Leader of the Revolution Fidel Castro has appeared and
spoken in public on several occasions in recent days. On July 24, at the
mausoleum to their honor, he gave a moving tribute to the combatants who fought
alongside him on July 26, 1953, and called attention to the Cuban Five heroes
held unjustly in U.S. prisons. He gave this address alongside the remaining
combatants in Artemisa, the village from which many of the Moncada combatants
came. (Photos and video)
The Party for Socialism and Liberation salutes Fidel,
Raul and all the heroes of Moncada.
Dear compañeros:
 Fidel Castro in Artemisa Photo: CubaDebate.cu |
On Monday, July, it will be the
57th anniversary of relentless struggle for the independence of our homeland.
A few of us have the privilege to
be alive. In my personal case, I thank the Artemisa combatants who came in and
rescued me when I was in the vicinity of the entrance, trying to prevent
machinegun fire against the combatants who I had ordered to retreat.
Our revolutionary thinking was
based on the Martí idea that “Homeland is humanity!” and this has constantly
evolved.
The simple fact of having
sustained that struggle for so long constitutes a test of what a little country
can do in the face of the gigantic power of the empire.
In a year like this one, in which
we are daily drawing closer to dramatic events, I feel obliged to recall the
valiant compañeros incarcerated in high-security prisons of the United States.
The hatred aroused by those who
manage that empire, incapable of understanding the high seats to which they are
elevating them, is grotesque. They, just like our diplomatic representatives in
that country and in many others similarly dangerous, are maintaining the posts
to which their duty has assigned them, imperturbable in the face of great risks
of which they are well aware.
The news published every day
confirms our appreciation of the gravity of the dangers hovering over humanity.
Nevertheless, nobody can take away
the right to enjoy the day of glory and joy signified for our people by the
26th of July.
Neither can anybody deprive us of
the right to dream that it is still possible for our species to survive the
difficult tests that await us in the very near future.
I congratulate you with the joy
and dignity bequeathed to us by our forebears throughout almost two centuries
of struggle!
Fidel Castro Ruz
July 24, 2010
Translated by Granma International
