-DATE-
19711205
-YEAR-
1971
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
MESSAGE
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
VELASCO IBARRA BANQUET SPEECH
-PLACE-
-SOURCE-
EL UNIVERSO
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19711228
-TEXT-
CASTRO REPLY TO VELASCO IBARRA BANQUET SPEECH
[Article; Guayaquil, El Universo, Spanish, 5 December 1971, p 12]

Fidel Castro and His Address

In his response to President Velasco, Fidel Castro described all
the annoyances he had encountered in paying a visit to our country. He
spoke of the hours he had had to wait before his arrival in our city, then
his return to Lima and his immediate departure for Cuba so as to arrive in
Havana on schedule.

"I must make an attempt to reply to the remarks by the Presidents
and to acknowledge the reception I received in Guayaquil. My first
expression of appreciation is to the President. He mentioned brave men, but
the treatment we received, and the very fact that we travelled from one
city to another, are also brave deeds, apart from the kindness involved.

"There are few governments on this continent which would dare such
deeds, which share outward positions compatible with such deeds, with this
kind of deed that has distinguished Ecuador from other countries which have
remained very much in abeyance. With my typical candor, I can say that the
shootings can be explained. The history of the Cuban revolution has been
written by the news agencies working for the exporting monopolies. Hence,
the deviations from the process and activity in which we Cubans have
participated.

We Do Not Deny the Shootings

The Cuban Prime Minister said: "We do not deny the shootings, but
they took place in accordance with our revolutionary laws, law which were
written on the basis of revolutionary action, and through verdicts issued
by revolutionary courts. The history was related in their fashion. But I
can, indeed, tell you that the individuals who were shot were not farmers,
nor armed men, but murderers of the worst sort who, during 7 years of the
Batista dictatorship, murdered women and children, and mothers, and who
burned houses even when they were inhabited.

"That is why we told our people, after the victory of the
revolution: we do not want vengeance, but we do promise you that there will
be justice. We told them that when the revolution was victorious there
would be no looting, and no revenge; therefore, after the war, we
instituted laws to execute the henchmen.

"We cannot overlook the operations that were set up by the CIA,
the thousands of parachutists who were landed with weapons in various
provinces of our nation; the activities that have been carried out from
Central America, Guatemala and Nicaragua, using B-26 planes loaded with
bombs to strafe our people; when they attacked Girony and killed in a
cowardly way.

"We requested aid from the Western nations to maintain our
revolution; we asked Belgium for the means to purchase weapons with which
to protect our position, and they refused it. We were present at the
National Institute of Agrarian Reform, and heard, in the distance, this
explosion of bombs. All this we cannot readily forget.

"And we have managed to stand the aggression from a country which
possesses and produces explosives that are not only powerful enough to kill
one, two or 10 men, but to kill elephants. We have been fighting a powerful
nation, which was only protecting its interests; but we have withstood it
because of the unity of our people, who have rejected the mercenaries, the
fascists, those with the nuclear missiles.

The October Affair

"But, in October, our country did not surrender one iota; on 26
October, our men opened fire on the United States planes. Not a single
Cuban hesitated, or gave it another thought; because they had dignity, they
were willing to die; because they were aware, and we had their support. Our
only regret is that there are still so many murderers roaming over the
earth, who have not yet been executed.

"Hence, the masses have played an important role in the
revolution. That is why no-one can engaged in counterrevolution in our
country; there is not a single counterrevolutionary ant left. Because the
revolutionary laws are being obeyed, and no-one is being tortured, because
torture is for cowards.

"Cuba's expulsion from the OAS is unjustified. why was the United
States not expelled for its intervention in Cuba, Nicaragua, Panama,
Guatemala and the Dominican Republic?"

Castro's final remarks were as follows:

"The press and everyone in our nation is working for Cuba; not as in
other countries, where mercantilism is inspired, where the greed of merchants
becomes effective when no-one can buy what is advertised.

"How many children die within a year of their birth? Count, and
you will find that it is over a million. This is a crime, and anyone who
does not act to help such children is a murderer of our people. Therein
lies the difference.

"It is the aim of every revolutionary to surmount the differences;
for, today, it is no longer a dream, but there is an unmitigated desire to
progress and to defend ourselves.

"The relations can be set aside; we shall have time to look into
them.

"I applaud Doctor Velasco's address, and the fact that he invited
all the representatives with progressive ideas. We shall never forget
today's dinner. We are certain that Ecuador will make very great progress.

"International unity must be based upon justice. The destinies of
our nations must be directed toward progress in the future."
-END-