-DATE-
19600830
-YEAR-
1960
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
SPEECH
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
RALLY HONORING FOREIGN MINISTER ROA UPON RETURN
-PLACE-
HAVANA
-SOURCE-
INCOMING TELEGRAM
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19600831
-TEXT-
Control:  20635
Rec'd:  August 31, 1960
6:11 PM

FROM:  HABANA

TO:  Secretary of State

NO:  1050, AUGUST 31

FOLLOWING IS UNOFFICIAL EMBASSY TRANSLATION OF PRIME MINISTER FIDEL CATRO'S
STATEMENTS AT RALLY LAST NIGHT HONORING FOREIGN MINISTER ROA UPON RETURN
FROM MFM:

YOU ALL KNOW THAT LAST NIGHT I SPOKE UNTIL ALMOST HALF PAST TWO IN THE
MORNING AND THEREFORE I AM A BIT HOARSE.  WHAT I WANTED TO SAY TO YOU IS
THAT I WANT TO HAVE A CLEAR VOICE FOR COMING GENERAL ASSEMBLY, FOR THE
GREAT GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT WE ARE GOING TO HOLD NEXT FRIDAY AT THREE O'
CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON.  WE EXPECT THIS TO BE THE LARGEST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
THAT ANY COUNTRY HAS EVER HELD AND WE EXPECT PEOPLE TO COME FROM ALL PARTS
OF THE ISLAND.  WE DO NOT NEED MUCH TIME, JUST REMEMBER HOW THESE
CONCENTRATIONS WERE FOREHAND, HOW THE PEOPLE HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE
CONCENTRATIONS.  THEY HAD TO OBLIGE THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, THE PUBLIC WORKS
LABORERS, THE POLITICAL SERGEANTS HAD TO GATHER THEIR CLIENTS TOGETHER AND
MONEY HAD TO BE GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE.

DO YOU REMEMBER THAT?  AND NOW ONLY THREE DAYS.  THE REVOLUTION DOES NOT
NEED ANY MORE THAN THAT, WE CAN EVEN PREPARE IT FROM ONE DAY TO THE OTHER,
JUST LOOK AT THE ONE WE ARE HOLDING NOW.  AND ALL THE PEASANTS FROM THE
CANE COOPERATIVES OF THE FOUR WESTERN PROVINCES ARE COMING.  NATURALLY ALL
THE WORKERS OF ALL THE UNIONS OF THE FOUR WESTERN PROVINCES ARE COMING AND
THIS MORNING PEPE RAMIREZ, THE LEADER OF THE PEASANTS CALLED US FROM
ORIENTE TO ASK IF THE PEASANTS ALSO WERE TO COME AND WE ANSWERED
WELL.........LET THE ORIENTE PEASANTS WHO CAN COME, COME.

THUS IT IS THAT ON FRIDAY WE ARE GOING TO GIVE THE WORLD A LESSON OF WHAT
REAL DEMOCRACY IS, REAL DEMOCRACY.  I HAVE TWO OR THREE THINGS LEFT TO SAY.
I GIVE YOU MY WORD THAT IT WILL BE ONLY FIVE MORE MINUTES; THREE ARE TWO
OR THREE LITTLE THINGS I HAVE TO TELL YOU, ONE OF WHICH IS VERY
INTERESTING.  SHALL I TELL YOU OR NO?  (YES WAS THE ANSWER).  NOW I HAVE
FORGOTTEN ONE OF THEM BUT IT IS NOT VERY IMPORTANT, THE IMPORTANT ONE IS
THIS AND IT IS THAT POSSIBLY YOU DO NOT KNOW THIS WELL OR DO NOT KNOW IT AT
ALL: WHAT HAPPENED THIS AFTERNOON WHEN THE ARRIVAL OF DR.  ROA HAD BEEN
ANNOUNCED AS WELL AS THAT OF THE CUBAN DELEGATION FOR HALF PAST SIX
O'CLOCK, AND SUDDENLY ALL OF US WHO WERE AT WORK LEARNED THAT ROA HAD
ALREADY ARRIVED?  HOW IS IT THAT THE CUBAN DELEGATION ARRIVED SO SOON?  AND
WHY?  AND THEN THE REASON WAS TOLD US AND IT WAS THAT ENEMIES OF THE
REVOLUTION, AGENTS OF THE YANKEE IMPERIALISM OF THE KIND THAT CONSTANTLY GO
BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND GUATEMALA, HAD THEIR BASE IN
GUATEMALA, PREPARED TWO ARMY AIRCRAFT TO INTERCEPT THE AIRPLANE THAT WAS
BRINGING THE CUBAN DELEGATION BACK AND INTERCEPT IT WHILE IN FLIGHT AND
SHOOT IT DOWN.  THE DETAILS OF THE PLAN AND ALL THE DETAILS WERE LEARNED BY
OUR DELEGATION AND CONSEQUENTLY THE COSTA RICAN AUTHORITIES WHO NATURALLY
FELT THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT MIGHT OCCUR, BECAUSE EVEN IN COSTA RICA
THERE WERE COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY AGENTS WHO WERE PREPARED TO GIVE THE NEWS
AS SOON AS THE DELEGATION LEFT THE CAPITAL OF THE COUNTRY.  THEY ASKED THE
DELEGATION TO CHANGE THEIR DEPARTURE TIME AND ADOPTED SECURITY MEASURES IN
ORDER TO PREVENT AN AMBUSH IN FULL FLIGHT, NATURALLY PREPARED BY THE
INTERNATIONAL GANGSTERS SUPPORTED BY THE UNITED STATES.

