-DATE-
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
SPEECH
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO FUNERAL ORATION
-PLACE-
HAVANA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA FIEL NETWORK
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
-TEXT-
CASTRO FUNERAL ORATION
HAVANA FIEL NETWORK IN SPANISH TO CUBA 1827 12/1 E
(LIVE BROADCAST OF ORATION BY PREMIER FIDEL CASTRO AT BURIAL SERVICES
FOR DR. MANUEL FAJARDO, CASTRO'S PERSONAL PHYSICIAN)
(SUMMARY) COLLEAGUES OF THE REBEL ARMY, MILITIAMEN, WORKERS, FARMERS,
YOUTH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

WE HAVE COME HERE TO BURY A COMMANDER OF THE REBEL ARMY. THIS FUNCTION
IS PAINFUL FOR ALL OF US: FIRST BECAUSE THE COUNTRY IS LOSING A GOOD SON;
SECOND BECAUSE THE REVOLUTION IS LOSING A FIGHTER OF THE FIRST RANK; THIRD
BECAUSE THOSE OF US WHO WERE HIS FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES ARE LOSING A
COLLEAGUE, A FRIEND, AND A BROTHER.

NEVERTHELESS, HOW SHOULD REVOLUTIONARIES REACT TO THE DEATH OF A
COLLEAGUE, A BRAVE ONE? REVOLUTIONARIES SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE MISSION AND
FATE OF FIGHTERS. DEATH IS THE FATE OF ALL. IT IS THE ONLY REST FOR A TRULY
REVOLUTIONARY FIGHTER. DEATH IS FAMILIAR TO US ALL.

WHY HAS COMMANDER FAJARDO DIED? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? WHOSE FAULT IS IT
THAT COUNTRY IS LOSING A COLLEAGUE LIKE FAJARDO? THOSE WHO THINK THERE IS
NO JUSTICE, THOSE WHO WANT THE REVOLUTION TO FAIL, THOSE WHO WANT OUR
COUNTRY TO AGAIN BECOME A LAND OF INJUSTICE, PRIVILEGES AND CRIME, THOSE
WHO WANT TO DOMINATE OUR PEOPLE, THOSE WHO WANT AGAIN TO TAKE OVER OUR
ECONOMY.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COMMANDER'S DEATH BUT, FIRST OF ALL, THOSE
FROM ABROAD? "THEY CONTINUE TO DROP ARMS IN PARACHUTES SO THAT THE
COUNTERREVOLUTIONARIES, THE TRAITORS, FEEL ENCOURAGED TO GO INTO THE
MOUNTAINS, AND ARE ENCOURAGED BY FOREIGN HELP TO FIGHT AGAINST THE
REVOLUTION.

"GUILTY OF THE DEATH OF COMMANDER FAJARDO IN THE FIRST PLACE IS THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES; GUILTY OF THE DEATH OF COMMANDER FAJARDO
IN THE FIRST PLACE ARE THE BANDITS OF THE PENTAGON AND THE INTELLIGENCE
SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES, WHO ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE BEEN CONSTANTLY
PARACHUTING ARMS INTO ESCAMBRAY SO THAT GROUPS AGAINST THE REVOLUTIONARY
GOVERNMENT WILL BE FORMED TO OPPOSE THE ACTIONS OF THE PEASANT MILITIA.

"THAT IS WHY FAJARDO WAS IN ESCAMBRAY, LEADING THE PEASANT MILITIA,
GUARDING THE TERRITORY, AND OPPOSING ALL THE EFFORTS BEING MADE BY
IMPERIALISM TO FORM THESE GROUPS OF COUNTERREVOLUTIONARIES.

"GUILTY OF THE DEATH OF COMMANDER FAJARDO ARE THE SAME [Unreadable
text] OF YESTERDAY WHO ASSASSINATED SO MANY CUBANS. GUILTY ARE THOSE WHO
SELL THEIR COUNTRY, GUILTY ARE THE TRAITORS, GUILTY ARE THOSE WHO ARE NOT
RESIGNED TO THE REALITY AND THE JUSTICE OF THE REVOLUTION."

IN THE RANKS OF THE ENEMY OUR PAIN IS JOY. THE DEATH OF A SON OF THE
COUNTRY IS HAPPINESS FOR THE TRAITORS. BUT THIS HAPPINESS CANNOT LAST. WE
FEEL SOMETHING MORE THAN PAIN. THERE IS VALOR TOO. THERE IS THE SPIRIT OF
STRUGGLE. THERE IS PAIN, BUT THERE IS ALSO DETERMINATION TO FORGE AHEAD.

TRAITORS WILL HAVE TO DIE WITHOUT GLORY. WE FEEL PAIN, BUT THE
TRAITORS, THOSE IN THE SERVICE OF FOREIGN GOLD, THOSE WHO DO NOT WANT US TO
PROGRESS AND BE HAPPY, WILL HAVE TO DIE DISHONORABLY BEFORE THE FIRING
SQUAD.

COLLEAGUE FAJARDO FULFILLED HIS DUTY AS A DOCTOR, A TEACHER, AND A
SOLDIER. THE DOCTOR AND THE TEACHER FELL WHEN SOLDIER FELL. THE LIFE OF A
FAJARDO IS NOT MOLDED EASILY. TO SUCCEED IN BECOMING WHAT HE WAS, IT WAS
NECESSARY TO MAKE LONG HARD EFFORT FROM THE VERY FIRST SCHOOL DAYS TO THE
LAST YEARS OF HIS CAREER AS A STUDENT. AND TO BECOME REBEL COMMANDER, HIS
SACRIFICE WAS GREAT. FAJARDO WAS OF THOSE WHO PERFORMED MANY SERVICES
FOLLOWING HIS APPOINTMENT AS COMMANDER.

THERE IS ONE LESS COMMANDER IN OUR RANKS BUT NOW MUCH BETTER IT IS THAT
THE COMMANDER WHO FELL DIED FOR A CAUSE AND NOT AS A TRAITOR TO HIS
COUNTRY. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE SUFFERED LOSSES THE MEN FELL IN LINE OF DUTY.
WHEN WE SEE SO MANY FACES OF OLD SOLDIERS, WHEN WE KNOW OF THE RESERVES THE
COUNTRY HAS, THE OLD RESERVES AND THE NEW RESERVES, WE STILL HAVE THE
CONSOLATION OF BEING ABLE TO SAY TO THE FALLEN SOLDIER: REST IN PEACE.

YOU HAVE WON THE PRIZE WON BY THE GOOD. YOU HAVE WON THE RIGHT TO THE
ETERNAL LOVE OF YOUR PEOPLE, THE PRESENT GENERATION AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.
WE FEEL DEEPLY THAT YOU CONTINUE TO LIVE WITH US. WE FEEL THAT YOU WILL SEE
THE FACES OF CHILDREN GOING TO THE CITY THAT YOU BEGAN.

WORK WILL FORGE AHEAD. GRATEFUL CHILDREN WILL SEE THAT THE COUNTRY IS
FORGING AHEAD AT ANY COST. THE STRUGGLE WILL MOVE ON AT ANY COST.
COUNTERREVOLUTIONARIES AND TRAITORS WILL CONTINUE TO ENCOUNTER TOP-RANKING
SOLDIERS LIKE YOU.

WE ARE CONSOLED BY THE FACT THAT WE CAN SAY THAT ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE,
NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE OR WHAT THEY TRY, WILL BE ANNIHILATED. REST IN
PEACE COLLEAGUE FAJARDO.
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