-DATE- 19610314 -YEAR- 1961 -DOCUMENT_TYPE- SPEECH -AUTHOR- F. CASTRO -HEADLINE- ANNIVERSARY OF 1957 STUDENT ATTACK ON PRESIDENTI -PLACE- HAVANA UNIVERSITY -SOURCE- HAVANA FIEL NETWORK -REPORT_NBR- FBIS -REPORT_DATE- 19610314 -TEXT- CASTRO SCORES U.S. ANTI-CUBAN ACTIVITIES Havana, FIEL Network, in Spanish, Mar. 14, 1961, 0452 GMT--E (Speech by Fidel Castro outside Havana University on anniversary of 1957 student attack on presidential palace) (Summary) We are gathered here today to commemorate another anniversary of the sacrifice of a group of martyrs on a date which merits commemoration. There are many dates we can commemorate, but some are like symbols, and this date, Mar. 13, is one of the symbolic dates the country must always remember. A few days ago we gathered to pay homage to the workers and soldiers who died when La Coubre blew up. Today we gather to commemorate those young university students who paid such a high price for what we have today. It was logical for us to gather here, we who represent the revolutionary people, we here tonight are gathered those who represent the revolutionary forces of the nation. The speakers who preceded me summed it up; and it is quite true that those who have stayed here, loyal to the revolution, are the ones who in fact wanted to carry out a true revolution. Comrade Cubelas enumerated the members of the revolutionary directorate who fought along with Echeverria and noted that all were present here, all those leaders of that revolutionary organization. We could say the same about all the comrades, who in the hardest days of the mountain fighting stayed there ready to face all obstacles. We could say the same of the PSP man, who in the difficult days of the persecution and clandestine activity refused to desert their cause. We could say the same of all those Cubans who for a long time, for years, had wanted this hour to come to pass in Cuba. We could say the same of all the patriots of the past century who fought and died and did not have the chance to see the Cuban flag fly really free. The history of nations is made by loyal men, men who persevere and refuse to desert their cause. The revolution has been purging its ranks. At commemorations like this, we have seen some who come hypocritically, not having the right to be present. The revolution has seen to it that they have been left along the roadside. Many of them have gone to the other side but those of us who have remained feel much better. Sometimes we have needed great patience to tolerate certain faces. The revolution has not been exclusive or the monopoly of anyone. They could have exercised the right of becoming revolutionaries but they preferred to be mercenaries. The people were capable of forgiving sins, but the sinners became traitors instead. Those who have remained with the revolution can smile at the rain as if it were nothing. It is time for us to learn and to understand what a revolution really is. A revolution is a very serious and very profound event in the life of a people. It is not an easy thing. Our revolution is one of the events of history. The coming generations of Cuba, America and the entire world will speak with reverence of our revolution. That is why we should feel worthy of the task we are undertaking. We must have no illusions; it is not an easy task. It is possible that the task has not been too difficult up to now. It is possible that it has not required great sacrifices up to now. It is possible that we have received much and made few sacrifices up to now. In reality, those who have missed having some of the satisfying things of life to which they had been accustomed are the ones who exploited the people. They have seen many of their privileges disappear. That class still exercises some influence over the people. That class preaches disagreement. It does not counsel strength in the face of privations. It is the first to protest, the first to spread its discontent and bitterness among the others. That is why we should learn to analyze the revolution as it is: a conflict of interests. Revolutions are undertaken in the interest of the peoples. Revolutions are made to bring happiness to those who have never had had it, even if all privileges of a few must be taken away. In order to understand the revolution well you must bear in mind that this is a struggle between those who exploit and those who struggle so that the people can have what they had always been deprived of. Those who have sacrifices are the privileged. Those whom the revolution sacrifices without any consideration are those who have exploited the people. Imperialist's Aims When the imperialist government decreed the suppression of our sugar quota, what did it want? When it wanted to prevent shipments of replacement parts to Cuba, what did it want? It wanted to bring hunger, to leave us without economic resources, to halt our transport and our industries. It wanted to do these things in order to make us fail. Why did it want us to fail? Simply because we have put an end to the abuses committed against our people' because we put an end to exploitation of our people by them; because we recovered the nation's land which was in foreign hands; because we redeemed the banks, sugar production, national sovereignty, all of which were in foreign hands; because we redeemed for the people what yesterday was held by the monopolies. Therefore, so the Latin American peoples will not follow our example, they want the revolution to fail. They do not want to lose the mines, land, banks, industries and