Speech delivered by Salvador Valdés Mesa, Vice President of the Republic of Cuba, at the Central Commemorative Act for the 71st Anniversary of the Assault on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Barracks, in Sancti Spíritus, on July 26, 2024, "Year 66 of the Revolution"
(Shorthand Versions - Presidency of the Republic)
Dear Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution;
Comrade Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic;
Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, assailant of the Moncada;
Commander of the Rebel Army José Ramón Machado Ventura;
Combatants of the 26th of July heroic deed and expeditionaries of the Granma;
Relatives of the fallen;
Distinguished guests who honor us with their presence;
Men and women from Sancti Spiritus;
Compatriots:
In this commemoration, as it has always been, our first thought goes to Fidel! His words, pronounced exactly 41 years ago today, are ever more valid, I quote:
"In only one thing we are the same as on July 26, 1953: the same faith in the destinies of the homeland, the same confidence in the virtues of our people, the same certainty in victory, the same capacity to dream of all those things that will be realities of tomorrow over and above the dreams already realized yesterday."
And something even more important: the loyalty of our people to the ideas for which the Commander-in-Chief went to the Moncada and fought throughout his life remains firm and unalterable; the decision to continue making them a reality and to keep forever alive the spirit of resistance, the combativeness, the dialectical thinking and the faith in victory that he was able to instill in us, in the first place, with his example.
July 26, 1953 marked a definitive turning point in the Cuban historical evolution; it marked the course we have followed up to the present; it coined truths of permanent value; it established ethical principles for all times, and defined the invariable attitude to be maintained in the face of dangers, challenges and difficulties, however insurmountable they may seem.
These truths, as well as unity, are powerful weapons, even more so in complex circumstances such as the present.
From the bitterest pages of Cuba's history, José Martí learned that division leads inexorably to defeat. When restarting the war for independence he alerted his compatriots:
"Our enemy obeys one plan: to fester us, to disperse us, to divide us, to drown us. That is why we obey another plan: to teach us in all our height, to tighten us, to join us, to outwit him, to finally make our homeland free."
The Centennial Generation, headed by Fidel, made this José Martí's call its own in the new and definitive stage of the struggle. Preserving unity, based on principles, has been and will be a permanent premise of the Cuban Revolution.
That is why Raúl exhorted us to take care of it "more than the apple of our eye," in his medullar words last January 1st in Santiago de Cuba, and added: "(...) the greater the difficulties and dangers, the more exigency, discipline and unity are required."
Compatriots:
No matter how much the enemy tries to hide it, any honest person, even if he does not share our ideas, understands that the tightened blockade, together with the rest of the aggressive measures implemented against Cuba by the U.S. Government, constitutes the fundamental cause of the current economic difficulties, with inevitable incidence in all spheres of society.
However, we are not sitting around waiting for the blockade to be lifted and for us to be removed from the list of alleged sponsors of terrorism which causes us so much harm by constantly inhibiting access to credits and foreign financing, discouraging potential foreign investors and hindering the arrival of necessary equipment and technologies, among other effects.
We know too well the empire and the openly anti-Cuban sectors that feed and sustain this policy of maximum asphyxiation in their attempt to destroy the Revolution and its social project. Creative resistance, inspired by the teachings and legacy of Fidel and the example of Raúl, has been and will continue to be our response.
In this significant commemoration I express, once again, the gratitude of the people to the governments, parties, solidarity movements or simple citizens who all over the world are speaking out against this absurd and criminal policy.
We are honored to be accompanied by a large representation of friends of solidarity from different countries who in difficult circumstances defend this Revolution of the humble, by the humble and for the humble. I will mention them briefly, as did the presenter:
We are accompanied at the event by: 135 friends from 24 countries; 12 medical students from several African and Caribbean countries, 10 of them graduates; 43 brigaders from the 33rd Juan Rius Rivera Brigade; 47 brigaders from the European Brigade of Voluntary Work and Solidarity with Cuba "José Martí", made up of 9 countries; 23 activists from the United States; 10 members of associations of Cubans living in the United States, of the José Martí Cultural Society and of the Antonio Maceo Brigade.
Mention must also be made to the Venceremos Brigade from the United States with 99 brigadistas, who are currently participating in the July 26th event in Santiago de Cuba.