AS YOU ALL KNOW, THERE ARE MANY ASSASSINS IN THE OFFING, THERE ARE MANY
BANDITS, GANGSTERS AND MERCENARIES, THEY HAVE THEIR JOBS ASSURED IN THE
INTELLIGENCE SERVICE AND IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

AND THAT IS THE GUARANTEE THAT THE SARDINES AT COSTA RICA CAN OFFER OUR
COUNTRY, THAT OUR FOREIGN MINISTER, AFTER HIS FORMIDABLE ALLEGATION AND OUR
FULL DELEGATION WHICH HAS PLAYED SUCH A BRILLIANT ROLE IN COSTA RICA,
STATING THE TRUTH AND ASKING THE SARDINES WHAT THEY COULD COUNT ON TO
DEFEND CUBA FROM THE JAWS OF THE SHARK.  THE FACT IS THAT THEY DID NOT EVEN
HAVE THEIR RETURN TO THEIR COUNTRY ASSURED.  THE GANGSTERS THAT OPERATE
FREELY IN THE CARIBBEAN AREA, WHO HAVE MILITARY BASES IN DIFFERENT
COUNTRIES, WHO HAVE COMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATIONS, POWERFUL RADIO STATIONS,
WHO TRY TO SHUT IN OUR COUNTRY; THOSE GANGSTERS THEREFORE, WITH THAT
IMPUNITY AND THAT VALOR THAT THE DOLLARS PROVIDES THEM WITH, AND SPECIALLY
THAT BRAVERY THEY HAVE BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY ARE BACKED UP BY THE POWERFUL
EMPIRE, WERE IN WAITING AND NOT EVEN A QUIET AND PACIFIC VOYAGE CAN BE
GUARANTEED BY THE COSTA RICA SARDINES.

THAT WAS THE REASON BUT WE CUBANS KNOW THE HISTORY VERY WELL BY NOW.  THE
FUTURE.  HOW WILL THE FUTURE BE?  OUR FUTURE LIKE OUR PRESENT WAS ALSO
YESTERDAY OUR FUTURE.  WHAT DID OUR PEOPLE SEE WHEN TERROR RULES?  WHAT DID
OUR PEOPLE SEE WHEN OUR COUNTRY WAS DOMINATED BY THE PAID ASSASSINS OF THE
TYRANNY, OUR PEOPLE HAD TO SUFFER IN SILENCE.  WHAT DID IT SUFFER FOR?  IT
SUFFERED IN SILENCE FOR THE COWARDICE OF MANY, FOR THE COMPLICITY OF MANY.
THE TYRANT HAD HIS FOLLOWERS, BLOOD RAN, BUT THAT DID NOT MATTER.  THE
TYRANT HAD HIS THUGS WHO MURDERED IN THE STREETS; THEY STOLE AND LOOTED THE
COUNTRY.  ALL THE VICES HAD THEIR PLACE IN OUR LAND.  HOWEVER, THE TYRANT
HAD HIS GROUP OF FOLLOWERS.  WHO HAD NO SCRUPLES IN PASSING OVER THE BLOOD
OF THOSE WHO HAD FALLEN THE DAY BEFORE AND CAME TO CONGRATULATE THE TYRANT.
OUR PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THE CLIQUES ARE, THEY KNOW WHAT THE CLIQUE BOUGHT FOR
A PRICE IS AND KNOWS WHAT THESE GROUPS OF FOLLOWERS ARE.  THE BOSS WAS IN
POWER AND HIS COURT OF ADULATORS AND OF MERCENARIES WHO SERVED HIM WAS
INDIFFERENT TO THE CLAMOR OF THE PEOPLE; THEY CAME HERE AND THEY ADULATED
THE TYRANT, THEY SERVED THE POWERFUL MAN WHO WAS IN POWER, THAT SITUATION
WAS NEVER TO COME TO AN END; THEY BELIEVED THAT THAT POWER WOULD ALWAYS
REMAIN AS THAT POWER, AND WHY DID THE CRIMINALS MURDER.  IS IT THAT THEY
DID NOT THINK THAT SOME DAY THEY MIGHT FALL INTO THE HANDS OF REVOLUTIONARY
COURTS AND BE EXECUTED BY THE FIRING SQUADS OF THE PEOPLE?  IT SEEMS THEY
DID NOT BELIEVE THIS AND FELT EMBOLDENED BY THE POWER THAT SUPPORTED THEM.

