Venezuela Elects National Constituent Assembly Members

A total of 8,089,320 voters went out to vote on Sunday, July 30, for the 537 members of the National Constituent Assembly (ANC), according to the first official bulletin of the National Electoral Council (CNE). The figure is equivalent to 41.5% of the electoral roll. This Tuesday, August 1, will see the election of eight indigenous assembly members

Author: International news staff | informacion@granma.cu
August 1, 2017 10:08:14

Maduro expressed gratitude for the solidarity of the peoples of the world with the country’s Constituent Assembly process. Photo: AVN

CARACAS.- Despite the boycott of right wing sectors and international maneuvers to refuse to recognize the democratic process that Venezuela held on Sunday, July 30, members of the National Constituent Assembly were elected with broad popular legitimacy and the mandate to return the country to the path of peace, according to Venezuelan authorities.

After hearing the first official bulletin on the results of the elections, sometime after midnight, President Nicolás Maduro offered his views on what he considered a “historic” day for Venezuela.

He stressed that the Venezuelan people have offered a lesson of courage and bravery on participating in the election, despite the threats of extreme sectors who sought to prevent them from exercising their right to vote.

Maduro emphasized that the ANC, “not only has the national constituent force, but also has the force of legitimacy, the moral strength of a people who heroically went out to vote in war conditions, to say: we want peace, tranquility.”

 A HISTORIC VOTE

The Venezuelan President noted that the vote for the ANC members saw one of the biggest turnouts of the past 18 years.

According to the first official bulletin of the National Electoral Council, 8,089,320 citizens, equivalent to 41.5% of the electoral roll, cast their vote.

In comparison, in the legislative elections of 2015, the opposition right-wing coalition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) secured 7.7 million votes for its various candidates to the National Assembly, which continues to be in a state of contempt of the judicial branch.

In the recall referendum of 2004, 5.8 million Venezuelans voted for Chávez to remain in office, as opposed to 3.9 million who voted for his departure from power.

The biggest vote share won by the Bolivarian Revolution was Chávez’ re-election in 2012, when he secured 8.1 million votes against right-wing presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, who gained just over six million.

The head of Strategy and Propaganda of the Zamora 200 Constitutional Campaign Command, Jorge Rodríguez, stressed that, with the results of the Constituent Assembly vote, Chavista sectors had recovered their historic electoral support.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSEMBLY

In the early hours of Monday, July 31, President Maduro outlined some of the first steps the National Constituent Assembly will take.

He noted that the main task of the assembly will be to consolidate a system to support the victims of opposition violence and ensure they get justice, as a way of eradicating such acts.

“This is a Constituent Assembly to bring order, do justice and defend peace,” Maduro stated, adding that this new phase of the Bolivarian Revolution would also encompass new tasks in the economic, political and cultural spheres; a new attitude, conduct and methods to eradicate corruption and encourage popular organization.

“Let’s close ranks so that the Assembly is the space for the national dialogue of all Venezuelans, honest people who want peace, sincere people,” he stressed.

Maduro, who will appear before the Assembly to recognize the Original Power of the people, also thanked the peoples of the world for their solidarity with the Constituent process.

OPPOSITION BOYCOTT

Venezuelan opposition sectors refused to recognize the result of Sunday’s vote and questioned official participation figures, according to reports by EFE.

The President of the Venezuelan Parliament, Julio Borges, in an interview with private channel Globovisión, stated that Venezuela was “more divided” after the National Electoral Council’s announcement on the results of the vote, and reiterated his claim that the levels of participation cited were “not credible.”

However, Borges failed to provide any evidence to contradict the official results, which have been endorsed by international organizations.

Prensa Latina reported that the Council of Electoral Specialists of Latin America (CEELA) highlighted the strengthening, reliability and transparency of the Venezuelan electoral system, in a statement released in Caracas following the elections for the National Constituent Assembly.

On behalf of CEELA, Nicanor Moscoso stressed that “the robustness of the voting system is recognized by the electorate in the country, who came out to participate in these elections on a massive scale.”

 INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS

The Nicaraguan government greeted the historic election day in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. In a press note, the government of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo highlighted that the vote demonstrated Venezuela’s defense of the “right to self-determination, peace and respect, of our peoples,” as reported by Nicaraguan news site 19digital.

Meanwhile, Bolivian President Evo Morales congratulated the Venezuelan people for going to the polls to elect their National Constituent Assembly. He assured that “the democratic vocation” of this South American nation guarantees the unity of the country and that “the vote is mightier than the bullet,” as news agency DPA reported.

A statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry read: “We regret to note that opposition forces did not respond to the call to take part in the elections, but instead tried to hamper the elections, provoking clashes that have resulted in human losses.”

However, the United States, Spain, and various Latin American governments, refused to recognize the results of the democratic process held in Venezuela.

Among the countries in the region refusing to recognize the results are Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, Paraguay and Guatemala.