businesses they have throughout the world. Because we were the first to do what all the peoples of America would like to do; because we have decided to govern ourselves; because we have regained independence and sovereignty; because we are a free people who do not have to ask permission from anyone; because we dared face up to the imperialist colossus; because they no longer find submissive executives here, they want the revolution to fail. Because Cubans are showing other peoples the way to liberation, a liberation that can never be had from the hands of those who want to buy the conscience of America with a few million dollars; because we are showing America the true road of justice and liberation, which can never be hoped for from those whose sole goal is to maintain their colonial dominion over Latin America and obtain colossal profits at the expense of the peasants. It would be like a slave waiting for his master to free him. We are showing America the true path, and that is why the imperialist government has remembered that Latin America exists. Up to two years ago, the Yankee empire did not remember the existence of Latin America. Now it is alarmed, not over the welfare of Latin America, but from fear of losing America. Kennedy's Concern Deceitful Who will believe that the financial trusts, the misers, the Yankee millionaires are anxious over the progress of America? The Yankee millionaires and their representatives in the government are worried only over the possible loss of their business in America, their oil wells, their big landholdings, cheap labor, their outlet for capital. It is deceit, this alleged eagerness for progress that the millionaire Kennedy spoke of today. Kennedy knows that his allies and friends in Latin American are not the poor peasants, the landless Indians; he knows that his allies and friends in Latin America are the big landowners. What does he speak to them about? Does he speak to them about industrial development in Latin America, or the use of natural resources, or economic independence? No. He talks to them about houses, schools, roads. That is, he speaks of making available 500 million dollars, but not for industrial development or agrarian reform. Why? Because Kennedy is a representative of U.S. millionaires, and they do not want national industries in Latin America. The American millionaires do not want national industries in Latin America. The American millionaires do not want national industries, but Yankee industries in Latin American countries. And so when they talk about the 500 million in alms, they dare not mention factories, national industry, or any of the measures that would solve problems of the nations. Kennedy cannot speak of economic development, because that is banned by his complicity with the big monopolies, the millionaires. The millionaires will give alms, provided it is spent on things that do not mean developing the national economy, or economic independence, because the financial trusts would not be willing to accept any policy meaning economic development in Latin America. Besides, the alms would remain in the hands of those who in general do not leave even the nails; those who receive the dollars and send them out again the Europe or the United States itself. U.S. Aid Not Needed The 500 million dollars are not needed for schools. Cuba is the first country in Latin America that has the full number of teachers needed for primary education. Cuba is the first country in America, including the United States, which will wipe out illiteracy. Cuba by the end of this year will be the only country in all America which can boast that everybody can read and write. The 500 million dollars are not needed to solve housing problems. The revolution has given everybody the house he lived in. Besides, in Cuba this year, 25,000 dwellings will be built in the rural areas alone. The 500 million dollars are not needed to build roads. In Cuba we are providing magnificent roads in areas which had been without communications for centuries. The 500 million dollars are not needed to provide school buildings. The revolution has converted barracks into schools, and has built school centers. The 500 million dollars in alms are not needed to solve these problems. What is needed is to rescue our national resources from foreign hands. Without the 500 million, or one million, which we do not need or want, even after an act of unspeakable aggression deprived us of million--our economy depended wholly on the market they had created, for their own interests--even after they took away hundreds of millions of dollars, eliminated the sugar quota in an unspeakable act of aggression that could be expected from only imperialist freebooters, and in spite of ferocious aggression, we can have teachers, schools, housing, roads, hospitals, more employment, scholarship holders in the university; 80,000 in credits is being arranged for small farmers, and national production has been greatly increased. How is this possible without alms, after they took away what we had a right to, and although our economy had been forged by them on a one-crop system, with one market? How was it possible? Simply because we have dislodged all Yankee monopolies. Simply because we have carried out a revolution and rescued for the people the basic national wealth. American Cannot be Bought That is what cannot be counteracted with alms. That is what cannot be conquered with usurious dollars. That is what they can never offer our America, and our America cannot be bought with 500 million