-DATE-
19810728
-YEAR-
1981
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
SPEECH
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
MASS RALLY-NATL. UPRISING DAY(28TH ANNIVERSARY)
-PLACE-
LAS TUNAS
-SOURCE-
PRAVDA
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19810728
-TEXT-
PRAVDA CITES CASTRO CLAIM OF U.S. GERM WARFARE

PM311007 Moscow PRAVDA in Russian 28 Jul 81 p 4

[TASS report:  "Fidel Castro Speech"]

[Text] Havana, 27 Jul--The Cuban people are fully resolved to continue
building a socialist society, to develop the national economy and
strengthen the homeland's defense capability despite U.S. imperialism's
constant hostile intrigues against Cuba, said Fidel Castro, first secretary
of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee and president of the
republic's Councils of State and Ministers. He was speaking at a mass rally
in the city of Las Tunas marking the national Uprising Day--the 28th
anniversary of the heroic storming of the Moncada Barracks.

F. Castro resolutely condemned the aggressive foreign policy course of the
U.S. administration and the U.S. subversive actions against Cuba.
Throughout our country's postrevolutionary history, he said, Washington has
constantly tried to obstruct the building of socialism in Cuba. U.S.
imperialism's sinister plans are very familiar to us. Economic blockade and
sabotage, the organization of terrorist acts and attempts on the lives of
Cuban leaders and attempts to damage our agriculture and destroy harvests
or sugarcane, tobacco and other crops are certainly no inventions of ours.
These hostile actions were given widespread publicity and even the U.S.
Senate was forced to admit the existence of such plans.

Imperialism's hostile anti-Cuban actions continue today, F. Castro
continued. Only recently in the Province of Matanzas a group of saboteurs
who had come from the U.S. territory was arrested. Their mission was to
organize attempts on the lives of Cuban leaders during the present
celebrations in Las Tunas. Along with other groups of
counterrevolutionaries, who were expected to land later, they were also to
perpetrate a number of acts of sabotage whose purpose was to undermine the
national economy. Amazingly, the U.S. administration has so far said
nothing about this. It remains silent, moreover, regarding the boastful
statements by representatives of Miami-based Cuban counterrevolutionary
organizations about preparing new attempts on the lives of Cuban party and
government leaders.

Official Washington is continuing the policy of economic blockade against
our country and is doing its best to prevent us from getting credits from
West European and other countries. At the same time, there are plans for
provocative military maneuvers off the Cuban coast and a landing on
illegally occupied Cuban territory at Guantanamo. Considering all this and
knowing the cynicism and dirty methods employed by the CIA against our
country, we have every reason to suppose that biological weapons are being
used against us.

F. Castro mentioned the unusual outhreaks in the last 2 years of dangerous
sugarcane and tobacco diseases, and also the epidemic of African swine
fever which has killed many hogs. At the moment, he said, there is an
epidemic of dengue in Cuban (Dengue is a dangerous fever carried by
mosquitoes. It is accompanied by high temperature and bleeding from mouth
and ears.) Over 270,000 cases have been recorded in the last 7 weeks. More
than 100 people have died--most of them children. It is well known that
since World War II the United States has been intensively developing
chemical, biological and bacteriological weapons. We know of the barbaric
use of these weapons in Vietnam and certain other countries. In October
1980 the paper GRANMA reported on the Pentagon's criminal plans to use
these types of weapons against the Soviet Union and Cuba. The U.S.
administration, F. Castro said, must be clearly and fully aware of the
danger of adventures using bacteriological weapons. We also demand that the
U.S. authorities consider the possible consequences of the CIA's new plans
to organize terrorist acts against Cuba.

Dwelling on the country's economic development, F. Castro stressed in
particular that the 6 months of the 1st year of the current 5-year plan
have seen the highest indicators since the revolution. The harvesting and
refining of the sugarcane harvest were efficient and very well organized.
The plan for planting the cane and cultivating the plantations was
exceeded. Labor productivity at industrial enterprises increased by 12
percent compared with the same period last year. Industrial output
increased by 14 percent and nickel concentrate production increased by
nearly 5 percent. There was a considerable increase in construction and
excellent results were achieved by agricultural and transportation workers.
All over the country there continues intensive construction of schools,
hospitals, housing and industrial enterprises. They include the country's
first nuclear power station, which is being constructed with Soviet
assistance. Thus, F. Castro noted, it can be said that the results of the
first 6 months fully accord with the tasks of the all-round development of
the economy and of raising the country's level of defense capability
determined by the Second PCC Congress. More than half a million Cubans have
voluntarily joined Territorial People's Militia formations and have
undergone the requisite training. We are fully determined to work for the
good of the people and to defend the gains of the revolution, the Cuban
leader said in conclusion.
-END-