An editorial published on Monday, July 31, in Mexican newspaper La Jornada pointed out that, far from contributing to a detente, intervention in Venezuela’s internal affairs exacerbates the climate of confrontation and encourages increasingly violent attitudes among opposition sectors.

The editorial goes on to point out that interventionist practices demonstrate “an undeniable lack of authority” on the part of the United States and its allies in their anti-Venezuelan crusade.

The article stressed that these governments themselves can not be held up as examples of democracy, respect for human rights or strict respect for legality. “None of them would pass a cursory examination on these issues,” the paper emphasized.

Why Lula?

The right has declared the former President public enemy number one, and directs all its firepower toward him

Author: Sergio Alejandro Gómez | informacion@granma.cu
July 31, 2017 14:07:52

The Brazilian right wing has good reason to celebrate. They were able to oust Dilma Rousseff from the Presidency for her management of public funds, while the very Congress members who impeached her were dropping like flies as a result of corruption charges. They approved a labor reform that takes workers' rights back a century, and have implemented a massive austerity program, without touching the interests of the country's most important companies.

Nonetheless, they are not sleeping well. Their concern has one name: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

As long as the former steelworker and President, who served eight years and helped some 20 million persons escape poverty, is present in the country's political arena, they know their fate is hanging by a thread.

Lula continues to be Brazil's most popular political figure, and leads all surveys on next year's elections, despite the rethinking in which the Workers' Party (PT) is currently immersed; the coup plotting government's attacks; and the corporate media's hostility.

The right has declared Lula public enemy number one, and directs all its firepower toward him, since he is admired by the working classes and is a left-wing figure internationally.

The latest maneuver against him is an attempt to have the courts rule that he is ineligible to run for President next year. The controversial judge Sergio Moro - who has been accused of political bias in his management of the Petrobras corruption investigation - sentenced Da Silva to nine years in prison, and prohibited him from holding political office for almost 20.

He is accused of having received a three floor apartment as payment for guaranteeing the OAS construction company a contract with the state oil company.

The conviction and sentence, which does not go into effect until the ruling is approved by an appeals court, were based on the testimony of individuals on trial for illicit activity, who contributed no concrete evidence against Lula.

The strategy is a risky one. On the one hand, if the appeals court backs Judge Moro's ruling, Lula will not be allowed to participate in the elections and the PT would have only a year to organize another candidacy. But if, as all appearances indicate, the conviction is ruled unfounded, popular support for Lula will be strengthened even more.

Thousands of Brazilians have come out onto the streets, over the past several days, to support the former President, demanding "Temer out" and "Direct elections now."

The government which took over after the parliamentary coup against Dilma Rousseff appears more fragile every day and social tension is increasing, as a result of the dismantling of socio-economic projects initiated by the PT administrations. Temer's agenda is based on placing the burden of economic austerity on the backs of workers, and destroying their rights in the name of efficiency.

The right knows that the measures Temer has adopted are not popular, and that the current President has no political future. The elections are fast approaching and they do not have a candidate capable of bringing their forces together.

Their worst nightmare is a Lula who expresses the masses' discontent with current cutbacks, who travels the country in a caravan reviving hope in a prosperous Brazil, without the shadow of corruption.

A victory for the left would change the correlation of forces in the country. While the need for alliances and complex coalitions put a brake on Lula's previous administrations, and that of Dilma, the margin of victory now being projected in polls would give the PT the power to continue social transformations to benefit the majority.

This is what keeps the Brazilian right awake at night, and Lula's original sin which they cannot forgive.

They Said: It Can Be Done. And We Did It!

Gladys Martínez Verdecia, Central Committee member and first party secretary in Pinar del Río, addresses July 26 celebration

Author: National news staff | informacion@granma.cu
July 26, 2017 11:07:52
Photo: Tomada de la televisión

"Celebrating the national commemoration of the 64th anniversary of the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Garrisons, in our province, constitutes a great recognition of the participation of our people in carrying out every effort undertaken by the Revolution, and a commitment to maintain the conquests achieved and to go for more," said Gladys Martínez Verdecia, Central Committee member and first party secretary in Pinar del Río.

She said that residents of the province are extraordinarily happy and grateful, because being chosen to host the national event was a sign of confidence, adding that the commemoration is a well-deserved tribute to those who participated in the 1953 assaults, especially youth who gave their lives that July 26 and following days.

Referring to that morning, 64 years ago, she said the date was inscribed in the nation's history as one of the most significant moments of rebellion of the Cuban Revolution.

She added that learning of the Political Bureau's decision to honor Pinar del Río as host of the celebration served to encourage efforts underway to prepare for the city's upcoming 150th anniversary.

In every institution and neighborhood, she said, the jubilation and enthusiasm of the workforce aided efforts to meet objectives established for the period, and progress was made on more than 200 construction projects.

"For the first time," Martínez said, "we celebrate the day without the physical presence of Fidel, but he is present in the efforts of every collective, which has made progress in implementing the Guidelines possible."

She cited several examples of the province's accomplishments, such as positive results in education, health, and sports.

