-DATE-
19720528
-YEAR-
1972
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
SPEECH
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
PLOIESTI SPEECH
-PLACE-
ROMANIA
-SOURCE-
BUCHAREST SCINTEIA
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19720530
-TEXT-
Castro Ploiesti Speech

[Text] Dear friends of Ploiesti, I do not know whether you know much about
Cuba. Cuba is a small island in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, very near
the United States. The first socialist revolution in Latin America is
unfolding there. (loud applause) Conditions are not easy. The closeness to
a strong and aggressive enemy, the poverty left by imperialism in our
country make the Cuban revolution a difficult task. Apart from this, we are
part of Latin America, a region of the world which has about 300 million
inhabitants. One day, when the revolution is triumphant in the other Latin
American states, we will unite with the other peoples to form the Latin
American peoples' community. This is why the revolution is necessary, this
is why socialism is needed.

But how can the Cuba revolution resist--at a distance of only 90 miles from
the United States--the plans and aggression of imperialism? It can resist
by educating the people politically, by educating it in the spirit of the
Marxist-Leninist ideology, by stirring its political awareness and by
showing it which--above all-- are its revolutionary obligations and duties
and its international duties. This is why imperialist ideology could not
penetrate among the ranks of our people and it could not penetrate among
the ranks of our youth. (loud applause) Therefore, although we are a small
and poor country, our people are resisting and will continue to attain
achievements. In our country it is the party which educates the people in
the spirit of a profound internationalist feeling. First and foremost we
show the people that we are part and parcel of mankind and that our duty is
to struggle for and assist those peoples struggling against colonialism and
imperialism. The support granted to the Vietnamese people is one of the
most glorious and heroic chapters of our epoch. Therefore, our people are
unconditionally supporting the struggle of the Vietnamese people. Our
position toward imperialism is firm: no step backward, no concession! (loud
applause)

This characterizes our revolutionary position and our revolutionary line,
this characterizes our struggle today and will characterize our struggle
tomorrow at the side of the Latin American peoples.

Today we had the pleasure of visiting this region, this town, its major
industrial units, of talking to workers and technicians, we had the
pleasure of visiting the modern industry which is developing, the new
cadres capable of mastering science and technology and of determining the
turning of Romania into a strongly industrialized country. We have visited
the industrial petrochemical group and also the machine building industry,
where petroleum drilling equipment is produced and of which 28 are
operating in our country. Finally, we had the opportunity to become
acquainted with this city and to greet you, we had the opportunity to see
your enthusiasm and particularly your hospitality and your brotherly
spirit. (loud, prolonged applause).

We have seen that within a few minutes you had gathered here in great
numbers and there are still more citizens of Ploiesti arriving. This
displays the enthusiasm of men and women of Ploiesti and besides it reminds
us that we, Romanians and Cubans, have similarities in this
respect--political enthusiasm, revolutionary enthusiasm. (loud, prolonger
applause).

We wish to thank you in behalf of the delegation.

Long live friendship between the Romanian and Cuban peoples! (loud,
prolonged applause, ovations for Romanian-Cuban friendship, chants of
"Ceausescu-Castro")
-END-