-DATE-
19840104
-YEAR-
1984
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
ARTICLE
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
PARIS PAPER CARRIES MARCHAIS-CASTRO COMMUNIQUE
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
PARIS L'HUMANITE
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19840120
-TEXT-
PARIS PAPER CARRIES MARCHAIS-CASTRO COMMUNIQUE

PM152040 Paris L'HUMANITE in French 4 Jan 84 p 7

[Apparent text of joint PCF-Cuban declaration issued on 1 January during a
visit to Cuba by PCF Secretary General Marchais: "Solidarity With the
Peoples of Latin America"]

[Text] Georges Marchais and Fidel Castro believe that what characterizes
the situation in this region is the strength of the aspirations to freedom
and the development of the peoples' liberation movement. Their many forms
of express ion clash with the U.S. desire to oppose by all means any
emancipation movement, including armed intervention. The peoples demand the
right to emerge from poverty, to be free from the domination of oligarchies
and multinationals and from the IMF's dictatorship, and they intend to
determine their own future. R. Reagan's desire to keep this particularly
sensitive region under domination is increasing tension and stirring up
conflicts.

The recent events on the small island of Grenada have once again shown the
essence of the policy of force which the United States aspires to impose in
the Central American and Caribbean region. In Grenada, the most powerful
capitalist country used the most sophisticated methods of war against an
infinitely weaker adversary. It systematically used lies and indulged in a
colossal deception and misinformation operation toward the North American
people themselves. The United States showed its disdain for international
law, the UN Charter, and the freedom of peoples.

The PCF and the Communist Party of Cuba welcome the fact that that
intervention was widely condemned by states, international organizations,
and public opinion. France and Cuba, for example, clearly expressed their
condemnation. The two parties call on all democrats to demand the immediate
withdrawal of all foreign troops occupying the island the right of the
Grenadian people to choose their own future in complete freedom, without
foreign interference.

Fidel Castro said how much he appreciated Georges Marchais' statements on
behalf of the French Communists and workers hailing the courage and
internationalist solidarity which the Cuban cooperation workers have shown.

Preventing U.S. Military Adventure

The two parties consider that despite the broad deployment of military and
economic resources and the various political maneuvers used, the North
American Government is not succeeding in attaining the objectives it has
set for itself in Central America. Quite the contrary, its whole policy in
this region is coming up against the Central American peoples' struggle,
strengthened by international solidarity.

The Nicaraguan revolution is being consolidated despite the increased U.S.
hostility and the threat of intervention. Supported by a determined people,
it is achieving results along the path of democratic, social, economic, and
cultural progress. This is costing considerable efforts because of the
obstacles that the conservative forces are setting up on its path.

By its support of the revolutionary Somozist gangs headed by the CIA, the
United States is taking part in the war operations against Nicaragua. The
country is surrounded, the military aggression force has been deployed,
considerable numbers of troops have been deployed, and Honduras has been
turned into a North American military base.

Georges Marchais and Fidel Castro appeal to all the forces of peace and
progress in the world, to all those who, for various motives, support the
Nicaraguan people's cause: It is time for active vigilance alongside
Nicaragua in view of the threats to it.

Mankind's voice must be raised even more strongly to prevent a U.S.
military adventure against free Nicaragua, to thwart the destabilization of
the Sandinist revolution and to end the U.S. intervention in Central
America.

In El Salvador the dictatorship, which survives only thanks to massive U.S.
support, is faced with the advance of the FDR-FMLN patriots, who have taken
the political and military initiative.

In expressing their militant solidarity with the Salvadoran patriots, Fidel
Castro and Georges Marchais stressed the dangers hanging over that country
in that the North American Administration's continuing to prevent any
political solution to the conflict and is stepping up the threats of direct
military intervention.

In Guatemala, the progressive forces grouped in the Guatemalan National
Revolutionary Party are scoring new victories.

The Liberation Struggle Is in Keeping With the Spirit of Our Times

Georges Marchais and Fidel Castro stressed the deep roots of the people's
movement in Latin America, whose fundamental causes are age-old
exploitation and oppression, hunger, illiteracy, and disease, the terrible
scourges of underdevelopment.

Today, as before, it is the imperialist rejection of national and social
liberation that leads to intervention and bloodshed: 50,000 people have
been murdered in El Salvador since 1979; and 100,000 have died in
Guatemala, where the horror has been going on since 1954.