She added that net sales of goods and services have increased over the last five years, which has meant more availability of products for the population, although supply is still insufficient to meet all needs.

She noted that the production of rice, eggs, pork, and honey has been increasing at a steady rate. Milk production goals were successfully met in 2016, and estimates indicate that the recent tobacco harvest was completed with excellent yields and quality.

Martínez recalled that electrical service is now available in 99.56% of the province, while 56 wifi internet zones have been established and 57 cellular telephone towers erected.

She added that the potential exist to further increase sales of tobacco, natural charcoal, and other product lines, while noting, "There remains much to do," insisting that there are untapped opportunities in the province to progress and advance toward sustainable development.

We are conscious of the economy's needs, she said, emphasizing that efforts must continue to advance food and housing programs, to mobilize the workforce, with attention to the population's proposals, to strengthen the transparency of People's Power.

Martínez ended her remarks saying that the people of Pinar del Río are very grateful to Fidel. Guided by his example, intransigence, and unwavering confidence in victory, we are ready to take on new challenges, she said.

"We reaffirm to Raúl and the Party that we are strong and fighting. They said it could be done. And we did it! Onward to victory, always, Comandante!" she concluded.

Pinar del Río: Pride of the Revolution

Eighth-grade pioneer Naomi Shuman Cabrera spoke this morning during the national act to mark the 64th anniversary of the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes garrisons, held in the provisional Plaza of the Revolution in the Hermanos Cruz neighborhood of Pinar del Río

Author: National news staff | informacion@granma.cu
July 26, 2017 10:07:26
Photo: Tomada de la televisión

Today is a day of remembrance. For the first time we are not accompanied by the leader of the Revolution Fidel Castro, but we feel his presence as always, hoisting the banner of dignity.

These the words of eighth-grade pioneer Naomi Shuman Cabrera, who spoke this morning during the national act to mark the 64th anniversary of the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes garrisons, held in the provisional Plaza of the Revolution in the Hermanos Cruz neighborhood of Pinar del Río.

Before the triumph of the Revolution, Pinar del Río was a poor province, the student said. She also noted the high illiteracy rate and lack of health care at the time. However, “the compassion of the Revolution reached every part.”

I want to thank Fidel and the continuers of his work, she said, adding that today all Cuban children and young people have the opportunity to study for free, regardless of race, background, or religious beliefs.

Naomi also recalled the National Hero of Cuba, José Martí, the Heroic Guerrilla Che Guevara, and Fidel, when in this very same square 17 years ago he said: “The prestige of the imperial policy will so crumble that not even its dust will remain.”

She maintained that the Cuba of today is that in which young pioneers feel “happy, safe”; which offers access to new technologies, virtual libraries, computer labs, where there are schools for the disabled, where each student has a teacher.

She emphasized that all members of the José Martí Pioneers’ Organization are committed to follow the steps of the generation that fought to make these dreams a reality. Comandante, you will be proud of our people, she concluded.

Contribution and Commitment: Key Variables in Mobilizing Workers

CTC Secretary General, Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento, agreed to talk with Granma regarding the challenges facing unions in the current battle for economic progress

Author: Lissy Rodríguez Guerrero | informacion@granma.cu
august 2, 2017 12:08:11

“For the CTC and its unions, the task of advancing the country’s economy is a priority,” stated Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento. Photo: Ismael Batista

The active participation of workers is decisive in the construction of a country in which the improvement of economic indicators, rising salaries backed by the generation of wealth, efficiency in investments, and the growth of production and services, are all key demands.

In the alliance of the entire society to achieve these goals, the Cuban Workers’ Federation (CTC), founded in 1939 by Lázaro Peña, plays an indispensable role. Since its creation, the workers’ organization has led some of the most important processes in the nation’s development.

CTC Secretary General, Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento, agreed to talk with Granma regarding the challenges facing unions in the current battle for economic progress.

The country achieved slight economic growth in the first half of the year, what role do workers play in maintaining this?

The role of unions and workers is decisive in the goal of ensuring the growth of our economy - particularly of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - and of finding ways and means to increase efficiency and material production. The latter should have an increasing bearing on the structure of the GDP.

In order to achieve this objective, it is essential to perfect planning, in the short, medium, and long term, and in particular, to identify the potential efficiency reserves that are present in the different production processes.

In my opinion, workers can have a greater impact on the optimal use of raw materials and supplies, existing inventories, and the reduction of consumption rates, paying particular attention, due to their high cost, to energy sources.

Second, we must make better use of the technical availability coefficients of agricultural and engineering machinery available to us today; increase the rotation of arable land and the optimization of potential yields. No less important is the completion of investment projects, in which each year we plan amounts that are not met for a number of reasons, many of which are associated with subjective factors.

Another aspect is related to the poor implementation of norms and organization of work, to favor greater productivity of the labor force, and with it the gradual improvement of income. At the same time, a failure to demand compliance with labor and technological discipline, and the application of science continues.

