yes to the celebration, to joy, to the tireless defense of everything we build and raise together," Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel stated earlier on his Twitter account. At the same time leaders, political and social organizations from all over the world have sent congratulations to Cuba for the anniversary of the triumph of the Revolution. Bolivian President Evo Morales stated that "with the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, the light of hope and invincible will was born for the liberation of the peoples."

"Santiago de Cuba is the cradle of the revolution," is how Raul Castro started his speech, in which he honored the sacrifice of the Cuban People during 60 years of revolution, and during the years of fight against the Batista dictatorship.

The triumph of the Cuban Revolution on January 1, 1959, was made possible thanks to the efforts of many young revolutionaries backed by the Cuban people who sacrificed everything for the emancipation of their country, according to Castro. Raul Castro named and thanked the efforts made by people like Frank Pais, who "was killed at the age of 22, by the minions of the tyranny," backed by the United States.

"The optimism and the joy of Fidel for the victory," continue today in the Cuban revolutionary process that continues to be young and fresh as "the process of transferring the main obligations of the revolution to the younger generations is going well, very well," according to the Comandante Raul Castro.

"Together with the heroic Cuban people, we feel deeply happy and confident when we see our own eyes, that the new generations continue with the goal of building socialism, the only guarantee of national independence and sovereignty."

The Cuban Revolution was not the war against Fulgencio Batista and his troops, the Revolution is based on the advancements made in favor of the Cuban people. With the triumph of the Cuban Revolution began a time of important struggles to change the foundation of the society, a fight for the structure of socialism in the Caribbean island.

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"I believe that this is a decisive moment in our history: tyranny has been overthrown. The joy is immense. And yet, much remains to be done. We do not deceive ourselves, believing that everything will be easy from now on; perhaps everything will be more difficult in the future," said Fidel after the triumph and Raul quoted him during his speech.

Since the beginning of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, the changes made by the new order were criticized and attacked by international powers, mainly by the "U.S. imperialism (..) No one can deny that since the #CubanRevolution was victorious on that first of January, it has not had one minute of appeasement in 60 years."

The interventionist acts against Cuba have been crystal clear and well documented for 60 years since the triumph; "bands armed and financed by the American government, attempts to assassinate Fidel and different revolutionary leaders. The economic, commercial and financial blockade, and other political and diplomatic actions. International lying campaigns. The attempted invasion of Playa Giron ... and an endless list of hostile acts against our homeland."

The Cuban Revolution has surpassed "12 U.S. administrations that have not stopped trying to impose destabilization in Cuba." Raul Castro has warned against the new attempts of the U.S. government, led by the Donald Trump administration, that "seems to take again the road of open confrontation with Cuba, and makes an appeal to the dark Monroe Doctrine."

According to Raul Castro, the U.S government, backed by its think thanks "fuse new falsehoods and again try to blame Cuba for all the ills in the region as if these were not the result of terrible neoliberal policies," policies mainly sustained by economists and intellectuals based on the U.S. or from some international organizations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank (WB).

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There are new forms of interventionism propagated in the Latin American region, "they are the same ones that declare the intention to continue forcing the deterioration of bilateral relations and promote new measures of commercial and financial blockade." The revolution has resisted against countless aggressions, with an indestructible link to the Cuban people who gave the necessary strength for it.

However, Castro warned against the new forms of attacks, that are now not only focused on Cuba but on every possible space of progressivism. The "imperialist" forces "say they are willing to challenge international law, contravene the rules of international trade and aggressively apply extra-territorial measures and laws against the sovereignty of other states." By qualifying other countries as "treats to national security," as they have done with Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, "the extreme right in Florida has hijacked the US policy against Cuba," and against progressivism.

"I reiterate our conviction to live in a civilized manner, and in a condition of respect and peace with the United States. We are also prepared to resist a confrontation, which we do not want," stated Castro. He also warned interventionist agents against plotting against the Cuban people, as they are prepared to "face any aggression. (...) The greatest lesson that revolutionaries and progressive movements can draw from the situation that has been forged is that of never forgetting unity with the people and never ceasing to support the most dispossessed."

"We are not intimidated by the language of force or threats. They did not intimidate us when the revolutionary process was not consolidated. They will not succeed now that the unity of the people is an indisputable reality. Today we are a whole people defending their revolution."

As the "imperial fence is closing" on Latin America, specifically on "Venezuela, Nicaragua and our country (Cuba)," Castro called for more unity in the continent, and as "the revolution is a symbol of full independence, resistance, altruism and internationalism," the Cuban people will help and defend the principles of sovereignty and self-determination of every person in the region.

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Castro recounted the coups made against several progressive governments in different countries in the region, starting with a coup in Honduras, and with parliamentary and judiciary coups in other countries. He called for the freedom of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was put in jail "denying him of sure victory in the previous elections;" as well as he called to put an end to the persecution against former presidents; Brazilian Dilma Rousseff and Argentine Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Castro warned the interventionist forces that they "need to understand that Latin America and the Caribbean have changed. We base ourselves on the concept of unity in diversity. As the moral and political authority of Cuba is based on history, therefore, no threat will make us desist from our solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The aggression against this sister republic must cease," said Castro.

Commander Raul Castro concluded his speech by saying that "in this significant date we cannot forget about the Cuban women, who are always fighting for the emancipation of their homeland and in the construction of the homeland that we build today. LIVE FOREVER THE CUBAN REVOLUTION."