-DATE-
19880101
-YEAR-
1988
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
SPEECH
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO SPEECH AT CHILD CARE CENTER TAKE 16 OF 17
-PLACE-
HAVANA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA DOMESTIC SPANISH
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19880101
-TEXT-
REF FL062158 HAVANA DOMESTIC SPANISH 310118///PARTY LEADING US.

Take 16 of 17 -- Cuba:  Castro Speech at Child Care Center

fl080139

[Text] The party today also deserves our special gratitude and our most
sincere recognition.  We mean the party at the national, capital, and
municipal levels.  You know how the work was accomplished.  The
mini-brigade movement is the work of the party.  The party's mission is to
lead the people; not to administrate but to lead, formulate policy, and
ensure that it is carried out.  When we would say that 30,000 mini-brigade
workers were needed, the party made sure that today, 31 December [corrects
himself] 30 December, we would have 31,000 mini-brigade workers.  When we
needed contingents for the Julio Diaz, Salvador Allenge, El Gato Dam, Blas
Roca, then the party would take care of it silently.  The municipal leaders
and units would go to work and, in 72 hours, in 4 days the party, Union of
Young Communists, or vanguard members would already have been selected.
And there you would have a contingent, and what a contingent!

Chavez just told us that there are 24 new contingents.  We know what a
contingent is.  Where there's a contingent, there are no obstacles that
cannot overcome.  There are contingents for the exposition center, social
works, and schools which are larger than centers, and we have 24 of them.
The polyclinics are larger than the child care centers, and there are 20 of
them.  There is a great, great number of them.  And there are new ones
(?emerging).  We are determined to expand the neurological, cardiology, and
cardiovascular surgery institutes.  We are determined to expand the
Fernandez Coro.  We are going to continue doing things.

We must have an army ready for anything, to back up the Micons if
necessary at any point.  The Micons has great tasks.  It is a great
challenge to have the Miguel Henriquez and (Albarran) finished by 31
December next year.  When our Micons comrades are working hard, with honor,
consciousness, and responsibility and they need the help from the
mini-brigade workers, we will also give them the help of the mini-brigade
workers, just as we expect them to cooperate with us in the industries, in
the reinforced concrete project and others.  A close fraternity has been
created between this mini-brigade movement and the Micons professional
construction workers.

As I say, the party has been at the center of this movement.  Our
admiration had been great toward the party, as well as our conviction of
the importance of the party's role.  However, I can assure you at this
ceremony, that this understanding, consciousness, and admiration toward the
party has grown even more throughout this year.  So, we have everything.
The party has been able to group together, unite, and look for the
cooperation of all the state central organizations, enterprises, and mass
organization.  Few times had I seen the presence at ceremonies of almost
all the ministers and all the leaders of the most important sectors.  This
is because all of them have made this project theirs.  All of them have
enjoyed these successes.  All of the state central organizations,
enterprises, and work centers from where the mini-brigade workers came have
enjoyed these successes.

This is why I say that if this year has been good, I am sure that 1988
will be better.  If this year has been a historic turning point [applause]
of the revolution, 1988 will be the year of the consolidation of this
process.  It will be the year of its consolidation in the midst of the
greatest limitations, fewer resources, less convertible currency, and
imports from the convertible currency area, and in the midst of the
difficulties we have and will continue to have in 1988, 1989, and 1990.
But as we work more and better, the difficulties will diminish in the
future.

Therefore, Comrades, with great optimism, enthusiasm, and
encouragement, I would like to congratulate all of you for what you have
done.  I would like to congratulate the 31,000 mini-brigade workers,
contingents, all who have worked, project planners, technicians, and
engineers who participated.  [applause] I would like to congratulate them
for what they have done, for having been examples, vanguards, and for
bringing enthusiasm, faith, and optimism to our people.
-END-