In addition, unions must address the shortcomings associated with the contracting, transportation, marketing chain. Workers can produce as long as they have the supplies, and raw materials arrive on time, designing pay systems together with administration departments that unleash productive forces, in a context of greater autonomy and flexibility in the socialist state enterprise, and the growth and diversification of non-state forms of management.

We must purposely push for the fulfillment of exportable production lines and those that can substitute imports, as well as making incursions and diversifying in others – which once played an important role in export plans – like manufacturing, in the footwear and textiles field.

In a general sense, the most substantial contribution that workers can make is to ensure in their collective that today, not only can we produce more, if provided with the resources, but that we make more efficient use of what we have.

Now that the guiding documents on the transformation of our economic model have been approved and disseminated, how will the CTC assume the implementation process?

Since the 20th CTC Congress, held in February 2014, the Army General, in his closing speech, summoned us to concentrate the trade union movement on substantive aspects, and one of them was to ensure the implementation of the (Economic and Social Policy) Guidelines.

From that moment on, it has been a priority to examine our progress and difficulties in our governing bodies. We have designed a communication plan aimed at the preparation of our cadre; to favor debates with the participation of experts; to promote pieces of journalism publicizing the views of those who practically implement or are impacted (by the Guidelines). We also promote knowledge of the content, reinforcing their democratic and participative essence.

When the documents were discussed by the trade union movement and its governing bodies, workers openly participated in making the proposals that helped to improve them and build consensus, and were later reflected in the finished documents.

It is precisely in these documents, and in the National Assembly, that popular control is increasingly being talked about. How much can workers and unions do to make this a reality in every workplace?

I would dare to say that the union movement has a role unlike any other organization, in this spectrum of our society, to favor and ensure effective popular control.

In this sense, there are spaces for collective discussion that we should take better advantage of, such as the workers’ assembly, which statutorily provide us with legal force and has legal recognition, in order that management is obliged to render accounts of their administration.

These assemblies need to become a moment for broad democratic debate, for contributions from workers.

To do this, we need to uproot the formality in the practical observance of the rights we have gained.

I can’t say that this isn’t done today; the question is whether what we do has the effectiveness that we require.

Evidently, the answer is no. Because still the majority of the audits that are carried out across the country are external control measures, to detect cases of corruption and the diversion of resources, to which must be added the audits that are classified as bad or deficient.

There are specific problems in the economy, such as the case of wages paid without the corresponding productive support, which has a direct impact on workers. What measures is the CTC taking to attempt to correct these deficiencies?

Regarding salaries, there is a very controversial debate underway across society, with majority recognition that the incomes received are insufficient to satisfy the needs of workers, with which the union movement agrees. This causes apathy at work, a lack of interest and significant labor migration, with not only quantitative, but also qualitative impacts. It is a known issue and the object of evaluation by decision-making bodies.

Together with this are the cases of non-payment of workers and administrative institutions that violate pay periods. That is, there is a series of problems linked to the issue of salaries, but we have always been advocates for pay based on production.

When the opposite occurs, there is an inflationary process in the economy. It is therefore a challenge for unions to improve the training of those responsible for the conception, design, and implementation of payment forms and systems.

In recent years, there has been a substantial reduction in the numbers of entities reporting losses. In 2009, there were 802 enterprises that made payments without productive support. We have just closed the first half of the year with 67 enterprises. There shouldn’t be a single one, but the union, together with workers, has raised awareness regarding the need for these issues to be openly discussed.

Among the measures taken are the visits we conduct to these enterprises, alongside experts from the Association of Economists of Cuba, the Union of Jurists of Cuba, and union leaders from the Labor, Finances and Prices, and Economics and Planning directorates of the provincial governments.

We have favored discussion and identification of the variables that contribute to these deformations in the fulfillment of plans. These same issues are taken openly to the workers’ discussion assembly, promoting the identification of the causes that generate these problems.

Some of them are not always directly associated with the will of the workers, and have to do with shortcomings in the contracting, production, and marketing chain; the impact of the dual monetary and exchange rate; and other structural problems present in our economy.

For the CTC and its unions, the task of advancing the country’s economy is a priority in the practical and concrete work of the organization. We see it as a responsibility, in the pursuit of the satisfaction of the needs of our people.

The Economy is the Essential Task, Since It is the Base Upon Which All the Revolution's Conquests Are Sustained

Full text of speech delivered by José R. Machado Ventura, second secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and a vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers, during the commemoration of the 64th anniversary of the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Garrisons, in Pinar del Río, July 26, 2017, Year 59 of the Revolution

Author: José Ramón Machado Ventura | informacion@granma.cu
July 26, 2017 15:07:22
Foto: Tomada de la televisión

Full text of speech delivered by José R. Machado Ventura, second secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and a vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers, during the commemoration of the 64th anniversary of the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes

(Council of State transcript / GI translation)

Compañero Army General Raúl Castro Ruz;

July 26 combatants and members of the Granma expedition;

Families of our heroes and martyrs;

Guests joining us;

Men and women of Pinar del Río;

Compatriots:

July 26, a transcendental date in the nation's history, provokes in us a particular mix of emotions, feelings, and ideas, in which our pride as children of this people is combined with an eternal commitment to Fidel and to all who sacrificed their lives so that the name of Cuba is always associated with freedom, justice, and dignity.