dollars; our America cannot be bought in any manner, because economic independence is not sold, national dignity is not sold, the future of nations cannot be sold by anybody, and anybody who does sell it will be deceiving the purchaser. Kennedy wants to buy that which nobody can sell him, and therefore, faced with the actions of a little nation, of one of the smallest nations in Latin America, the all-powerful giant of the hemisphere becomes excited and is filled with anxiety and fears and says that the Cuban problem is no longer the giant's problem with the little country; the intimidated giant feels weak in the face of the morale and the right and the prestige of the small nation and says that it is America's problem. (It is no longer?) a U.S. problem with Cuba but all America's problem with Cuba. And we might say that Cuba's problem with the United States is not a Cuban problem with the United States but all Latin America's problem with the United States. The distinguished Mexican revolutionary leader Lazaro Cardenas rightly said that if Kennedy took a notion to visit South America, he would receive a reception much like the one given Mr. Nixon. Why that hasty meeting with the Latin American ambassadors? Why that announcement of important declarations? Why? Because they realize that America is waking up and because plans are failing. The popular victories of the leftist sectors in several Latin American countries are more than enough to seriously worry Yankee imperialism. There was the worthy attitude assumed by the Brazilian President (Applause), and by the president of Ecuador in defense of the Cuban revolution, that is in defense of the self-determination of peoples and against unilateral or collective intervention in another country. There were the statements of the present President of the Uruguayan National Council, the victory of Palacious in Argentina, and victories of the Socialist and Communist Parties in Chile where the two popular front candidates won a formidable victory, the extraordinary significance of the conference on national sovereignty, economic emancipation and peace just held in Mexico, the attitude of the Mexican Government regarding Cuba and the support of some political figures as greater as Lazaro Cardenas--more than enough reasons to worry imperialism. Look at the imperialist press reaction to Quadros' attitude. Quadros proclaimed Brazil's right to trade and to maintain relations with all countries of the world. Quadros proclaimed his support for U.N. membership for the Peoples Republic of China. Quadros proclaimed the principle of nonintervention as against Yankee plans for forming an anti-Cuba bloc. He said, No. These are the sovereign statements of an American government. They sent a former ambassador who previously had shown lack of respect toward Brazilian sovereignty. It was correct for the Brazilian President to receive him properly; he merely maintained the dignity of a president. But that was enough for them to unlease a propaganda campaign against him in the imperialist papers. The empire feels offended and says it will not tolerate an independent policy in Latin America. Now some Yankee papers threaten Quadros. The newspaper EL DIARIO of New York, which published an interview with Jorge Masetti, censured the Brazilian President and the PRESNA LATINA news agency. The paper said that Quadros will not last long if he continues as he has. We are sure that in face of imperialist threats, the Brazilian people will unite with the President who maintains the national sovereignty. But the imperialists will not delay long in accusing Quadros of being a communist. Some papers have already begun the campaign. In Ecuador the President himself declared with extraordinary courage that the imperialists had offered economic aid in exchange for breaking off with Cuba. What a corrupt and shameful policy is the policy of the imperialists, the millionaire users. They propose unworthy acts to government Leaders of America. That is the "Alliance for Progress" of which Mr. Kennedy spoke. Let us see what takes place in Latin America. We will see if imperialism is right or if Cuba is right. Let us see if the conscience of America can be bought as Kennedy believes, or if the conscience of America cannot be bought as we believe. Of course, reference to Cuba was not lacking. His allusion to the great sympathy he feels for the Cuban people was not lacking. Sympathy with the landed estate owners, yes; sympathy with the Yankee companies that were here, yes; sympathy with those who controlled the banks, yes; sympathy with gangsters who controlled gambling and smuggling, yes; sympathy with the thugs and the war criminals, yes; sympathy with the traitors, yes; sympathy with the discriminators, yes; sympathy with the exploiters, yes. But sympathy with the workers; no; sympathy with the peasants; no; sympathy with the Negro, no; sympathy with the poor, no; sympathy with the exploited, no; because the millionaire users sympathize with users like themselves, but are incapable of sympathizing with the people. A recent event, a very significant event, revealed much about the real personality of the new U.S. President. It happened that in Guantanamo City, there was an outbreak of polio. There was no vaccine there. The Red Cross official, perhaps because of lack of patience, instead of communicating with the national Red Cross, took it upon himself to request some vaccine from the base Red Cross. What did the base do? Did it give the vaccine and keep quiet? No. A mass of reporters