Latin American Network Information Center - LANIC

-DATE-
19911014
-YEAR-
1991
-DOCUMENT TYPE-
-AUTHOR-
-HEADLINE-
Proceedings of Fourth PCC Congress Reported
-PLACE-
CARIBBEAN / Cuba
-SOURCE-
Havana Radio and Television Networks
-REPORT NO.-
FBIS-LAT-91-199-S
-REPORT DATE-
19911015
-HEADER-
*********************
Report Type:         Daily Report             AFS Number:     FL1510010791
Report Number:       FBIS-LAT-91-199-S        Report Date:    15 Oct 91
Report Series:       Latin America            Start Page:     47
Report Division:     CARIBBEAN                End Page:       51
Report Subdivision:  Cuba                     AG File Flag:   
Classification:      UNCLASSIFIED             Language:       Spanish
Document Date:       14 Oct 91

City/Source of Document:   Havana Radio and Television Networks

Report Name:   SUPPLEMENT

Headline:   Proceedings of Fourth PCC Congress Reported

Subheadline:   Castro Closing Speech

Author(s):   President Fidel Castro during the ``revolutionary endorsement
ceremony'' marking the conclusion of the Fourth Communist Party of
Cuba, PCC, Congress from the Major General Antonio Maceo Grajales
Revolution Square in Santiago de Cuba-live]

Source Line:   FL1510010791 Havana Radio and Television Networks in Spanish
2256 GMT 14 Oct 91

Subslug:   [Speech by President Fidel Castro during the ``revolutionary
endorsement ceremony'' marking the conclusion of the Fourth
Communist Party of Cuba, PCC, Congress from the Major General
Antonio Maceo Grajales Revolution Square in Santiago de Cuba-live]

-TEXT-
FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE:
1.  [Speech by President Fidel Castro during the ``revolutionary endorsement
ceremony'' marking the conclusion of the Fourth Communist Party of Cuba, PCC,
Congress from the Major General Antonio Maceo Grajales Revolution Square in
Santiago de Cuba-live]

2.  [Text] People of Santiago de Cuba, compatriots from the entire country:

3.  After five days of hard work, days that lasted 14 or 15 hours, we arrive at
this popular closing ceremony of the Fourth Communist Party of Cuba [PCC]
Congress. I am not going to be long. I do not even know what the press has
published. We have not been able to read it. I do not know either what the
television has carried of that which we have discussed. I understand that
television has covered the congress extensively. I have no way of knowing which
ideas are going to be reported. That is why I will have to limit myself to some
essential points.

4.  The first thing I want to say, need to say, is that I am deeply impressed,
the same way I suppose the rest of the comrades presiding over the ceremony
are, by the magnitude of this ceremony. [applause] I could not even imagine
that Santiago de Cuba would be capable of gathering so many people in a square
[applause] after the march of the combatant people. It is impossible to stand
here for even a few minutes without having millions of memories going through
our minds.

5.  What does all this mean? What does this gigantic gathering represent?  What
does this solemn ceremony mean on a day such as this? The history of Cuba has
come to mind, the best of Cuban history, the most beautiful aspects of Cuban
history. [applause] What are the people of Santiago commemorating? Is it only
the end of our congress?

6.  No. After presenting the Ready for Defense banner, I was thinking that,
first and foremost, the people of Santiago were honoring 10 October 1868.
[applause] They were honoring those who rose up in arms to build this heroic
123-year-long history. They were honoring the Demajagua and Carlos Manuel de
Cespedes. They were honoring 10 years of incomparable heroism. They were
honoring the immortal Baragua Protest. [applause]

7.  It has been a homage to the war of 1895; it was a homage to the heroic
death of Marti in Dos Rios and his glorious remains that lie in this city. It
has been homage to the long, hard years of struggle against colonialism and
neocolonialism; to the attack on Moncada Garrison.

8.  It has been a homage to the heroes and martyrs who, back in those days,
gave their lives; a homage to the untiring struggle of this city throughout the
long years of tyranny.

9.  It has been a homage to Frank Pais, Pepito Tey [Jose Tey], and to so many
combatants who died here.

10.  It has been a homage to 1 January; [applause] a homage to the definite
triumph and independence of our homeland; homage to the years of struggle,
self-sacrifice, and work following the triumph of the revolution.