This is the first time we commemorate an anniversary of the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Garrisons without the physical presence of Fidel, but this does not mean that his image, work, and example do not remain alongside our heroic people, committed, in their daily work, to upholding the concept of Revolution he bequeathed us.

Seventeen years ago, compañero Fidel reminded us that when the Revolution triumphed, this province was the most abandoned, to the extent that many described it as a Cinderella, despite the important contribution its campesinos and workers made to the country's economy, above all in tobacco production and mining.

A few numbers are enough to illustrate the contrast between that sad reality and the present.

More than 85% of Pinar del Río's farms did not belong to those who worked them.

In health, only 16 assistance centers existed, and some 100 private doctor's offices. There were a total of 248 doctors, 25 dentists, 50 nurses and assistants. Today there are 626 family doctor's offices, 19 polyclinics, and five hospitals. In these, 4,577 doctors offer their services, and the nursing staff includes 5,635 professionals, 112 times the number existing back then.

In remote rural areas, where the presence of a doctor, or even a nursing assistant, was a pipe dream, functioning today are 24 expanded emergency service centers that save lives.

The dreadful figure of 60 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births, reached 1.7 during the first half of 2017, a figure which is truly extraordinary, I believe, the lowest in Cuba at this time. (Applause)

And from a life expectancy of 53 years in 1958, the average today is 79, statistics which are also among the best in the country, common only in very developed nations.

More than 3,000 healthcare collaborators from Pinar del Río are making a contribution of solidarity in 43 countries, fundamentally in the sister Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

In education, from 30% illiteracy to a rate of practically zero, for some years now. In terms of the numbers of teachers and professors, educational centers, and the portion of the budget devoted to this decisive sector, the figures are so distant from before that making comparisons is not even worth the time.

Unemployment is practically non-existent, reduced from 30% to 1.3%.

Although far from satisfied, Pinar del Río's men and women have worked hard to ensure that every family has a decent home. In this effort, homeowners' personal efforts have played an important role, along with the provision of subsidies to those without sufficient economic resources.

It is important that the province's progress in the social arena be accompanied by greater economic results, especially in production, in accordance with agreements approved by the 7th Party Congress.

As compañero Raúl has indicated on many occasions, the economy is the essential task, since it is the base upon which all the Revolution's conquests are sustained.

The tobacco sector, decisive not only for Pinar del Río, but for the national economy as well, has made gains in this year's harvest, which must be consolidated definitively.

Other crops are also increasing, like root vegetables and greens, although insufficiently. And rice, this time the weather has favored Pinar del Río more than other provinces, where the drought has caused considerable losses and prevented new plantings.

Also making progress, as compañera Gladys specified in her remarks, are fishing, mining - which is beginning to recuperate its former weight in the economy - industry, and services like tourism, with 5% growth in visitors during the first half of the year, as compared to the same period in 2016.

For these and other reasons, the Political Bureau decided to designate the province as the site of the central commemorative event for July 26. (Applause) In the name of its members, and especially First Party Secretary, compañero Raúl Castro Ruz, I deliver to the workers, campesinos, students, that is all in Pinar del Río, well deserved congratulations and recognition from your compatriots. (Applause)

We especially congratulate First Party Secretary Gladys Martínez Verdecia, and the President of the Provincial Assembly of People's Power, Ernesto Barreto Castillo, for having been capable of leading, with organization and effectiveness, the enthusiasm, the commitment, and unwavering willingness to struggle of your fellow Pinar natives. (Applause)

Compatriots:

You better than anyone know that much remains to be done to reach a definitive takeoff of the economy, and thus meet the needs of our people.

In this long, difficult battle, we are convinced that the children of this indomitable land will continue to take the front lines, as did your parents and grandparents, who were never resigned to the marginalization to which the oppressive colonial regime sought to condemn them, firstly, and subsequently a republic subjected to imperialist designs.

This land saw the birth of Isabel Rubio, the Liberation Army's brave Captain of Health, a rank conferred on her by Maceo himself, in recognition of her significant contribution to the independence cause; and of Colonel Manuel Lazo, who made an outstanding contribution to the success of the invasion, one of the most brilliant feats in our history.

More than 50 years later, more than 40 youth from the former province of Pinar del Río participated in the actions of July 26, fundamentally from Artemisa (no longer within the province), but also from other municipalities, including this city. Three of them fell in battle, and another 13 were victims of the crimes ordered by the dictator after the assault.

Living and dying at only 17 and 18 years of age, in San Juan y Martínez, were the brothers Sergio and Luis Saíz Montes de Oca, paradigms and symbols of the thousands of young Cubans who died in the struggle for a future of justice and dignity for the homeland. This coming August 13 will see the 60th anniversary of that unforgettable crime.