and photographers were present at the delivery of the vaccine. that was bad enough, but the incredible thing is that within 48 hours, at a press conference, the U.S. President declared that he sympathized with the Cuba people as was demonstrated by the vaccine delivery. If some day the imperialists were to ask us for aid to save some U.S. children, we would give them the vaccine without publicity. How did they act? Like a petty politician would have acted, just like those we knew here. The ridiculous part was that while they were playing politics with that vaccine they did not realize they had sent outdated vaccine. This incident told us much about the character of that man who is always taking advantage of an opportunity to say he loves the people but not the Revolutionary Government. Well, let Mr. Kennedy know that the government is the people. (Chanting) Let Mr. Kennedy know that he cannot separate us from the people, as we cannot separate him from the monopolies and millionaires. The Revolutionary Government and people are the same, as usurious millionaires and the government are the same thing in the United States. This is a government of the people, by the people, for the people. The revolution is for the poor. We are thankful for all the people of Cuba have learned. We are thankful for the way the Cubans have been taught that the free world of the imperialists is the free worlds of the men murdered under Franco, of German and Japanese militarism, the free world of the murderers of Lumumba, the free world of the murderers of Sandino, and above all, the free world of the criminals who murdered the soldiers and workers on La Coubre, the free world of those who support the exploiters, the free world of monopolies and trusts, the free world of the hypocrites who offend freedom by speaking of it while seeking to make slaves of workers in the service of users. That is a world without principles, a world which practices crime and violence. Its only goal is gold, even if it is bloodstained. It does not believe in God; its only God is gold. For them the only freedom and democracy is gold; the only dignity is that which can be bought with gold. They have no ideals that cannot be sold or exchanged for gold. They have no principles that cannot be exchanged for gold. Gold, gold, gold--that is imperialism's philosophy. U.S. Revolution To Come That is what we have learned. If the U.S. people do not know it, it is because they are not allowed to see it by the magnates who control radio, TV, press, and movies, and are capable of taking the entire nation to catastrophe. For if the U.S. people do not understand this truth, it is because machinery is set up to deceive them, to cloak lies by the same methods used in propaganda. But perhaps the day is near when the people of the United States will learn, as the millions of unemployed grow, as the economy plunges into crisis. One day the U.S. people will learn. We can tell Mr. Kennedy one thing: He will see a victorious revolution in the United States before a victorious counterrevolution in Cuba. This regime is on a solid foundation; that regime is based on a foundation of injustice, doomed to disappear as colonialism and imperialism are doomed. And so we can triumph in the new life, while they persist in the obsession of an old way of life. We have the might of right, of justice. Force cannot keep the peoples of America from becoming free and attaining a better world. All the marines will be unable to prevent this. All the soldiers and planes, even atom bombs, will be insufficient. When the hungry men of Latin America know what they can do to become free, the right of the empire will crumble. In Europe, under the Nazis, resistance grew; groups of patriots fought the invaders. The imperialists are as (ferocious?) as the Nazis. Nazism was just a coincidence of imperialism. Nazism and fascism are the goal, the end, of imperialist regimes. Those horrible crimes, that of genocide, represented the same thirst for mastery, exploitation, and wealth which dominates the brains of the Yankee militarists. The Nazis could not dominate Europe. No matter how much effort is made to combat revolutions, such effort is doomed to failure. History will reveal how all their preventive measures will not prevent America from realizing its destiny. Socialist Forces Superior Cuba is not the only colonized country, the only country exploited by imperialism. The world is big, and the world of the countries which have freed themselves is powerful. Science at the service of mankind and justice has developed much more powerful forces than those developed by science at the service of exploitation. Imperialism's might is decadent compared to the might of the Soviet Union, People's China and the socialist countries. The imperialists cannot do as they please in the world as they used to. Their possibilities for maneuvering are very limited. And before them, inexorably, is the prospect that within 10 years the production of the USSR will exceed that of the United States. Inexorably, the standard of living of the USSR will pass that of the United States. The USSR was devastated by civil war, invaded, devastated again by the great war. Towns were leveled, livestock wiped out, the countryside razed, while all U.S. industrial potential remained intact. Fifteen years have passed since then. In the so-called free world there is more hunger and poverty. Kennedy himself admits this. Standards of living threaten to drop still lower in the free world. Growing hunger is just a