Latin American Network Information Center - LANIC

-DATE-
19720614
-YEAR-
1972
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
SPEECH
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO VISITS WEST BERLIN BORDER
-PLACE-
BERLIN
-SOURCE-
EAST BERLIN ADN INTL SVC
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19720614
-TEXT-
Speaks to Troops

East Berlin ADN International Service in German 2144 GMT 14 Jun 72 L

[Text] Berlin--The indestructible class and arms comradeship of the Cuban
Revolutionary Armed Forces and the GDR's National People's Army was
affirmed by the first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party Central
Committee, Premier Fidel Castro, Wednesday evening at a meeting at the
Nikolay Bezarin Barracks in Berlin.

Soldiers and officers welcomed their distinguished guest with shouts
acclaiming Cuban-German friendship, the joint anti-imperialist struggle and
the indestructible fighting alliance with the Soviet Union. Major Fidel
Castro made a speech interrupted frequently by applause and shouts of
acclaim.

Fidel Castro said: "Since we arrived in your country we have given much
thought to and grasped the enormous difficulties placed in your path by
imperialism as you develop your country.

These difficulties created by imperialism around the GDR, these
difficulties created by imperialism in the center of the GDR, are truly
incredible. Thus, we can also fully grasp the problems, the difficulties
and the hard struggle--the political and economic struggle, the struggle in
the field of education and culture-which the people of the GDR must wage
here in the first line of combat here at the border, in the face of the
imperialist world."

The statesman continued: "We have a territory in our country occupied by
the United States. The United States has a naval base there. It is situated
in the Oriente Province in the are a of Guantanamo. We also have a strong
border brigade there. For years we have learned there the methods and
provocations, the crimes of the imperialists. The Americans have always
used this area for the subversive activity to carry out coups. For this
reason we understand and appreciate the service you are performing here."

Castro stressed: "It is very important to know that the people of the GDR
have great confidence in you, that they are truly proud of you. The
comrades of the party and the citizens of socialist Berlin have told us
with great satisfaction about the activity of the border troops, speaking
with great admiration for you and for your services. You are always facing
the imperialist foe here. You always feel the presence of this enemy. Yet
at the same time this is strengthening the soldiers, it makes them more
experienced."

Fidel Castro said to the border troops: "You are protecting the socialist
community, here in the heart of Europe, at one of the focal points, at one
of the most difficult places, in one of the most complicated situations,
opposite a country which practices in order to build its economy, in order
top develop, to overcome difficulties, a country which had a very difficult
beginning, namely total destruction. With the help of the Soviet Union,
which was also a theater of war and suffered tremendously, with the
solidarity of the socialist countries you overcame difficulties in order to
achieve what you have today."

He said further: "What you have achieved is indeed a great political and a
great revolutionary accomplishment. One can see it everywhere. One sees it
in the new generation, one sees it in the schools, one sees it in the
children, in the wonderful education which they have received. One sees it
in the quality of the education. But primarily one senses the spirit behind
it, the feeling of solidarity and the internationalist spirit. We have no
doubt that a great political and revolutionary victory has been won in the
GDR.

"You have created the foundations for the future, a truly revolutionary
state, a border state to whom the future belongs. You are the new
generation, which will continue this work."
-END-


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