Natives of this province, like those of all Cuba, fought tirelessly to win the definitive victory, as did the guerillas of the Pinar del Río Front and underground combatants in rural areas and cities.

This is the land of the Malagones, 12 humble campesinos who became the prototype for our popular militias, carrying out an order from the Comandante en Jefe.

There were countless men and women from Pinar del Río who joined the ranks of literacy teachers, militias, combatants in the struggle against bandits, and internationalists - that is in every battle that has been unleashed over these many years.

Just as those today who in the fields, mines, trenches, classrooms, and other no less important fronts, contribute with the sweat of their brows to the construction of a better future for the homeland.

Compañeras and compañeros:

As Army General Raúl Castro Ruz has said, on more than one occasion, the direction of the Revolution has been charted. In accordance with agreements reached at the 7th Party Congress, we have been working on, and today have, the programmatic documents that establish the direction and scope of changes which we will continue to make with the purpose of achieving a prosperous, sustainable socialism.

All of this amidst a complex international situation, to which compañero Raúl accurately referred, during the closing of the Ninth Ordinary Session of the National Assembly of People's Power, this past July 14, and I quote his comments:

“Today, we reiterate the Revolutionary Government’s condemnation of measures to tighten the blockade, and reaffirm that any attempt to destroy the Revolution, whether through coercion and pressure, or the use of subtle methods, will fail,” end of quote.

In recent weeks, the interventionist and destabilizing actions perpetuated against the Bolivarian, Chavista government led by the constitutional President Nicolás Maduro Moros, to whom we reiterate our invariable solidarity, have increased.

Adding to the unconventional war, which the civic-military union of the Venezuelan people has exemplarily resisted for several years, are recent threats by the U.S. government to impose unilateral economic sanctions.

In turn, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) continues his despicable performance at the service of imperialism, appearing before the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere of the United States Senate in support of the application of sanctions.

Just days ago, an influential U.S. daily speculated on the possible involvement of our country in eventual international negotiations relating to the situation in Venezuela.

Cuba roundly rejects such insinuations and demands absolute respect for the sovereignty and self-determination of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Applause).

Those who from abroad attempt to lecture on democracy and human rights, while encouraging coup violence and terrorism, must take their hands off that nation.

It is up to the Bolivarian people and government, alone, to overcome their difficulties, without foreign interference in their internal affairs.

We reaffirm, once again, our unwavering solidarity with the Venezuelan people. (Applause)

Before our people, in memory of our heroic dead, let us reaffirm that we will never betray the glory and the infinite pride of having served with modesty the country and the Revolution, under the ideas and steadfast guidance of Fidel and Raúl (Applause).

Eternal glory to our heroes and martyrs! (Shouts of “Glory!”)

¡Viva la Revolución! (Shouts of “Viva!”)

¡Viva! (Shouts of “Viva!”))

!Viva Cuba Libre! (Shouts of “Viva!”)

(Ovation.)

180 Years of Excellence in Dance, Music, Theater and Opera

Like always, we return to its history and tradition; especially this year, when this symbolic, privileged site of performing arts in Cuba, is celebrating its 180th anniversary…

Author: Mireya Castañeda | internet@granma.cu
July 25, 2017 11:07:41
The Alicia Alonso Grand Theater of Havana. Photo: Jorge Luis González

A favored space for the intangible revelations of dance, music and opera, the Alicia Alonso Grand Theater of Havana is located on Paseo del Prado, right beside the Capitolio Nacional de Cuba.

Like always, we return to its history and tradition; especially this year, when this symbolic, privileged site of performing arts in Cuba, is celebrating its 180th anniversary.

Its origins date back to the times when the island was still a Spanish colony. The establishment was inaugurated in 1838 and named the Tacón Theater, after Miguel Tacón, Capitan General of Cuba from 1834-1838, who had the idea to build a large theater in the city.

According to historians the Spanish governor also received certain benefits with the construction of the theater, including as a sizeable fortune, titles, and it would serve as a distraction from his repressive politics.

The responsibility of building the theater fell to Tacón’s friend Francisco Marty y Torrens from Catalonia, given his experience in the world of performing arts as director of the Diorama, one of the two theaters which existed at that that time in Havana (the other being El principal).

In his book Gran Teatro de La Habana: cronología mínima 1834/1987, Francisco Rey Alfonso investigates how the theater came to be.

The Tacón, designed by architect Antonio Mayo, was officially inaugurated on April 15, 1838 with a performance by Gregorio Duclós’ Spanish Dramatic Arts Company, of Don Juan de Austria (Delavigne) starring famous Cuban actor Francisco Covarrubias, considered to be the founding father of vernacular theater (today’s establishment features a hall bearing his name) and Costumbrism in Cuban literature.