So many crimes and and real genocides are bound to arouse the indignation
of all those who defend human rights. In this connection, the two parties
condemn the selective view of human rights, as have most Western media.

The PCF and the PCC hail the millions of people throughout Latin America
who reject the submission and domination imposed on them for decades, with
many deaths, suffering, sacrifices, and endemic poverty. They welcome the
democratic progress made in many countries on the continent.

Nothing can stop this liberation struggle, because it is just and is in
keeping with the spirit of our times.

To all those peoples struggling courageously for democracy, freedom,
justice, and independence, the PCF and PCC reaffirm their full and complete
solidarity and their intention to continue to work constantly to ensure
that the vast and multifaceted solidarity movement increases still further.

The necessary forces exist to defeat Reagan's warlike policy, which is
fraught with dangers for peace, provided that all men who love peace,
justice, and freedom unite in action.

The talks between the two parties bore witness to their desire to resolve
the conflicts in Central America by means of political negotiation,
respecting the rights of peoples to independence, sovereignty,
self-determination, and noninterference in their affairs.

Toward a Just and Lasting Peace

The PCF and PCC support all initiatives and positive contributions aimed at
a just and lasting peace.

They reiterated their resolute support of the Nicaraguan Government's
constructive and firm positions and the proposals for political dialogue
made by the FDR-FMLN in El Salvador to resolve a conflict that must be
resolved if there is to be peace in Central America. They reiterated their
support for the Contadora Group's efforts.

The two delegations consider that all states, whatever their social
systems, and all peoples on various continents can contribute to a
political settlement for peace in Central America by taking action to
ensure that these constructive proposals prevail.

The PCF and PCC agreed to continue to work, each in its own way and with
its own means, for peace and the recognition of the legitimate rights of
peoples.

Fidel Castro reaffirmed Cuba's desire to make every effort to bring about
the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in the region.

Georges Marchais indicated that the PCF is taking act ion to ensure that
France, by new initiatives, pursues alone or with other countries its
positive action to settle Central America's problems.

Action by the peoples is also vital to bring about disarmament. By
deploying new nuclear weapons in Western Europe, the United States has
assumed the heavy responsibility for a new escalation in the arms race,
which threatens the peace and security of all the peoples of the world.

The two parties advocate an immediate end to this escalation, a negotiated
and balanced reduction of all arms, respecting each country's security.
They hail as a major event of our time the powerful people's movement for
the defense of peace uniting millions of men, women, and young people of
all origins and beliefs on all the continents.

Disarmament and Development

They stress, as the Nonaligned Movement has demanded, that it is vital to
progress toward disarmament to guarantee mankind's survival, and to ensure
that the planet's enormous resources can meet the vast needs of the poorest
countries. That is why the two parties note that the struggle for peace and
the pressing development needs felt by the majority of mankind are
indissolubly linked.

On the 25th anniversary of the Cuban revolution, Georges Marchais expressed
to Fidel Castro and the Cuban people the French Communists' profound
feelings of friendship and solidarity with socialist Cuba. Hailing the
Cuban people's firm desire to defend their revolution and independence, G.
Marchais reaffirmed that the French Communists will always stand by them.

He paid tribute to Cuba's active support of the peoples' struggles and its
constant action to promote peace, developments, and a new international
economic order,

The Cuban revolution, which opened a new era for the peoples of the
continent, gives millions of oppressed, hungry, sick, and illiterate the
example of its achievements, of social progress, justice, freedom, and
dignity.

It is the record and this example that give the Cuban revolution a growing
international prestige and make it the target of increased hostility and
campaigns of lies by imperialism.

Georges Marchais and Fidel Castro noted with satisfaction that there is a
new climate in relations between France and Cuba. There is a broad area of
cooperation in the interest of the two countries and peoples in the most
varied spheres.

Fidel Castro once again expressed to George Marchais the great respect
which the Cuban people and PCC feel for the solidarity that the PCF has
maintained over the years with the Cuban people's struggle and for its
untiring action for rapprochement between the two peoples.

The two parties reiterated their common will, expressed in the statements
of 3 January 1980 and 12 April 1982, to ceaselessly work for peace and
disarmament and for the establishment of a new international order based on
justice, equality, sovereignty, and mutally advantageous cooperation.

They welcomed the profound agreement on essential questions between the PCF
and the PCC and their close relations of friendship and fruitful
cooperation.

The two parties decided to strengthen the ties that unite them in the
interest of peace, the peoples' liberation struggles, and socialism.
-END-