-DATE- 19940320 -YEAR- 1994 -DOCUMENT TYPE- -AUTHOR- -HEADLINE- Castro Meets With Friendship Caravan Members -PLACE- CARIBBEAN / Cuba -SOURCE- Havana Tele Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks -REPORT NO.- FBIS-LAT-94-054 -REPORT DATE- 19940321 -HEADER- ================================= Report Type: Daily report AFS Number: FL2003234394 Report Number: FBIS-LAT-94-054 Report Date: 21 Mar 94 Report Series: Daily Report Start Page: 6 Report Division: CARIBBEAN End Page: 7 Report Subdivision: Cuba AG File Flag: Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Language: Spanish Document Date: 20 Mar 94 Report Volume: Monday Vol VI No 054 Dissemination: City/Source of Document: Havana Tele Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks Report Name: Latin America Headline: Castro Meets With Friendship Caravan Members Subheadline: TV Broadcasts Meeting Source Line: FL2003234394 Havana Tele Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks in Spanish 0100 GMT 20 Mar 94 Subslug: [Dialogue between Cuban President Fidel Castro and Pastors for Peace leader Lucius Walker at a meeting with members of the Third United States-Cuba Friendship Caravan on 18 March; place not given; Castro speaks in Spanish with passage-by-passage translation into English; Walker speaks in English with passage-by-passage translation into Spanish-recorded] -TEXT- FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE: 1. [Dialogue between Cuban President Fidel Castro and Pastors for Peace leader Lucius Walker at a meeting with members of the Third United States-Cuba Friendship Caravan on 18 March; place not given; Castro speaks in Spanish with passage-by-passage translation into English; Walker speaks in English with passage-by-passage translation into Spanish-recorded] 2. [Text] [Castro] What did they seize? A parabolic antenna, a truck? Were you bringing nuclear weapons in them? [laughter] Intercontinental missiles? What was the truck they stopped carrying? 3. [Walker] The satellite dish is a 10-foot satellite dish, which was regarded by U.S. Customs and those who decide in Washington what should or should not come to Cuba, as very high technology. [laughter] We had two electric typewriters. 4. [Castro] Did they also seize them? 5. [Walker] Yes. That is high technology. [laughter] 6. [Castro] Do they not know we have many power outages, and that it is better to use a manual typewriter? 7. [Walker] The most interesting item they kept, among those they say we could not bring in, was a small toaster. [laughter] You see, you put the bread in, then plug it in; the bread gets toasted and pops up. A simple toaster- they did not let it through. 8. When I went to the Sierra Maestra and saw pictures of the first attack, the routes you used when you came down the mountain, and the weapons used to attack the garrison, I decided you must have had soldiers as good as the soldiers of this caravan. They are truly good people. However, the main thing about them is that they are all inspired by the love, revolutionary fervor, and example of solidarity that Cuba provides, and by the heroic leadership of Commander Fidel Castro. [applause] 9. [Castro] We need to adopt measures to adopt to the circumstances under which we are living. [sentence as heard] Under these difficult circumstances, we need to seek formulas that can help us emerge from this special period, but without compromising our principles, without compromising the Revolution, and without compromising our independence. You know quite well that there are values that cannot be lost. [Passage indistinct] even life. [Passage indistinct] for peace because you know that history is full of martyrs. [Passage indistinct] of ideas. This is why we are meeting here. [applause] 10. We, through resistance, [words indistinct] for the life of ideas, morale under the present situation, struggle, continue working, do not lose our optimism, and trust confidence. We believe that our effort will also be fruitful in the material sphere. his is very difficult because of all these things I have been explaining. Very hard. However, we do not lose hope that we will eventually overcome this. We do not lose our hope of winning. We are willing to resist as long as these blockades last. 11. What we are saying is easy to say but hard to do because we have to deal with millions of people, millions of human beings who are making sacrifices everyday, suffering everyday; whose morale, commitment, and fighting spirit we must try to keep high. his is why I say that to work and struggle under the present conditions is very difficult. 12. Someone said that faith can move mountains, and we are witnessing that here. [applause] Faith in what is fair keeps us moving mountains. We shall continue moving mountains. This is the reason for the tremendous gratitude which I, as well as all the people, feel for your efforts and struggle, for your courage and heroism. There is more than physical heroism, there is a type of heroism which is even more difficult: moral heroism. 13. Inside the United States, you are giving a great example of moral heroism by organizing this movement and waging this struggle. You are fighting at the most strategic site- inside the United States. We also appreciate that you are gaining ground, you re being successful, and are creating a greater awareness of this struggle. You are also writing an unforgettable page in the history of relations between our two nations, in the history of brotherhood between the American and Cuban peoples. In our view, you are the representatives of the best of the tradition, history, and virtues of the American people. It is in this sense that a great mountain has been growing, in this case of love and gratitude for what you are doing. 14. I did not want under any circumstances to fail to meet with you for a few minutes. -END-