17 IMCWP, Contribution of CP of Cuba [En, Es]

Comrades:

On behalf of the CPC, we sincerely thank the TKP for hosting this meeting and acknowledge the previous arrangements and efforts made to guarantee its success.

Many times, as today, we, the workers and communist parties, have met. At those times, as today, we have faced complex situations and dedicated long hours to debates. The difference now is that we increasingly have less time to find definite solutions, or at least to mitigate the impact of the present international situation on most of the people in the world.

The permanent harassment to peace, which can be seen in the presence of the U.S. Army in more than 130 nations, and the big contradictions brought about by the capitalist system, which have led to successive crisis of different types, continue to affect particularly the poor people.

The financial and bank institutions do everything possible to take control of the world economies. The free trade agreements are aimed at protecting investments and guaranteeing the control of the transnationals on the economic, social and cultural destiny of the countries, and the consumption logics of the system speed up the climate change at the expense of the planet and the human species.

The Latin-American region, inspired by its legitimate aspirations of independence and sovereignty that we inherited from our founding fathers, is striving for the necessary integration as the only alternative to face this international situation and the imperialism´s counter-offensive which today acquires a unique dimension in our continent.

It is made up of an elaborate program of subversion, combined with economic warfare actions and brutal media attacks aimed at achieving a so called “change of regime in a fast way” or an strategy to undermine at longer term in order to impose election solutions ignoring in both cases the true democratic will of the people.

The history of Latin America, and even Cuba, has shown that only unity and integration can guarantee a future of peace and dignity for our peoples.

We acknowledge that there is debate and misunderstanding regarding the actual scope of this integration process, but we can feel proud for the emergence of ALBA, CARICOM, UNASUR and MERCOSUR, all of them working for improving the cooperation and promote trade. And as main pillar and strategic objective, we have the CELAC, which, as comrade Raúl said, “It vindicated more two centuries of struggle and hope. In a symbolic way, it consolidates the concept of a united and sovereign region committed to a common destiny”.

The proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace on January 2014, which support the feasibility of unity in the diversity, is also strength in the face of war mongering and destabilization attempts that threaten us. Today we can state that without integration there is no guarantee for our independence and sovereignty. It is only united that we can resist the renewed aggressiveness of the empire.

The Cuban Revolution today is going through a very crucial stage. At the 6^th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) held on 2011, we passed the fundamentals of our economic and social policy. Its main feature is the construction of socialism, with the strategic objective of developing a prosperous and sustainable socialism which allow us to strengthen the development of our productive forces and the capacity of the economic actors.

The aspiration to achieve the greatest social justice, to strengthen people´s democracy and participation in the organization of the political system and to guarantee equal opportunities for all is the main pillar of the socialism we want to build.

The inalienable rights to health and education, both free of charge and universal and man being at the center of each transformation, the internationalist vocation of our people and the commitment with our brothers of the Third World will continue to be principles of the Revolution which we will never give up.

On April next year we will hold the 7^th Party Congress and there we will review and validate the result of the implementation of the guidelines up to that date. At the Congress, a theoretical conceptualization of the Cuban socialism will be passed and a Long Term Comprehensive Development Program up to 2030 will be discussed.

Amidst this situation, our country has begun a process to reestablish the relations with the United States. On this issue, it would be convenient to say that we have reached up to that point without giving up our principles, that the U.S. Government has acknowledged that the aggressive policy imposed on Cuba has failed, that its attempt to isolate us has ended up isolating themselves, and that this process has been carried out with the historical leadership leading our country.

It is good to make clear that the reestablishment of the relations does not mean a normalization of the relations.

That would be a longer and more complex process that would include the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade, the return to Cuba of the territory illegally occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base, the suspension of the radio and television broadcasts against Cuba and the elimination of the subversive programs financed by the U.s. Government to destabilize the internal order, as well as the compensation for the damages caused as a result of the successive aggressive policies against the Cuban people.

The media machinery of the empire tries to make the people believe that the struggle against the blockade and the elimination of imperialism’s hostile policies towards Cuba have no sense anymore.

We know that there are people who are confused on this issue and think the causes of our struggle have disappeared. That is part of the demobilizing strategy of the empire aimed at discouraging and breaking the solidarity movement that so generously has dedicated time, resources and energy to the solidarity towards Cuba.

To all those who, from different organizations and places in this world, have supported the resistance of our people during decades, we have say that the hostility continues, that the blockade remains intact and that imperialism is still pursuing its objective of derailing us from our socialist track and destroying the Revolution, just that this time the methods are more elaborate and subtle.

I would like to take up this opportunity to convey my sincere congratulations to those that fought together with our people for the freedom of our Five Heroes. That victory is also yours.

This is another proof that it is worth to fight and that the victory is possible. It also shows that unity is essential when we identify a common cause and that all contributions are valid is strategically we pursue the same objective.

I am sure that we will take advantage of this meeting to find arguments, to discuss and to share experience regardless of asymmetries and differences, so that there is no room for useless discussions, suspicions and fragmentations which make us weaker in the face of an enemy who knows how to make good use of our mistakes.

We reiterate our gratitude to the TKP and our willingness to continue working to make these meetings useful spaces and in favor of the aspirations of our peoples.

Thank you.

Contribution of CP of Cuba [Es]