The following speech was delivered by Julio Pujol Torres, the Counsellor for Political Affairs at the Cuban Embassy to the UK, at a meeting organised by Rock Around the Blockade on 19 May to launch our 2019 solidarity brigade to Cuba.
Dear friends,
First of all we want to thank the comrades of Rock Around the Blockade and the Revolutionary Communist Group for inviting us to the Launch of the Brigade two thousand nineteen – ‘Cuba today: socialism and democracy’ – precisely today, when we commemorate the one hundred and twenty-third anniversary of the fall in combat of the Apostle of our Independence Jose Marti.
It is a pleasure for us to be here today with you. We want to offer our full support to this idea of solidarity with our people of Cuba.
Just a few weeks ago millions of Cubans marched in all squares from our country to greet the international workers’ day and to support to our victorious Revolution that continues the struggle to consolidate the construction of a prosperous and sustainable socialism, which guarantees the greatest justice for all Cubans, despite imperialism’s attempts to destroy us in all possible ways.
Since his arrival at the White House, President Donald Trump has endeavoured to defeat us, applying the same failed measures that eleven of his predecessors have already applied against our country without success. Trump has stated the blockade as his main weapon to destroy the Revolution, which has meant a step backwards with respect to the progress made with the previous government of Barack Obama.
Since February 7, 1962, 56 years ago, the United States government has been applying the genocidal policy of blockade against Cuba. It is the oldest blockade in history. Since 1992, every year in the United Nations, the entire world condemns the blockade by an overwhelming majority, last year only the United States and Israel were in favour of this hostile policy against our country, the rest of the one hundred and ninety-two (192) countries that make up the UN opposed it.
The blockade is the main obstacle to our country’s economic development. There is not a single Cuban family that is not affected, a single sector of society that does not directly suffer from its effects. The blockade also has extraterritorial effects and affects the sovereignty of many countries that are prevented from doing commercial and financial transactions with our country for fear of the millionaire fines they are subject to.
They have used all types of recipes against Cuba. The US administration allocates millionaire sums of the United States’ budget to promote internal subversion; to empower dissidence within the country, but our people supports its revolution. That’s why we are here and we will stand firm.
Today the Cuban Revolution continues victorious thanks to the sacrifice of our people, who in the most difficult moments was able to resist and get ahead with the guidance of our Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz. It was also, to a large extent, thanks to the international solidarity that throughout all these years has always accompanied us, breaking the media siege, spreading our reality around the world. Cuba is always grateful for the solidarity of our friends in the world who are many and who, like you, inspired by this example, are slowly breaking the blockade every single day.
As everyone knows today, precisely one month ago, on April 19, coinciding with the date of the victory of Giron, the electoral process concluded in Cuba, with the election of Comrade Miguel Dias-Canel Bermudez as President of the Councils of State and Ministers, who in his inaugural speech assured that this new generation will guarantee the continuity of our Socialist Revolution by the humble and for the humble, always bearing in mind the legacy of Fidel Castro as a permanent guide and the presence of Army General Raul Castro who will continue as First Secretary of our Communist Party guaranteeing the unity of the nation and its people, and who will lead the most important decisions for the present and the future of the country.
I want to reiterate that we, Cubans, will continue offering our solidarity and internationalist help to the world, our doctors will continue to be in the most isolated areas of the planet, where few want to go.
We thank all our friends for their solidarity and support with our people and we assure them that we will not fail them. Cuba will continue working to strengthen our prosperous and sustainable socialism.
Long live Cuba! Long live Solidarity! Thank you so much.
