-DATE-
19620604
-YEAR-
1962
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
REPORT
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO CHOPS CANE FOR THREE HOURS
-PLACE-
SIERRA SUGAR COOPERATIVE IN CAMAGUEY
-SOURCE-
HAVANA RELOJ NACIONAL
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19620605
-TEXT-
CASTRO CHOPS CANE FOR THREE HOURS

Havana Reloj Nacional Network 1600 GMT 4 June 1962--F

(Summary) Premier Fidel Castro cut sugarcane for more than three hours on
Sunday, 3 June, at the Sierra (Cubitas?) sugar cooperative in Camaguey. He
was accompanied by Education Minister Hart, Conrado Becquer, Majors
Tomasevic, Felix Torres, Severo Aguirre, and others. Hundreds of
cooperativists and volunteer workers cheered Castro who spoke briefly with
them in the sugarfields.

After the canecutting, Fidel lunched at the home of the cooperative member
Eugenio Ramos and his family. During his visit at the sugar mill, Castro
awarded scholarships to three farm girls after they had recited various
revolutionary poems. Subsequently, Castro requested Dr. Hart to approve the
building of a school. He also offered a box of cigars to cooperative member
Mario (Taylor?) who had cut cane next to him. (Taylor?), a native of
Jamaica, said that the greatest efforts should be made to finish the crop
in Camaguey as soon as possible.

Speaking to the canecutters, Fidel Castro said: Our people deserve a better
future and you are making efforts now which will gain prestige for us in
the world. Previously, Cuba was not mentioned anywhere. Now people
everywhere are talking about Cuba, thanks to the reputation it has gained
from the efforts of the workers and the people.

Fidel added that revolutions are not for export, but they are exporting
themselves and take place in the remotest corners of the world. "One day it
will not be only Cuba, but it will be all of Latin America," Castro added.

In his address to the farmers, Fidel also said that there are not going to
be any more slack seasons, and that now the land, the machinery, and
everything is in the hands of the farmers. Castro said that the
latifundists had not built houses on their farms in order to compel the
farmers to leave as soon as the crop had been finished. Castro explained
later that the revolutionary government has a plan to build homes in that
particular area of Camaguey.

Previously, Castro said, latifundists used to spend profits abroad, but now
the profits remain with the people and are being used to build schools,
hospitals, and other public works. After stressing the system of
exploitation that prevailed in Cuba, Castro said that the rich used to live
very well because there were many people who worked for them. He pointed
out that "unemployment is a weapon of imperialism."

Referring to the mechanization of the rural areas, Fidel Castro said that
"next year we shall have 1,000 machines to cut sugarcane" and that the time
will come when the farmers do not need to work so hard. The sugarcane
(economy?) was maintained, Dr. Castro said, because there were thousands of
unemployed. Now this situation has changed and there is enough work in
public works, cooperatives, and community farms. He also said that this old
system no longer exists in Cuba and that all must cooperate in building the
future.

After reviewing briefly the sacrifices made by the people of Cuba, he said
that we are lucky to live in a period as glorious as that of the heroes of
independence. He added that 60 years of capitalist government left in their
wake the wretchedness still existing in Cuba. Referring to supplies, Dr.
Castro said, that "the great weapon in the face of the imperialists
blockade is work." He added that "when the young Cubans who are studying in
the Soviet Union are using their knowledge, everything will change."
-END-