Receive, dear comrades, the brotherly greetings and gratitude of the Cuban people! (Applause.)
This obstinate and perverse aggression is taking place today, moreover, in complex circumstances for all countries, in the midst of a generalized economic crisis, of bloody wars whose deepest cause is the insatiable lust for profit intrinsic to capitalism; the interest in maintaining the existence of a unipolar hegemonic world, and of the increasingly evident and harmful effects of a climate change that no one dares to ignore.
We will not tire of denouncing, with the support of practically all governments and especially of the peoples of the world, the cowardly attitude of the main military and economic power of the planet which, as they recognized many years ago in an official document, has the perverse objective of "provoking hunger, desperation and the overthrow of the government" which they know to be the legitimate representative of a people who only aspire to live in peace, preserve their independence and achieve the highest possible degree of social justice and well-being.
The above, as has been ratified by our First Secretary, comrade Díaz-Canel, does not mean in any way ignoring our own deficiencies, inadequacies and mistakes; on the contrary, we are aware of them and we debate them in the public light, giving participation to any compatriot who expresses his willingness.
This is done on a daily basis, knowing that the enemy will immediately amplify even the smallest difficulty, distort what has been said or simply lie in an attempt to blame it on the socialism we are building or on the country's leaders, and thus influence public opinion.
It is an inevitable evil that we assume because we are convinced that it is the only way to find, among all of us, the best solutions.
This was once again demonstrated by the profound, sincere and critical analyses made a few days ago during the 8th Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Party and the 3rd Ordinary Period of Sessions of the National Assembly of People's Power, especially the key closing speech of comrade President of the Republic, which contains guidelines and concepts that we must implement.
In Cuba we are not sitting around lamenting and waiting for the enemy to rectify its criminal policy. If someday it does, it will be welcome, but as long as it persists in its sick stubborn stubbornness, we must work with intelligence, dedication and creativity, with the maximum use of science, technology and innovation, in search of the paths that will allow us to overcome every obstacle and move forward relying on our resources, without expecting miracles.
We have reached this point and will continue to be here, thanks to the exemplary capacity for resistance, the knowledge acquired as a result of the revolutionary work and, especially, to the unwavering determination of Cuban men and women to fight and win.
There will always be little recognition for this people, who face the difficulties of daily life without losing confidence that only socialism can overcome them with justice, without leaving anyone abandoned to their fate, seeking alternatives and solutions and prioritizing the sectors and population groups in conditions of greater vulnerability.
In food production, we must and can obtain, with work, sweat and intelligence, most of the products that the country consumes, since today the price of what we used to import is simply unaffordable.
In this important activity, the municipality is called to play a leading role, since in most of them the agricultural activity is the main economic activity or at least it is among them.
Similarly, it is necessary for the municipality to achieve a greater degree of autonomy, food sovereignty and security and territorial development. Achieving these goals is also a matter of national security.
Other important activities to which we must give our utmost attention are to increase exports that will provide us with the foreign currency that the economy needs so much; to apply the necessary measures to achieve macroeconomic equilibrium, which is essential to stop and begin to reverse the inflationary process that affects the real income of workers and retirees, and, at the same time, to continue adopting all rational and logical measures to confront abusive and speculative prices of basic necessities, such as those applied recently.
In connection with the above, it is urgent to reduce non-essential expenses and increase revenues to the Budget, including the resolute confrontation of those who under-declare or evade the payment of taxes and other contributions to which they are obliged to pay. As in any family, no nation can afford to spend more than it produces.
Advance in the investment plan for renewable energy sources. Its main objective is to achieve, in the shortest possible time, the stabilization and subsequent recovery of the national electro-energy system, in which savings, as in everything else, play a fundamental role.
Progress must be made in carrying out the definitive transformations of the socialist state enterprise, consolidating it as the main subject of the economy and ensuring that its performance responds to the current circumstances and has an impact on all the areas in which the economic and social life of the country develops.
Likewise, we must confront illegalities, indiscipline and acts of corruption in a more decisive, energetic and participative manner. We must punish with the severity and rigor allowed by law all manifestations of violence and discrimination, social indiscipline, acts of vandalism and other attitudes that undermine order, tranquility and public safety.