“Both rich and elegant […] only the principal theaters in Europe’s largest capitals can match that of Havana’s in the beauty of its embellishments, grandeur of its light fittings, and in the elegance of its spectators…” according to one of Cuba’s earliest authors, María de las Mercedes Beltrán Santa Cruz y Montalvo, Countess of Merlín, in her book Viaje a La Habana.

In 1840, the Countess herself organized a dramatic-lyrical benefit at the Theater to build a new facility for women suffering from mental health problems in Havana. The program featured scenes from the operas Norma and Lucia de Lamermoor.

Throughout the 19th century, theTacón’s stage played host to a long list of stellar artists from the worlds of theater, opera, ballet, and music, names which today feature in the global history of culture; such as the debut of ballerina Fanny Elssler in 1841; a performance by Swedish soprano Jenny Lind in 1851; and another, Adelina Patti, accompanied by pianist and composer Luis Moreau Gottschalk, in 1854; as well as a recital by pianist Teresa Carreño in 1863; and performance by Sarah “the Divine” Bernhardt in 1887, to name just a few.

Meanwhile, the Robreños and Martínez Casados, two of the most renowned families in the history of the Cuban arts scene, made a name for themselves at the Tacón, alongside pianists and composers José White, Nicolás Ruiz Espadero, Manuel Saumell, and Ignacio Cervantes, and violinist Claudio Brindis de Salas.

Other key moments in the history of the Grand Theater include its 1847 restoration, and the appointment of Antonio Meucci as the establishment’s director general, who in 1851 developed a voice-communication apparatus that several sources credit as the first telephone; in 1865 a staircase made of Italian marble was installed, and which soon became one of the Theater’s crowing glories, while a cinematograph was installed in what was formerly the accounts office by Gabriel Veyre, representative of the Lumiere brothers, where the first film projection in Cuba took place.

Shortly before the turn of the century the theater’s grand chandelier (Havana has three wonders: the Morro, the Cabaña, and the Tacón’s chandelier) came crashing down; some claiming that the cable which fastened it to the ceiling had broken, while other more adventurous theorists, assert it was the result of a public disturbance following a poor quality show.

The theater was purchased six years later by the Galicians Benefit Society. The site was later demolished, and between 1910 and 1915 the current establishment was built by Belgian architect Paul Beleu.

An architectural beauty, the theater’s main façade features four groups of white marble sculptures by Giuseppe Moretti, representing the figures from the Benefit Society, education, music, and the theater.

The Coliseum on Prado reopened its doors on April 22, 1915 with the staging of Aída, followed by spectacular seasons featuring the top artists of the age, including transcendental names such as pianist, Ignacio Paderweski; Antonia Mercé; and the stellar ballerina Anna Pavlova in 1917; the heavenly Bernhardt who returned in 1918; Arthur Rubinstein (1919); violinist Misha Elman, and tenor Enrico Caruso (1920); in 1922 Esperanza Iris and the Lola Membrives company under the direction of Spaniard Jacinto Benavente, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature that same year; 1923, an exceptional year which saw performances by pianist and composer Serguei Rachmaninov, violinists Jascha Heifetz, guitarist Andrés Segovia and cellist Pablo Casals; in 1924, two renowned actresses: Eleonora Duse and Margarita Xirgu; in 1944 Erich Kleiber directed the Philharmonic Orchestra, while Pepita Embil and Plácido Domingo, parents of the renowned Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo junior, triumphed in the opera Luisa Fernanda.

Those were also outstanding years for Cuban culture with the premier of operas La esclava, by José Mauri, and El caminante by Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes; a concert by Ernesto Lecuona; the debut of soprano Zoila Gálvez; inaugural concert of the Havana Symphony Orchestra founded by Gonzalo Roig and Lecuona; recitals by pianist Jorge Bollet; the premiere of works by Lecuona, Amadeo Roldán, Alejandro García Caturla; and performances by stellar artists Esther Borja, Rita Montaner, Ignacio Villa “Bola de Nieve”, Rosita Fornés, Alicia Rico, Candita Quintana, and Blanca Becerra.

1950 marks a highpoint in the theater’s history that would last throughout the 20th century with the premiere, in the Grand Theater, of the Alicia Alonso Ballet featuring the prima ballerina assoluta dancing The Dying Swan and Aurora’s Wedding.

Since 1960, the coliseum on Prado served as the headquarters for the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC) welcoming figures and companies such as the 20th Century Ballet, directed by Maurice Bejart; flamenco with artists such as Antonio Gades, Cristina Hoyos; ballet stars including Maya Plisetskaya, Carla Fracci, Vladimir Vasiliev, Julio Bocca; and international companies like the Bolshoi Ballet, the Marinski, the Royal Ballet of London, Milan’s Scala Ballet, the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Teatro Colón Ballet from Buenos Aires.

The Grand Theater also hosts seasons dedicated to Contemporary Dance of Cuba, the opera, and saw the debut of the AcostaDanza company, founded by globally renowned Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta.

The theater’s main hall is named after Granadan poet García Lorca, and in 2015 the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba bestowed the name Alicia Alonso on Havana’s Grand Theater.

