-DATE-
19910320
-YEAR-
1991
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
-AUTHOR-
-HEADLINE-
Castro Addresses Antonio Maceo Contingent
-PLACE-
CARIBBEAN / Cuba
-SOURCE-
Havana Tele Rebelde Network
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS-LAT-91-055
-REPORT_DATE-
19910321
-HEADER-
BRS Assigned Document Number:    000004417
Report Type:         Daily Report             AFS Number:     FL2003214891
Report Number:       FBIS-LAT-91-055          Report Date:    21 Mar 91
Report Series:       Daily Report             Start Page:     8
Report Division:     CARIBBEAN                End Page:       9
Report Subdivision:  Cuba                     AG File Flag:   
Classification:      UNCLASSIFIED             Language:       Spanish
Document Date:       20 Mar 91
Report Volume:       Thursday Vol VI No 055

Dissemination:  

City/Source of Document:   Havana Tele Rebelde Network

Report Name:   Latin America

Headline:   Castro Addresses Antonio Maceo Contingent

Subheadline:   Castro's Address Broadcast

Author(s):   President Fidel Castro at awards ceremony for the Antonio Maceo
Contingent in Guines municipality, Havana Province, date not
given--recorded]

Source Line:   FL2003214891 Havana Tele Rebelde Network in Spanish 1130 GMT 20
Mar 91

Subslug:   [Speech by President Fidel Castro at awards ceremony for the Antonio
Maceo Contingent in Guines municipality, Havana Province, date not
given--recorded]

-TEXT-
FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE:
1.  [Speech by President Fidel Castro at awards ceremony for the Antonio Maceo
Contingent in Guines municipality, Havana Province, date not given--recorded]

2.  [Text] I know something about the activities at this camp because I have
passed through this area two or three times. I have seen two or three other
groups. I came here on the occasion of the visit by the Namibian president. 
Salmeron [not further identified] kidnapped me and brought me here. Even
before, I had greeted a brigade that was working in the fields.

3.  I think that one of the notable things--and not a single word has been said
about it here--is that you have already completed the time you were going to
spend here. They told me you would like to harvest the potatoes you had been
weeding and planting, and you yourselves prolonged your working day. How many
more days, Salmeron? [Answer indistinct] You prolonged your working day, not
your working day [corrects himself], your stay here by almost two more weeks.
It was already known that the results were very good. Then I think there was
talk about some weddings as jokes here, and today they told me there will be
some real weddings. The comrades in management invited me to participate in the
weddings.

4.  There is another event connected with the wedding, another anecdote that I
cannot forget. It was the day you invited a group of internationalists to the
reception hosted by the Namibian president. I arrived late. I was arguing that
the wedding could not take place on the 20th, that I had a meeting on the 20th,
and that I could not miss the meeting, and that was the way it had to be.  I
did not want to propose the wedding take place on 21 March so that your stay at
the camp would be prolonged more. I said to Salmeron: No, the wedding can be on
19 March because it is not possible.... [changes thought] He said: No, no, no,
it can be on the 20th. I almost proposed 25 March. [laughter] Well, if it has
to be on 20 March it will be. We made a commitment for the 20th. One could see
the spirit of commitment until the end in staying one more day. I said: At
least a day less; the solution depends on not holding it on the 20th.

5.  You have to understand that after the comrades have stayed here so many
days, they would like pay a visit to their home, or to the unit, or to work. In
addition, one had to consider those who were going to get married. What should
we do?  Extend it one more day? [Words indistinct] of the contingent. You
created a contingent. Is that not so? What did you name the contingent? [People
answer: Antonio Maceo Contingent] [Words indistinct] This is why we have held
the wedding on the 19th.

6.  I believe that with your efforts you have honored the name of the Armed
Forces. You are doing what must be done at this time, during this harsh and
difficult period we are experiencing. You have shown that you are men and women
of Baragua who do what must be done in view of the situation we are
experiencing and because the revolution demands it. The revolution has always
demanded great effort, work, and sacrifices but this time it is demanding more
hard work than ever before. We are proud to count on young people like you.
[Words indistinct] we appreciate all this. A large number of comrades have
gathered here. Comrade Raul [Castro] has come as well as Comrade [Juan] Almeida
and Comrade [Roberto] Robaina. I saw Ulises [Rosales del Toro] around there. I
think I saw Polito [not further identified]. [Raul Castro says: Polito is
there, the chief of the political direction (words indistinct).] I have seen a
number of comrades.... [Raul Castro, interrupting, says: Carlos Lage]. Lage
came with me; that is why I.... [laughter] [changes thought] The most prominent
chiefs of the party and the Revolutionary Armed Forces are here.  This small
but symbolic ceremony means a lot.

7.  You have also set the tone it should have had, happy and youthful. In
addition, with the real wedding, very good children, very good heirs, very good
dependents of the couples should come out of here. I imagine that the couples
who got married are members of the contingent.  [Speaker says: They already
knew each other. They did not meet here.] Yes, but do not explain all this to
me.  [laughter] I am not asking you about this. So what if you had met each
other here? Great, you had known each other before, came together, and ended up
getting married. Excellent.

8.  I was thinking about the genetic quality of the children that are going to
result of this because if they inherit the work spirit of the father and
mother, they will be capable of exceeding you. Nobody knows what man can
achieve.  Perhaps when the ones who come after you learn that you said you had
the best results up to now, there may be others who will dedicate themselves so
much that they will surpass you, even if the same circumstances are not present
since you were able to extend your stay and you are more experienced. There was
a comrade who said someone was being called the machine. [laughter] I said: A
potato machine? They said: Of everything.

9.  So, we join in your happiness and your success and congratulate you. I was
thinking about what to give the brides and grooms. Some days ago a Korean
delegation came here and they gave me a little bottle of the root of life
[laughter]. They say that the root of life is a root that is very good, very
healthy, which prolongs youth and life and I do not know what else. [laughter]
I said: What people need on their wedding day is [words indistinct] [laughter]
and I brought a little bottle of root of life. I recommend that you do not
drink it all at one time on the first day. I wish you a lot of happiness,
comrades.  Socialism or death! Fatherland or death! We will win!  [crowd joins
in the slogan] [applause]
-END-