We will continue to take on this battle with the energy that its danger entails, even for the very existence of the Revolution.
The aforementioned is largely materialized in the process of implementation of the Government Projections to correct distortions and re-drive the economy this year, in which progress is being made, as recently explained by the Prime Minister, comrade Marrero, in the National Assembly, without haste, measuring well before taking each step, above all, assessing the impact of the measure on lower income people, but at the same time with the urgency that the current circumstances demand.
We will continue to advance decisively on all these fronts without neglecting for an instant the defense of the homeland in its broadest sense. The price of a military aggression, direct or by means of terrorist mercenaries, such as that which was recently attempted to be orchestrated, will continue to be unpayable for the enemy.
Revolutionary vigilance can never be neglected, with the conscious and active participation of workers, peasants, students, housewives and the people in general, convinced that it is the most effective way to confront subversion, crime, corruption and the no less dangerous indiscipline, disorganization, indolence, carelessness and lack of control.
The decisive political-ideological work will continue to be strengthened, in which it is necessary to perfect the use of the media and digital social networks, a field in which the counterrevolution tries to take advantage of the enormous technological and financial potential placed at its disposal by the Government of the United States.
It is something necessary and important, but let us not forget for a moment that the main and most effective trench of this combat is the daily, direct and sincere contact with our compatriots, especially with the youngest and precisely where the difficulties, problems or misunderstandings are greatest, with the weapons of truth and reason.
These are challenges that we face in compliance with the premise set forth by the Commander-in-Chief at the commemoration of the 33rd Anniversary of the Moncada Assault, in this same city, when he warned:
"(...) it is not worth advancing if what has been done is not consolidated", and added: "(...) we have not been able to emphasize and instill that the first duty of the revolutionary is work; (...) only from work will wealth come out." And he concluded: "And a people that is capable of overcoming its own defects, its own mistakes; a people that does not fear anything, a people that does not bow down before anything or anyone, is and will always be an invincible people."
This is what Sancti Spiritus has done until achieving the economic and social results that made it worthy of hosting this event, which were succinctly reported a moment ago by the First Secretary. The communication of the Political Bureau on this decision, specifies that the province, like the rest, is not exempt from the complexities that the country lives, but it distinguishes that in the face of each insufficiency or problem it undertook actions aimed at its solution.
On behalf of the leadership of the Party, of the Government and of all the people, we congratulate you, men and women of Sancti Spiritus, for so much effort and especially for the results achieved! (Applause and exclamations of "Long life!").
It is also fair to recognize the effective work of the cadres at all levels, led by the first secretary of the Party, Deivy Pérez Martín, and the governor of the province, Alexis Lorente Jiménez (Applause), for applying a style and methods of work characterized by the systematic control, the demand and the permanent link with the masses, which has allowed achieving in this territory a stability in programs of broad social scope related to education, culture, sports, health and in other sectors.
The people of Sancti Spíritus, like all our people, have once again been able to live up to their glorious history, which treasures an admirable legacy of fighting tradition from the colonial period to the present.
Sancti Spíritus has an outstanding place in the war of liberation, in the dedication of its children to the homeland and in the construction of the new society, anticipated by Fidel in the Moncada Program.
The beautiful images that we have been able to enjoy during the ceremony recall the culminating moments of the heroic deeds of men of the stature of Serafin Sanchez Valdivia in these fields. In the mountains of Sancti Spíritus came to the world Panchito Gómez Toro, paradigm of patriotism, fidelity and courage of the Cuban youth.
That is the lineage of our people, of the fighters of the Rebel Army and of the clandestine struggle; of the militiamen of the Bay of Pigs and of the fight against bandits, which had a decisive stage in this province; of its internationalists; of the millions of Cubans who face the no less complex and dangerous current challenges.
Let the enemy not have new illusions, for they will inexorably lead him once again to disillusionment. We, the heirs of such an extraordinary wealth of heroism and sacrifice, will continue the work of the Revolution forever!
In the face of every obstacle, difficulty or sacrifice for the good of the homeland, including that of our own life, we will continue repeating that sublime order of Major General Serafin Sanchez Valdivia, knowing he had been mortally wounded by an enemy bullet: "Never mind, let the march go on!"
Fatherland or Death!
We will win!
(Ovation)