11.  It was a homage to the many children of this province, of Santiago de
Cuba, who, with great generosity, gave their lives in the internationalist
struggles. [applause]

12.  It was a homage to the day when this city was so justly awarded the title
of hero city. [applause]

13.  It was a homage to our party, our congress, [applause] that chose to meet
here, precisely here in this city of so many heroic traditions and legends.

14.  It was a homage not only to the most important events of our party and our
country, but also to the best congress, the [applause] congress of difficult
times, the congress of the special period, [applause] the congress of the most
heroic years. [applause]

15.  And how this city has changed in only a few years. Who can recognize this
city with all its avenues, roads, freeways, buildings, all types of works built
in record time.  From here we see things like this theater, the best in Cuba;
[applause] that hotel, the first five-star hotel in our country; [applause]
that multi- purpose hall, built in weeks, when no one thought it could be
completed; [applause] that freeway that encircles the city; the railroad tracks
that lead up to the refinery; that airport, a miracle of engineering, which was
built in a ravine.  [applause]

16.  There is that new terminal at the airport, that highway that reaches the
boundaries of the eastern provinces, and even beyond. There are the hotels that
are being built at a rapid rate to the east and west of the city. There is the
impressive hospital, which along with those already existing, has been added to
the health services in the city.  There are the new factories and the new
research centers, and the new educational centers, and the new scientific
groups that are being organized in our city. There are the new districts that
house 60,000 and 70,000 inhabitants, and the thousands of housing units built
even in difficult times. There is an impressive food production plan so that
Santiago de Cuba Province, which is full of mountains, a great sugar producer,
with very little flat land, can propose to produce vegetables and tubers and
not have to bring them in from other provinces.

17.  There are great pig and poultry production plans, and plans for other
kinds of food. Work has not stopped for a single day on those plans during
these years. That is why those who come to visit are amazed. That is why those
of us who know and love Santiago admire and love it more and more all the time.
[applause] This city, whose leaders have become the best in the country. 
[applause] This city, which during the 11th Pan-American Games did not fall
behind the capital of the Republic, and was able to be an efficient and
marvelous host city and an important part of the games, and was able to
organize ceremonies that by their precision were equal to or even superior to
those in the capital of the Republic. [applause] This hospitable city that
impressed the visitors so much; this city that completed all the projects and
all the programs; this city, which was able to host our Fourth PCC Congress.

18.  History will never forget this congress, because it was held in one of the
most difficult times in the life of our country. If what was needed was a
historic congress, a heroic congress of the revolutionary vanguard, the
continuer of the work of our beautiful history, what other place, what other
site, what other climate, what other stage could be the stage for this Fourth
PCC Congress?  [applause]

19.  This congress is historic because of many things. Among other things, it
is historic because destiny has made us the carriers of the banners of the
revolution of the humble, of the revolution of the workers, of the revolution
of the exploited. This congress has turned us into the carriers of the banners
of the revolutionary, progressive, and democratic movement in the world. It is
not that we are the only progressive, democratic, and revolutionary country,
but we are the only country that has been turned into a revolutionary islet a
few miles from hegemonic imperialism in a practically unipolar world, and
surrounded by capitalism.

20.  We have become an islet of revolution between the Atlantic and the
Pacific, an islet of revolution in this hemisphere, an islet of revolution in
the West, an islet of revolution in a large part of the world where the
remaining socialist nations are 15,000 or 20,000 miles from our nation. In this
time when the socialist bloc in East Europe has collapsed, when the USSR, our
most solid, our firmest ally throughout these years of revolution, which
supported us with such solidarity, was so friendly to us, and to whom we owe so
much solidarity, and to whose peoples we owe such gratitude ...[rephrases] the
glorious Communist Party founded by Lenin does not even exist. Lenin was the
forger of the incomparable October Revolution, the leader of the heroic people
who destroyed intervention, who rebuilt that country from zero, who defended it
from fascism at the cost of more than 20 million lives, who saved the world
from fascist domination, who made possible the liberation of dozens and dozens
of colonies, and who rebuilt the country again, and developed it in the space
of a few years. These people have shown such solidarity with Cuba.

