-DATE- 19770723 -YEAR- 1977 -DOCUMENT_TYPE- INTERVIEW -AUTHOR- F.CASTRO -HEADLINE- SWEDISH-PRODUCED DOCUMENTARY FILM "HISTORY WILL -PLACE- HAVANA -SOURCE- HAVANA DOMESTIC TV -REPORT_NBR- FBIS -REPORT_DATE- 19770726 -TEXT- CASTRO IN TV FILM DISCUSSES ANGOLA, SOUTHERN AFRICA FL251324Y Havana Domestic Television Service in Spanish 0030 GMT 23 Jul 77 FL [Statements by Cuban President Fidel Castro to unidentified interviewer-narrator in Swedish-produced documentary film on Cuba "History Will Absolve Me," shown on Havana television to mark the inauguration of its color television movie system] [Excerpts] [Castro] In other words, a victory in 1953 possibly could have been frustrated later by imperialism. However, 6 years later was the precise and right moment when the change in the world's balance of forces allowed us to survive. If we had triumphed in 1953, perhaps we would not have survived. After the triumph of the revolution, all steps of the new government were aimed at fulfilling the Moncada program. One of the points of the Moncada program covered agrarian reform, which affected the big agricultural interests of imperialism in Cuba since the most and the best land in this country belonged to North American companies. Implementation of the Moncada program directly led us to a clash with imperialism. Imperialism was not accustomed to accepting progressive social change in Latin America and it immediately put into practice a number of measures. Therefore, it can be asserted that the revolution became more intensified as imperialism increased it attacks. This does not mean that radicalization of the revolution came about because of the actions of imperialism. However, it can be asserted that the actions of imperialism accelerated the (?revolutionary) process. They [the United States] underestimated Cuba and the Cuban revolution. That was logical, since they were used to doing whatever they pleased in this hemisphere. But they suffered a lesson, they learned a lesson at Giron: One could not underestimate, could not ignore the people of Latin America. They had solved other problems, as in Guatemala, with similar actions and they were used to drafting their plans and eliminating Latin American political processes in one way or another. However, they could not eliminate the Cuban political process with any weapon. They could not do it with economic aggression or with military aggression or with political aggression. They could not do it with the OAS or the blockade or anything. However, in other Latin American countries they have always eliminated progressive political processes with those weapons. The only political process in this hemisphere that truly has been able to maintain itself has been the Cuban one. Their struggle against the progressive process in Peru is being developed in a much more subtle way--by blocking credits and creating all types of economic difficulties without adopting direct blockade actions. They have used different weapons in different countries: They used the army in Chile: They are using economic weapons in Peru. And they have also taken action in other countries: They took action in Brazil: they took action Uruguay; they took action in Paraguay; they took action in Argentina in one way or another. The CIA took action in Argentina to eliminate the Argentine political process. The rightist organization, that so-called AAA organization, all those criminal bands that have assassinated hundreds of men, women and children in Argentina were organized by the CIA. But, that is a historic characteristic of imperialism. It has always acted this way, even before the Cuban revolution, except that the Cuban revolution increased imperialism's fear of political changes in Latin America. Hundreds of schools are being built every year. An industrial development program is also underway. Many social construction projects are being completed. Moreover, we are beginning to raise the rate of housing construction, although this problem is the hardest to solve and will require much more time. [Interviewer] Much housing construction remains to be done in Cuba. [Castro] Hundred of thousands of housing units. Of course, we cannot devote more resources to this task. We have to devote our fundamental resources to solving the problems of education, public health and economic, industrial and agricultural development. But our most immediate potential is in agriculture since we have the natural resources for that. And I believe that this is the big problem the Third World countries have--lack of technical preparation and lack of resources to achieve and intensive agricultural development. Much training is required, many schools are required and many qualified personnel are required to wage this battle. As you can understand, modern technology cannot be applied in a society of illiterates and, of course, the results are not immediate. I would say that work must be done now to preclude the problem which the world is going to have with food in 20, 25 or 30 years. And, of course, I have doubt that these are very serious problems. Actually, we have done these works [presumably farming projects] not only to solve our problems but also with the idea that this can help as a contribution toward solving the food problems of other countries. [Interviewer] So, this struggle is (?necessary) to come out of underdevelopment. [Castro] It is a truly titanic task to overcome underdevelopment, and even more so under the situation of Cuba, which is blockaded by the United States. [Interviewer] But the blockade has been broken. [Castro] Well, the blockade is relatively broken but it is still affecting us quite a bit. It is relatively broken because they have been unable to impose it throughout the world. However, the United States has broad influence in many countries, which limits economic and technological relations with us and forces us to buy in distant places and pay enormous transportation costs. It also creates financial and many other difficulties for us, but we are overcoming them. [At this point the movie shows scenes of Angolan President Agostinho Neto's visit to Cuba in July 1976 with the narrator providing details of the visit. After showing Neto sitting next to Castro and speaking briefly in Portuguese and Castro speaking briefly at the 26 July 1976 public rally, the film cuts to Castro discussing the situation in southern Africa.] [Castro] When the CIA intervention came, when Zairian troops invaded Angola on the north, but above all, when South African regular troops invaded Angola on 23 October, we could not sit with out arms folded. And when the MPLA requested our assistance, we offered the necessary assistance to prevent a people who had struggled for their independence for almost 14 years from being crushed, to prevent the assassination of tens of thousands of revolutionaries, to prevent apartheid from being installed in Angola, the CIA from installing itself in Angola, and necolonialism and imperialism from being installed in Angola. It was our elemental duty, our revolutionary duty and our internationalist duty to offer our support to the MPLA at any cost. There is no reason for our country to regret that sacrifice and that effort. [Interviewer] It was said that Cuba sent assistance at the request of the Soviet Union. [Castro] Look, I can assure you of one thing. Given the type of relations that exist between the Soviet Union and Cuba and given the policy practiced by the Soviet Union, the Soviet Government and the Soviet Party would never have asked Cuba to send a single man to Angola. A decision of that nature could only have been made by our party and our government. Those who can claim such a thing do not know Cuba, do not know the Soviet Union and do not know the relations that exist between the Soviet Union and Cuba. That is such a delicate issue, such a serious issue that no country can ask another to do that. The imperialists know that. The imperialists know it. They know it. They are not so ill informed to really not know how things happened in connection with Angola. It is a historic law that independence cannot be brought from the outside. Independence is the fundamental task of the people of each country. And the duty of the revolutionary peoples of the world is to help countries that are struggling for their liberation. In this sense, we will fulfill our internationalist duty toward the peoples of Africa. We are gradually reducing our military personnel in Angola and increasing our civilian assistance. Of course, we will continue to extend military collaboration with Angola for the defense of the country against any external aggression for the indispensable period of time that the Angolans require to organize, train and equip their army. But we are not reducing our military personnel and increasing our civilian personnel. We are prepared... [Castro does not finish thought] We do not have many economic resources. Let us say that we cannot offer important financial assistance to Angola. We cannot offer important material assistance since our country also has to develop itself economically and socially. [Subject changes to Rhodesia and South Africa.] I believe that the struggle will be a long one because the Rhodesian regime, the Ian Smith regime is not alone. The South African regime is not alone. They are strongly supported by imperialism. Without imperialist support, neither could the fascist minority government remain in Rhodesia nor South Africa maintain apartheid, which is one of the most shameful, unworthy, criminal and repugnant institutions of modern times. It is impossible that 300,000 whites will continue to rule eternally and impose their law on almost 5 million Rhodesians. It is impossible for 3 million white racists to continue humiliating, exploiting, discriminating and oppressing almost 20 million blacks in South Africa. However, we believe that that situation cannot last indefinitely. And, although the struggle will be a long one, the racists in Rhodesia and later the racists of South Africa will have to face defeat. Neither Africa nor the world can tolerate this situation. Therefore, I do not have the slightest doubt of the final victory of the African peoples over racism. -END-