THAT IS THE STORY THAT OUR PEOPLE KNOW ONLY TOO WELL.  TODAY NO
REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE IS BEING WAGED, A STRUGGLE FOR AN IDEAL IS THE VERY
HEART OF OUR COUNTRY; TODAY THE CUBAN ASPIRATION HAS BECOME THE ASPIRATION
OF AMERICA.  LET US IMAGINE THAT IN AMERICA IS HAPPENING WHAT FORMERLY
HAPPENED HERE.  IN AMERICA WHAT IS HAPPENING IS THAT THE FOLLOWERS ARE
SERVING THE POWERFUL BOSS, THAT THE GROUPS BOUGHT FOR A PRICE SERVE THE
POWERFUL BOSS BELIEVING PERHAPS THAT HIS POWER WILL NEVER END, THAT THE
THUGS AND MURDERERS WHO FORMERLY MURDERED HERE HAVE GONE TO THE UNITED
STATES AND TO OTHER COUNTRIES AND CONTINUE MURDERING AND COMMITTING ALL
MANNER OF FELONIES AT THE SERVICE OF THE POWERFUL BOSS.  THEY BELIEVE THAT
THE POWER OF THE EMPIRE WILL NEVER END.  THEY ARE ALSO FOOLED BY A FALSE
ILLUSION, THEY FEEL EMBOLDENED BY THAT, BUT THE FACT IS THAT WHAT HAS
HAPPENED IS THAT ALL OF AMERICA HAS BEEN CONVERTED INTO THE STAGE OF THE
MURDERERS.  IN VENEZUELA POLITICAL THUGS MURDERED A 26 OF JULY MOVEMENT
LEADER; IN ARGENTINA, THUGS AT THE SERVICE OF THE IMPERIALISM THREW THE
PEOPLE WHO SYMPATHIZED WITH THE CUBAN REVOLUTION INTO JAIL, AND IN
GUATEMALA, THUGS AT THE SERVICE OF IMPERIALISM WAITED IN AMBUSH TO MURDER
THE CUBAN DELEGATION.  IT IS THAT AMERICA HAS BECOME THE FIELD FOR THE
FELONIES OF THE THUGS AND ASSASSINS BUT ALSO IN AMERICA, SOME DAY THE
PEOPLE WILL FIND THEMSELVES FREE AND SOME DAY THE PEOPLE WILL ASK THE
THUGS AND THE MURDERES AND THE TRAITORS FOR A RECKONING.

AND WHAT HAPPENED IN CUBA WILL SOME DAY HAPPEN IN AMERICA.  AND IF BY
SAYING THIS WE ARE ACCUSED OF BEING CONTINENTAL REVOLUTIONISTS, LET THEM
ACCUSE US.  IF BY SAYING THIS WE ARE ACCUSED OF WANTING A REVOLUTION TO
BREAK OUT IN ALL AMERICA, LET THEM ACCUSE US.  THE TRUTH OF HISTORY IS
ABOVE ALL THE INTRIGUES AND ALL THE PROPAGANDA THAT CAN BE MADE AGAINST THE
HISTORICAL TRUTH.  THE DESTINY OF AMERICA IS CLEAR.  NATURALLY THE EMPIRE
TRIES TO DROWN OUT THE REVOLUTIONS IN AMERICA; NATURALLY IT HURLS ITS
LEGIONS OF SPIES AND AGENTS AND WILL USE ITS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO PREVENT
A REVOLUTION FROM BREAKING OUT IN AMERICA.  HOWEVER, IT CANNOT PREVENT OR
OBSTRUCT THE DESTINY OF AMERICA WHICH IS A CLEAR DESTINY, NOT BECAUSE WE
SAY SO BUT BECAUSE IT IS THE TRUTH, AND NOT BECAUSE IT HURTS THE YANKEES A
GREAT DEAL, NOT BECAUSE THE IMPERIALISM WILL DISPAIR AND LOSE PATIENCE WILL
THIS PREVENT ALL OF AMERICA FROM BEING FREE SOME DAY.  AND WE CUBANS, WE
CUBANS WHO ARE, ACCUSED OF HAVING GIVEN THE EXAMPLE.  LET THEM ACCUSE US.
FINE.  LET THEM ACCUSE US OF HAVING SET THE EXAMPLE; WE ARE PROUD OF HAVING
SET THAT EXAMPLE AND WILL TRY TO MAKE IT A BETTER EXAMPLE FROM DAY TO DAY.

AND NEXT FRIDAY WE WILL EXHIBIT THE GREATEST PROOF OF WHAT A REAL DEMOCRACY
IS; IN AN EVENT IN WHICH THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE WILL ANSWER AND THE PEOPLE
WILL TELL THEIR TRUTH TO THE GROUP OF JUDAS WHO SOLD THEIR COUNTRY TO THE
EXPLOITING AND AGGRESSIVE EMPIRE.
-END-