21.  In these times when the future of the country remains uncertain, when they
do not speak of socialism, when today's word is market economy, when we do not
know whether they will continue to be a multination state or whether they will
cease to be a Soviet Union-with the applause of the empire and its allies, with
the applause and rejoicing of all the reactionaries of the world, with
undisguised triumphalism by the enemies of socialism and human advancement, and
with desires of dominating the world-in these circumstances, this congress,
this event, this universal Baragua was held. [applause]

22.  Today we can say: Antonio Maceo, your unforgettable, glorious, and
unsurpassable protest that took place under the Baragua mango trees, is taking
place here today, and since 10 October, in the shadow of the pieces of steel in
this monument that represent your undefeatable machetes, [applause] in the
shadow of your monument, and of your image on a horse. This monument was
designed and built by intelligent and patriotic people of Santiago de Cuba.
Your protest is taking place here in your shadow, Antonio Maceo, at this square
named after you, in this city where you were born, in this place where you took
your first breaths. This is no longer the protest of a group of heroic
combatants, but the protest of a people; it is not a protest on behalf of Cuba,
it is a protest on behalf of the world. [applause]

23.  You once said that there would be no peace with Spain without
independence, and that your weapons would never be laid down. Today we say:
there will never be peace with the empire without total sovereignty and
independence of our homeland, and there will never be peace with the empire
without total respect for the revolution and socialism. [applause]

24.  We will never yield to any form of hegemonism, we will never accept the
unipolar domination of the Yankee empire. We do not care about those who along
the path abandoned their beliefs and stayed behind, we do not care about those
who chose the empire's gold and power.  We belong to Antonio Maceo, to his kind
of people, his blood, his courage, his ideas. And just as you won, we will win;
and just as the homeland became free, the homeland we freed will continue to be
free. [applause] And just as you won, we will win.

25.  The way you never surrendered your weapons, we will never surrender ours.
The same way you knew how to die in combat, we will know how to die in combat. 
[applause] The way you were an example for the people and the world, your
people will be an example for Cuba and the world. [applause] In the same way
that you defended the highest ideals of freedom, and equality, and the dignity
of all men, we will know how to defend them. The way your just cause will
triumph, our just cause will inexorably triumph.

26.  Thank you, Maceo, for giving us this opportunity. All of us are pygmies
next to you, all of us who grew up listening and honoring your name. Thank you.
Thanks for your example. Thanks to the country that you and those like you
forged. Thanks to the country that you and Maximo Gomez and [Ignacio] Agramonte
forged.  Thanks for what those like you, and our extraordinary master and wise
man Jose Marti, [applause] taught us.  Thanks to you and those who followed
your example, and those who were like you throughout history, in and outside
the fatherland. We, who are pygmies next to you, feel like a country of giants
today. Because, with the blood of those who, like you, showed the fatherland
the path, a country of giants was conceived. [applause] Those giants will know
how to be at the level of children to you, children of Marti, and all the rest
of the heroes of our glorious history.

27.  We never aspired to deserve such extraordinary honors.  We never had such
grandiose illusions. But [word indistinct] history imposed it on us, and we
will know how to fulfill it. Perhaps at the time when the imperialists think we
are alone, we are in the company of many people, because the men and women of
the world are terrified at the idea of a world dominated by Yankee imperialism. 
They are terrified by the idea of an order established by the Yankees for 1,000
years, as others dreamt of during the times of Hitler. That will not be the
case for us, not 1,000, nor 100 years, not even 100 days, nor 100 minutes, nor
100 seconds, because we will never be subordinates of imperialism, lackeys of
imperialism.  [applause] The world will not stand for it either.

28.  The world is looking at Cuba today with great hope. The world wants us to
resist and win because it will be their victory. The world admires this small
country. The world admires this island of freedom and dignity that defies all
and is capable of defying all. The world admires the Cuba of today and will
admire it more and more, to the extent that we are capable of courage, that we
are capable of fighting, and that we are capable of winning.

29.  Our congress has been an example. We have already said it has been the
most democratic political congress ever in our country.

