-DATE-
19721126
-YEAR-
1972
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
SPEECH
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
2ND NATL ASSEMBLY OF THE CDR
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA PRELA
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19721127
-TEXT-
FIDEL CASTRO ADDRESSES CDR CLOSING MEETING

Havana PRELA in Spanish 0025 GMT 26 Nov 72 C--FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

[Text] Havana, 25 Nov--by Felix Olivera--Prime Minister Fidel Castro today
closed the second national assembly of the Committees for the Defense of
the Revolution (CDR), which have been meeting here for the past 5 days.
Fidel spoke to approximately 900 delegates, who represented 4.2 million CDR
members.

The prime minister emphasized the importance of the CDR in the development
of the revolution. He recalled days when the revolution had to confront
terrorists and other enemies, adding that Cuba is now living in different
times. He said that the first phase of the revolution was characterized by
ideological struggle, when more than a million Cubans who could neither
read nor write were often confused and could be called political
illiterates.

Fidel explained how the CDR has been helpful in channeling the revolution
of the masses, adding that the CDR's efficiency improves as the revolution
progresses. He referred to the revolution's efforts to end the country's
underdevelopment and quoted investment figures in industrial construction
and in the agriculture and livestock sectors.

Regarding educational plans, Maj Fidel Castro said that the 44 primary
schools recently opened are taking care of more students than all the
boarding schools that existed before the triumph of the revolution,
including private schools. He added that these boarding schools--in which
the students receive agricultural training--will have increased four- fold
by 1976, and he mentioned a system that has been put into effect to
encourage primary school children in work habits. These children work in
noneconomic gardens and assemble toys of wood and of other materials.

Maj Fidel Castro personally distributed copies of the first edition of (?a
publication) containing pictures and writings on his recent tour of African
and European socialist countries.

The delegates read a statement committing themselves to complete their
task--scheduled for completion on 28 September 1973--2 months before the
deadline. In this way they will salute the 20th anniversary of the attack
on the Moncada Barracks on 26 July. The CDR assembly analyzed methods and
the fulfillment of tasks that were set in the previous assembly and set new
goals for 1973.
-END-