consequence of imperialism. We do not see how the problem can be solved unless imperialism disappears. These are truths which cannot be changed by lies; they are irrefutable. No sermon from a reactionary cleric and no editorial in a reactionary paper will change the facts. The United States had enormous industrial capacity after the war but it was not used for mankind. Fifteen years later the country ravaged by the Nazis is advancing so fast that very soon it will be ahead of the country which did not lose a single screw during the last 50 years. These are indisputable facts. How is imperialism to escape defeat? Only by war and destruction. That is the philosophy of those who know they are defeated. All they need to do is to add and subtract. Imperialism today has competition from its own allies, the other colonialist countries. They are competing among themselves. Let them take their lies away, their philosophy based on gold, their inhuman system of hunger and poverty. Let them go away and no longer have any place in history. Let them go to the past where they belong. Humanity is advancing. It is breaking the chains of slavery. The world is advancing. What can the result be if not the complete sovereignty of nations, the economic independence of nations, the cultural development of nations. The result cannot be slavery or colonies again. Colonialists cannot teach humanity anything. In the name of the future, those guilty of enslaving millions of men cannot teach humanity anything. Kennedy will not be able to teach humanity anything. People like ourselves--the Russians, Chinese, Indonesians, Congolese, can teach humanity something. Humanity can learn from those who have broken their chains. Those who have chained humanity for centuries cannot teach humanity anything. Naval Attack I want to refer to an incident which tells much about the "Alliance for Progress," the military alliance for progress. Today in Cuba, a country devoted to work and not wanting war with anyone, a naval vessel entered our second city to bomb a national industry in a senseless act, an example of the work of imperialism. What does that mean? That aggression is growing more acute. One cannot be certain that one day they will not drop bombs. In the same way they attacked an industry today, they might be ready to attack the ports of our country as in the days of piracy. Everyone knows that the Central Intelligence Agency has turned over weapons to our enemies. Our small country sees itself incessantly attacked by those who have been thwarted in their aggressive attacks, with the revolution still marching forward. We have here one of the shells fired against the refinery. A 57 mm shell of U.S. manufacture. (Crowd shouts) We ask ourselves if our country will continue being the victim of this attack? In reality, we do not know, but we must have our courage ready for this and for everything. We must defend ourselves from these attacks. We will defend ourselves. We should be ready for everything. We would not be worthy of the task we have undertaken if we were not. Complaints of Shortage There are some here who complain about not being able to see Gary Cooper movies. When a people must live ready for war, as we must, they should prepare to solve their problems with intelligence. When a shortage of some article is announced, people come out and create an artificial shortage. This has happened to soap and other articles. If there is a shortage, let it exist. Speculation should cease, for it is stealing from the people and shows lack of honesty and conscience. We feel that the people are capable of cooperating. Measures never should be decreed without an explanation. All government officials should work with the people. We are sure they will always cooperate. Each of us must become a guard of the revolution. We can direct the schools. The revolution cannot clean out the schools because we have the duty of educating. But how can we permit our children to be led astray? The children believe the lies they are told. If a child is led astray, the final guilt is ours for permitting it. The children should always have our greatest consideration. In due time the government will take measures. The revolution will not be stopped. Waging war on the revolution will only make the revolution stronger. The revolution will continue to advance victoriously. It will move forward with the true revolutionaries, who will temper their spirits in a true revolutionaries, who will temper their spirits in a true revolution. With them we will continue forward, fighting our enemies, correcting our mistakes, trying to strengthen the revolution in every way, trying to gain ground on the enemy, trying to defend every man and woman, trying to convince those who can be persuaded. As for those who cannot be persuaded, those who fight us, we will wage war on them. Active counterrevolutionaries, like the parasites they are, like the servants of imperialism they are, we will exterminate. The revolution must be hard on its enemies. I repeat that the revolution is a battle to the death between the interests of the people and those opposed to those interests. If the revolution does not wipe out the counterrevolution, the counterrevolution will kill the revolution. The only force of the counterrevolution is the great force of empire, of the mighty foreigner. That force encourages the counterrevolution, provides it with planes and pirate ships and weapons. Force from abroad is all the counterrevolution has. Since we are fighting powerful enemies, and the