-DATE-
19840727
-YEAR-
1984
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
SPEECH
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CUBAN NATIONAL DAY MEETING
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
MOSCOW TASS
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19840730
-TEXT-
CASTRO SPEAKS AT CUBAN NATIONAL DAY MEETING

LD272240 Moscow TASS in English 2147 GMT 27 Jul 84

[Text] Havana July 27 TASS -- TASS correspondents Aleksandr Voropaev and
Oleg Kolesnikov report:

First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba,
Chairman of the State Council and Council of Ministers of the Republic
Fidel Castro said that the Cuban people is firmly determined to continue
confidently marching along the chosen road of socialist development. Fidel
Castro spoke at a meeting in Cienfuegos devoted to the day of the national
uprising, the 31st anniversary of the storming of the Moncada Barracks.

The speaker dwelt at length on the social and economic development of the
Cienfuegos Province, once backward area of Cuba.

The example of this province, he said, is not a particular case but the
reflection of the achievements of our revolution.

Cuba's successes assume special significance in view of the fact that the
country achieved them in the period of the most profound economic crisis
through which the world capitalist system is living, the Cuban leader said.
Relatively recently such a situation would mean hunger and poverty for the
people. What would have happened to us if there had not been not for the
revolution in Cuba, what would have happened to us if we were not building
socialism? Imperialists declare that if Cuba wishes to live in peace it
must disrupt its relations with socialist countries. This is something they
will never see. And the point is not only that this is a matter of
principle. The point is that Cuba's relations with the socialist community
are an earnest [as received] of our steady development.

Touching upon the international situation, Fidel Castro said that tension
is now mounting in the world. It intensified most sharply after the
deployment of first strike nuclear weapons near the borders of countries of
the socialist community. Tension is heightening in the Middle East, in
Central America, in Southern Africa, Fidel Castro said.

The Soviet Union came out with a clear offer to start talks on nuclear
armaments in order to avoid the uncontrolled race of this type of
armaments, the speaker said. The Soviet Union expressed the readiness to
resume the talks on nuclear arms limitation as soon as NATO's measures that
had resulted in the disruption of these talks are called off.

Socialist countries have never sought to impose social changes on the other
side by force, Fidel Castro stressed. V.I. Lenin was the first to proclaim
the principle of peaceful coexistence of states with different social
systems. The idea of the destruction of the revolution by force has always
been part of the philosophy of imperialism and all reactionary systems that
existed in history.

However, mistaken are those who believe that the socialist community can be
crushed and will capitulate. Wrong are those who believe that a truly
revolutionary movement, a revolutionary people can be compelled to
surrender.

Our independence and sovereignty, revolutionary principles, socio-political
system are sacred and unshakable, Fidel Castro said. We do not threaten
anyone. It is fully to hear allegations that Cuba, Nicaragua and El
Salvador threaten imperialism. [sentence as received] All our efforts are
aimed at protecting the motherland.

Those who try to erode our gains will have to fight us and pay a dear
price, but will not achieve their goal. We neither overestimate nor
underestimate our forces. We are prepared to fight and die. But we are also
prepared to conduct talks.

We have the sacred notions which have to be defended. We have achievements,
we have future, we have our life that differs from the life of other
peoples of the Western Hemisphere who live in our past which is the present
for them. No one will be able to bring us back to the past. Fidel Castro
said in conclusion.
-END-