30.  We can even say it was the most democratic political congress there has
ever been in the world, because of the breadth of the discussions, the freedom
with which the discussions were held. The sincerity, the frankness, the
confidence do not remind us of any other historical example. There was the
honesty with which the discussions were held, the unity with which the
discussions were held, with every view, no matter what it was, and the respect
with which the discussions were held. To those who speak of democracy, we could
tell them to come to our congress, see our congress, and they will see what
democracy is, from the basic document, discussed by millions of people, to the
drawing up of the texts, the innumerable preparatory meetings to analyze the
documents up to the last minute of the congress.

31.  We have taken considerable steps forward, not to please anyone, not to
ingratiate ourselves with anyone, but to fulfill our desire to improve our
party more and more, to democratize our party more and more, to democratize our
system more and more, because only a socialist system can be democratic. How
can you talk about democracy with a child abandoned in the street and without a
home? How can you talk about democracy with a beggar? How can you talk about
democracy with a hungry person, an illiterate person, an unemployed person, one
who has nothing, one to whom no one pays any attention, whom no one respects,
whom anyone who has money treats like a dog?

32.  What democracy in a society of exploiters and exploited?  What democracy
where along with poor people, hungry people, and beggars, there are
millionaires and multimillionaires?

33.  What equality can you talk about, what fraternity and brotherhood can you
talk about where no one helps anyone and where men prey like wolves on other
men?  What justice, what opportunities for all can you talk about in a
capitalist society?

34.  Only in socialism can there be democracy, and only in socialism can
democracy be improved. That is what we have worked for, and that is what we
will continue to work for, without the least concession of principle, in the
party and the state. We have made considerable progress in that regard. Our
electoral system is the most democratic in existence. It does not matter if
they try to disregard it elsewhere, because it is the people who nominate, not
only nominate, but elect their local delegates. The delegates, elected by the
people, are the ones who elect the provincial delegates and deputies to the
National Assembly.

35.  But we have taken it one step farther. The local delegates will continue
to be elected by the people, and nominated by the people. Based on the same
principles, beginning with those local delegates, we will propose to the
National Assembly that the delegates to the provincial assemblies be nominated
and elected directly without politicking, and through the fairest mechanisms,
that will provide equal opportunities for everyone. We will propose that the
National Assembly deputies, who are the highest state authority, be nominated
and elected directly.

36.  I sincerely believe, comrades, that through the course we began with the
people's government, and by being consistent with those principles, we are
moving toward perfecting our political system. It will not have to envy anyone
anything, it will be more democratic than any systems that exist in other
countries of the world.  Because, I repeat, only in socialism can there be
democracy. Only socialism can develop democracy. We have taken other steps that
were discussed with regard to the party, its statutes, to solve the problem of
those who did not have access to the party because of their religious beliefs.

37.  That issue has been very controversial, and was evidence of the purity and
fidelity of our party, not only to political, but also to philosophical
doctrines. But we have a party, a single party, as Marti had a party, a single
party, to carry out the revolution.

38.  It is necessary for this party to include all patriots, for this party to
include all revolutionaries, for this party to include all those who want the
people to progress, all those who defend our revolution's ideas of justice, as
long as-of course-those who have religious beliefs also accept the program, and
share all the political and economic principles of our party. The party must
include those who share our concept of socialism.

39.  No one can accuse us any longer of discriminating against anyone.
[applause] Our constitution, which is lacking in this area, will be amended so
it says that no one should be discriminated against based on sex, skin color,
or religious belief. But that will not weaken our party. It will strengthen the
party in the eyes of the nation and in the eyes of the world. We will always
have present those who died in the fight against tyranny-and some of them set
notable examples-who held some religious belief: Jose Antonio Echevarria, Frank
Pais, [applause] and many who died during our wars for independence, many who
died fulfilling internationalist missions. [applause]

40.  Because we are just, above all else, and we are not afraid, we confronted
this issue in our analyses and discussions, and it was debated extensively. We
succeeded in taking an important step forward. That is, our congress was not
afraid to discuss anything. to analyze any issue in depth, and that is why we
say this has been an exceptional congress.