counterrevolutionaries are agents of those enemies, we are obliged to be hard. The ranks of the revolution have been open to everybody. It is necessary to be hard with those who sell themselves to enemies of the country. We have not even denied exploiters the right to live with some comforts. We must be hard on those who have refused to see our generosity. The revolution even suspended the revolutionary courts and the death penalty; that shows the intentions of the revolution; but the revolution had to riposte against those who kill workers. Terrorists obliged the revolution to restore the revolutionary courts. We regret that the revolution has to take such measures, but the revolution is not to blame. It is the fault of the counterrevolutionaries, imperialism, the myrmidons, who wanted to come and shed more blood and thought the revolution should stand idly by. the revolution would not do that. Today it is the traitors who must fear, the terrorists and plotters who must worry. The workers, farmers, students and working people who went through the frightful past will not stand idly by. We know what hands move the criminals; it was Yankee hands that forged the tyranny and maintained it; it was Yankee bombs that were dropped on so many families; Yankee explosives and agents were behind the sabotage of La Coubre; it is Yankee explosives that have gone off in stores, schools, and factories; Yankee arms are used by the mercenaries; Yankee planes violate our territory; it is Yankee vessels which carry out acts of piracy against our towns, Yankee officers train the mercenaries; and it was Yankee hands that colonized our economy, imposed the Platt Amendment on us, and prevented the victory of the liberating army in the fight for independence. Those hands want to return. We must be hard and implacable on whoever serves those hands, whoever lets himself be used as a tentacle to carry out the wishes of our country's enemies, who prevented the happy culmination of the people's triumph in years past. As for the rest, we will see; we will see if the violations continue; we will see if they intend to keep our country in a state of war, or constant aggression, and destruction. We will see, for the peoples of America will react, and the peoples of America will give a lesson to the enemies of our people. We are prepared to resist; nobody doubts that. We are prepared to stand firm; nobody doubts that. Will Promote Revolutions The revolution will continue forward, let nobody question that. We will defend ourselves. We will know how to mobilize the resources necessary for defense. We will go on buying arms, we will bring mountains of arms, if they continue harassment. If they harass us with pirate ships, we will buy ships to pursue them. If they harass us with planes, we will buy planes to pursue the pirate planes. If they promote counterrevolution, we will promote revolutions against those who promote the counterrevolution. And let the myrmidons and mercenaries and imperialists know that we are not alone. Let their continual failures not lead them to continual stupidities. It seems now that they are not even dreaming of a little government here but are thinking of establishing one in exile. Very well! Let the Yankees name the government in exile when they want to; we will name many governments in exile, and to begin with, the government in exile of Free Puerto Rico. As soon as imperialism forms a counterrevolutionary government in exile, we will form many revolutionary governments in exile. What is happening? They have not dared to land. They know they cannot seize even one little bit of Cuban territory or stay long at any spot they land. And now despair leads them to create a government in exile. Very well. Let us wait and see if they form one, and let them remember that every right they claim for themselves here in this hemisphere is another right that we claim in the hemisphere. We are not at all afraid of imperialism. We hope imperialism realizes that we will give back deed for deed. Let imperialism know that the revolution is not intimidated and does not fear it. And now let us see how they will answer in the United Nations to Cuba's charges. Let us see how they will answer in the United Nations to today's act of piracy. When we were in the United Nations, we waited to see what the U.S. delegate would say. He said nothing. They are so brazen, they say nothing. They go from discredit to discredit throughout the world, without realizing that there is only one sensible thing to do: Let Cuba alone. The more they harass Cuba, the more Cuba will riposte. The more they combat the revolution, the more it will gain support in Latin America. If they understood that, they would take the intelligent path but they are stupid, and they must be expected to act as such. We will go ahead, certain of victory. Victory was much further away in other times; much further away when Comrade Jose Antonio was being killed in Havana, and on that Mr. 13 we had just (12?) men. Today we are 12 times 500,000 and our rifles number a multitude. The revolution has not promised anything it has not put into effect. So more and more goals must be set. The revolution fulfilled its first promises, and it intends to stick to the principles approved as that gigantic assembly of the people. Forward, then, always forward; that is our course, always determined to face sacrifices. Sacrifices thus far have been few. We have enough valor to face much greater sacrifices. The revolution will conquer. Fatherland or death. We will conquer. -END-