The Guardian 5 March, 2008
A people proud
of their sovereignty and independence
Key Address by Cuban President Raul Castro
Havana: Key address by Comrade Raul Castro Ruz, President of the State Council and the Council of Ministers, at the closing session of the First Session of the 7th legislature of the National Assembly of People’s Power.
Comrades:
The Communist Party, a sure guarantee of the unity of the Cuban nation, is the sole worthy heir to our people’s confidence in its leader. It is the top leading force of our State and society as provided in Article 5 of our Constitution approved by referendum by exactly 97.7 percent of the voters.
Comrade Deputies: I am aware of my responsibility to the people as I take on the task entrusted to me.
But I am also convinced that as it has been the case until today, I can count on the support of those holding positions of responsibility at various levels, and even more importantly, I can count on the support of my compatriots without which a society like ours could not succeed.
The Assembly, in full compliance with the view of the Party’s Political Bureau, elected comrade José Ramón Machado Ventura as First Vice President of the State Council and later approved his appointment as First Vice President of the Council of Ministers.
In my visit last December to the Santiago de Cuba district that elected comrade Fidel a deputy, I said that the massive support enjoyed by the revolution demands from us that we question everything we do in order to improve on it.
I also said that if the people are firmly united behind a single party, this must be more democratic than any other, and so must be the entire society. This society, of course, can be improved, as any other human work, but it is undoubtedly full of justice and everybody in it has the opportunity to express their views and, better still, to work for the materialization of whatever we all agree.
There is no reason to fear discrepancies in a society such as ours, where its very nature precludes the existence of antagonistic contradictions, since the social classes that make it up are not antagonistic themselves. The best solutions can come from a profound exchange of differing opinions, if such an exchange is guided by sensible purposes and the views are uttered with responsibility.
I avail myself of the occasion to express my gratitude, on behalf of our people, for the countless expressions of solidarity, respect, affection, encouragement and legitimate concern over the leader of the Revolution conveyed by Heads of State and Government, political parties, non governmental organisations, outstanding intellectuals and ordinary people from every corner of the world after the publication of his Message last Tuesday. We shall never fail their confidence in us.
At the same time, we take due notice of the offensive and overtly interfering statements of the imperialists and some of their closest allies.
As could be expected, the [US] State Department hastily announced the continuation of the blockade in accordance with the policy of the present administration.
Others, with certain nuances, are bent on conditioning relations with Cuba to a "transition" process aimed at destroying the work of so many years of struggle.
Little do they know our people, so proud of its full sovereignty and independence! The Revolution is the work of free men and women and it has been permanently opened to debate; but it has never given an inch to pressures nor has it ever been influenced by them, whether big or small. As for the difficulties the country faces domestically, the decision on their priorities and the pace of their solution will invariably be linked to the available resources and the deep, rational and collective analysis made by the corresponding Party, State or Government institutions.
In those cases where it is deemed necessary, there will be a previous consultation with the people in the corresponding sector of society, or even with the entire people, if it were a very transcendental issue.
Some things need time for they should be thoroughly studied since a mistake brought about by improvisation, superficiality or haste could have substantial negative consequences. Good planning is most important for we cannot spend more than we have. Then we should organise things well, and work in an orderly and disciplined fashion; this is fundamental.
I insist on the importance of discipline. We must all be demanding and back up those who are. If it were necessary, we should help them improve their methods and support them resolutely before the collective.
You should understand that I am not talking of acting with extremism or of accepting abuse of authority or injustices; what I mean is that we should all do what corresponds in the strengthening of discipline and social order. If we don’t do it our people stand to suffer the consequences.
It is true that there are objective limitations; we know them well and we suffer daily trying to solve them as soon as possible. We are aware of the enormous efforts required by the strengthening of the economy, which is an unavoidable premise to advance in any other area of society, given the real war waged by the United States administration against our country.
Their intention has not changed from the triumph of the Revolution, i.e. to make our people suffer as much as possible in order to force it to abandon its decision to be free. This is a reality that far from intimidating us should continue making us stronger.
I repeat that the country’s priority will be to meet the basic needs of the population, both material and spiritual, based on the sustained strengthening of the national economy and its productive basis without which, I’ll say it again, development would be impossible.
An example of this is the measures proposed to increase the agricultural and livestock production and to better their marketing, which have been analysed in every province by a large representation of those in charge of implementing them, including the producers themselves.
To avoid traumatic effects or inconsistencies, any changes related to the currency shall be made with a comprehensive approach, mindful, among other things, of the wage system, the retail prices, the entitlements and the subsidies running in the millions presently required by numerous services and products distributed on an egalitarian basis, such as those provided by the ration card which under the present conditions of our economy become irrational and unsustainable.
We have the basics to find the best possible solutions within our material possibilities and organisational capabilities, which shall continue to grow: an educated people, with a high political culture and firmly united under the principles summed up by comrade Fidel in his Reflections of January 24, when he said: "For me, unity means sharing in the struggle, the risks, the sacrifices, the aims, ideas, concepts and strategies assumed after discussion and analysis. Unity means a common struggle against annexationists, quislings and corrupt individuals who have nothing in common with a militant revolutionary."
I insist on what I said here during the previous session of this Assembly: "For the enormous possibilities of this unity to turn into tangible results, it is indispensable that all the institutions and organisations work with the necessary integration."
Institutionalisation, — I repeat — institutionalisation is an important support of this decisive purpose and one of the pillars of the Revolution’s invulnerability in the political field; therefore, we must work for its continued improvement. We should never believe that what we have done is perfect.
Our democracy is as participatory as few others are, but we should be aware that the functioning of the State and Government institutions is not yet as effective as our people rightfully demand. This is something we should all think about.
In December, I referred to the excess of prohibitions and regulations, and in the next few weeks we shall start removing the most simple of them. Many had had the purpose of preventing the emergence of new inequalities at a time of general shortages, even when that meant relinquishing certain incomes.
Changing subject, there is also the tendency to apply the same recipe everywhere. As a result of this — and this is perhaps its worst consequence — many believe that the solution of every problem demands a national measure.
In many respects, local initiative can be effective and viable; this much has been proven with the direct distribution of milk, as I said last July 26. This experience has already been extended to 64 municipalities from 13 provinces in the country; 40 of them are completely applying this system. We are also advancing in the remaining municipalities and in the dairy industry.
Comrades: On a day like this, in 1895, responding to a call from Martí, the Old and the New Generations resumed the struggle for the independence thwarted by the United States military intervention. Half a century later, we again managed to be united and to fight against the same enemy.
It was not by chance that this date was chosen, 50 years ago, for the first broadcasting by Radio Rebelde on the Sierra Maestra, nor that this was the date in 1976 when we proclaimed our Socialist Constitution.
On this 113th anniversary of the Necessary War, we are faced with many really difficult challenges. In order to face them, let’s bear in mind what Fidel wrote in his Reflections published last December 10th, when he alerted us: "For every Cuban, Martí’s frowning countenance and Maceo’s withering look point to the arduous path of duty, not to a more comfortable life."
Thank you, very much.