Latin American Network Information Center - LANIC

-DATE-
19720625
-YEAR-
1972
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
APPEARANCE
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
PEACE RALLY
-PLACE-
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
-SOURCE-
PRAGUE CTK INTERNATIONAL
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19720626
-TEXT-
Peace Rally Held

Prague CTK International Service in English 1743 GMT 25 Jun 72 L

[Text] Prague June 25 CETEKA--Dr Fidel Castro Ruz, first secretary of the
Cuban Communist Party and premier, and other members of the Cuban
delegation attended a peace rally of Czechoslovak-Cuban friendship in
Houstaka near Stara Boleslav, Central Bohemia, this afternoon.

Places of honour at the sports stadium in Houstaka were taken, besides the
Cuban guests, by Gustav Husak, general secretary of the Czechoslovak
Communist Party Central Committee, Czechoslovak Premier Lubomir Strougal,
member of the Presidium of the Czechoslovak Communist Party Central
Committee, and other members of the Presidium--Vasil Bilak and Josef
Korcak--as well as Milos Jakes, chairman of the Central Control and
Auditing Commission of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, Czechoslovak
Deputy Premier Jindrich Zahradnik, and Czechoslovak Foreign Minister
Bohuslav Chnoupek.

The rally was opened by Vaclav Hajek, head secretary of the Central
Bohemian Regional Committee of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, who
welcomed the guests from the first socialist country on the American
continent.

A short speech was delievered by member of Fidel Castro's entourage, Luis
Gonzales Marturelo, representative of the Cuban National Committee for
Defense of the Revolution, who appreciated Czechoslovak assistance in the
construction of Cuba's power system.

The next to take the floor was Gustav Husak, head of the Czechoslovak
Communist Party and Government delegation.

The participants in the rally greatly applauded the final words of Gustav
Husak's speech, voicing Czechoslovak's solidarity with the Cuban people and
support for the anti-imperialist movement on all continents.

The next speaker was Fidel Castro, who took the floor to great ovations.

Fidel Castro stressed the importance of internationalist bonds in the
struggle against world imperialism, adding that the leadership of the
Communist Party of Cuba consistently supports the new line of the
leadership of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, and for this reason,
Czechoslovak-Cuban relations have never been better than at present.

Fidel Castro dedicated part of his speech to the expansion of American
imperialism in Vietnam. He sharply condemned the efforts of imperialist
forces to prevent a progressive development of mankind on the road to
socialism and communism. He spoke about his impressions from his visit to
Czechoslovak and appreciated the successes Czechoslovakia has attained in
socialist construction.

In the concluding part of his speech, Fidel Castro stressed that he and his
entourage would leave Czechoslovakia convinced that the Czechoslovak people
will continue advancing along their revolutionary road, the principles of
Marxism-Leninism have ever deeper roots in Czechoslovakia, the Czechoslovak
Communist Party is supported by the masses, and that Czechoslovakia is a
firm link in the socialist camp. He assured the Czechoslovak people that
the Cuban Communist Party and people are their loyal brothers.

Fidel Castro and other members of the Cuban delegation returned to Prague
after the rally.
-END-


LANIC |