41.  Some drops of rain are beginning to fall. There is not much left for me to
say.

42.  During the congress we analyzed the difficult situations we are
confronting, the sacrifices we are making, and the even greater sacrifices we
may have to make. During the congress we explained to the people, in detail,
the problems we are experiencing. We explained as much as we could explain, and
today our homeland is informed as it has never been informed. However, I must
say, and reiterate, that as far as we are concerned, these are the people of
1868; as far as we are concerned, these are the people of Baragua; [applause]
and the people of 1868 and Baragua, and the people of 1895 and the Sierra
Maestra never feared being put to a test, never feared making sacrifices. If we
must relive 1868, then we will relive 1868; if we must relive the years of
Baragua, then we will relive the years of Baragua; if we must relive 1895, then
we will relive 1895; and if we must relive the years on Sierra Maestra, we will
relive the years on Sierra Maestra. If we must relive the years of the missions
of the internationalist combatants, then we will relive the years of the
missions of the internationalist combatants.

43.  As I told the comrades today, we are invincible. We will do what must be
done. We will work when work has to be done. We will solve the problems that we
can solve. We will continue with our plans, despite the situation. We will
continue with our food program even if we do not have animal feed and
fertilizers. We will continue to develop our plans in the areas of
biotechnology, the pharmaceutical industry, and medical equipment. We will
continue to develop our plans to promote tourism.  We will continue to develop
all our economic plans. We will find ways, we will invent ways. We will find
resources. Under the leadership of the socialist revolution and government, we
will adopt the measures we must adopt so that our factories will continue to
operate and our workers will continue to work; so that we may advance in these
difficult times. Abiding by the principle of giving everyone protection, we
will ensure that no one is left unprotected in our country. We will share what
we have, [applause] and we will find ways to save the homeland, to save the
revolution, to save socialism.

44.  As I said today when we ended the congress, we are invincible, because if
all the Politburo members have to die, all the Politburo members will die
[applause]. We will not be weaker because of it. If all the Central Committee
members must die, all the Central Committee members will die, and we will not
be weaker because of it. [applause] If all the delegates to the congress must
die, all the delegates to the congress will die and we will not be weaker
because of it. [applause]

45.  The example of each will be multiplied, the heroism of each will be
multiplied. If all the members of the party must die, then all the members of
the party will die and we will not be weaker because of it. [applause] If all
the members of the Union of Young Communists [UJC] must die, they will die, all
the militants of the UJC will die. [applause] If to crush the revolution they
had to kill all the people, the people would be willing to die in support of
their leaders and their party. [applause] Even then we would not be weakened
because after us they would have to kill billions of people who are not willing
to be slaves, who are not willing to continue being exploited, and who are not
willing to continue going hungry. [applause]

46.  Men may die, but examples will never die. Men may die, but ideals will
never die, [applause] and here we are willing to shed our blood for our ideals.
No worthy example, no just ideal has ever been defeated. Maceo, you were not
defeated in 1868, nor in 1878. Maceo, you were not defeated the day you fell in
Punta Brava. Marti, you were not defeated the day you fell in Dos Rios. 
Because of you, your example and your death, today there are millions of Cubans
willing to follow your example, willing to defend the ideals, [applause] and
willing to die as you did [applause] to save freedom, to save justice, to save
the honor and dignity of men.  Without honor and dignity, there cannot be life,
nor is life worth anything, nor do we want life. Without honor and dignity,
life has no meaning, nor do we want life, not only ours, but even the lives of
those we love. Without honor, decorum, independence, and dignity, a country is
nothing. The life of a country has no importance.

47.  For this reason, today, at this historical, super historical event, before
this multitude of courageous people, before this multitude of patriots, and
before this multitude of extraordinary men and women, I will change the slogan
for this afternoon-which will not change because they will always be the
same-but today, especially today, I will not say socialism or death, because
there will be socialism [applause] at any cost. I do not say fatherland or
death, because we will be able to destroy, snatch away, the life from those who
want to cross our fatherland, [corrects himself] take away our fatherland.
[applause] So long, people of Santiago, as Che would say: Until forever, heroic
people of Santiago, patriotic people of Santiago, revolutionary people of
Santiago. [applause] [crowd chants: ``Fidel! Fidel!'']

-END-


LANIC |