After undergoing a two year restoration process from 2013-2015, the theater reopened its doors on January 1, 2016. The impressive building is now ready to celebrate its 180th anniversary in all its splendor.

Reenactment of Moncada Assault Dedicated to Fidel

The walls of the former Moncada Garrison were again illuminated in the dawn hours this July 26, the 64th anniversary of the assault launched by the Centenary Generation, when 160 young students reenacted the glorious action inspired by the legacy of Fidel

Author: Eduardo Palomares Calderón | palomares@granma.cu
July 27, 2017 11:07:22
Photo: Eduardo Palomares

SANTIAGO DE CUBA.– The walls of the former Moncada Garrison were again illuminated in the dawn hours this July 26, the 64th anniversary of the assault launched by the Centenary Generation, when 160 young students reenacted the glorious action inspired by the legacy of Fidel.

With hundreds of the residents looking on, after enjoying the city's Carnival or staying awake for the occasion, just like that historic day, at 5:15am, the young participants took Post 3, this time carrying over-sized pencils and shouting their love for the Comandante en Jefe and support for Raúl.

The group was intent upon making a reality of Fidel's assertion during his 1953 trial: "My comrades are not dead, or forgotten." Shouts of "Presente!" were heard after the names of the Moncada assailants who sacrificed their lives were read, the majority tortured and killed in cold blood well after the attack.

The tribute continued as the crowd made its way to Santa Ifigenia Cemetery where floral wreaths were placed at the Pantheon of July 26 Martyrs in the name of President Raúl Castro, and the people of Cuba.

Led by Lázaro Expósito Canto and Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, first Party secretary in Santiago and president the Provincial Assembly of People's Power, respectively, participants paid their respects to the intellectual author of the Moncada assault, José Martí, at his mausoleum, and the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, before the giant boulder where his ashes rest.

The celebration of National Rebellion Day in Santiago also included a recognition of the July 26 Historical Museum's 50th anniversary and the opening of a photo exhibit of visits to the Moncada by world leaders, most accompanied by Fidel or Raúl.

A Legacy That Grows

Machado Ventura heads tributes in Santiago de Cuba to honor Frank País and Raúl Pujol, on the 60th anniversary of their assassinations

Author: Eduardo Palomares Calderón | palomares@granma.cu
July 31, 2017 09:07:38
Photo: Miguel Rubiera Justiz

SANTIAGO DE CUBA.– José Ramón Machado Ventura, second Party secretary and a vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers, lead the traditional pilgrimage here of thousands of residents from Céspedes Park to Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, to honor Frank País and Raúl Pujol on the 60th anniversary of their assassinations.

Also joining the tribute were Lázaro Expósito Canto, provincial Party secretary and a vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers; Susely Morfa González,first secretary of the Young Communists League; and Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, president of the Provincial Assembly of People's Power.

The march followed the path of the combative crowd which accompanied the remains of the two underground fighters who were killed in cold blood, as is done every July 30.

The tribute on the occasion of Martyrs of the Revolution Day, established in 1959, began early, at the corner of the Callejón del Muro and San Germán Street, with a reenactment of the events surrounding the assassinations of the two young rebels at the hands of the Batista dictatorship.

Susely Morfa addressed participants, emphasizing, "Frank's struggle has not ended, and will not end as long as the possibility exists that someone could harm the Revolution… We do not have the right to fail, or rest even a minute in the struggle to protect what has been accomplished thus far. It is up to us to support, with our own effort, consciousness, and preparation, the social project approved by the 7th party Congress, when Fidel reiterated to the world that Cuba will triumph!

"In this land the Revolution triumphed, those who gave us this free, independent, sovereign homeland came down from these mountains, and in this land proclaimed our decision to be true to the ideas of Martí, to the ideas of thousands of youth who like Frank País and Raúl Pujol, gave their lives for the Revolution."

Floral wreaths in the name of President Raúl Castro Ruz and the Cuban people were placed beside the grave of Frank País, and in the Pantheon of Martyrs within the cemetery.

Anniversary of Che's First Military Action as Comandante Commemorated

Yesterday, August 1, several generations of Cubans commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Rebel Army attack on the dictatorship garrison in Bueycito, the first military action led by Che after being promoted to the rank of Comandante by Fidel

Author: Dilbert Reyes Rodríguez | informacion@granma.cu
August 2, 2017 09:08:15

BUEYCITO, Granma.– Yesterday, August 1, several generations of Cubans commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Rebel Army attack on the dictatorship's garrison in Bueycito, the first military action led by Ernesto Che Guevara after being promoted to the rank of Comandante by Fidel

The assault, also recognized as the first to take place in the lowlands, on a military enclave that guarded an important entry point to the Sierra Maestra, was recalled with dance, music, and recitations, presented in front of the recently remodeled museum at the site.

The event was presided by Federico Hernández, first Party secretary in Granma, and Manuel Sobrino, president of the Provincial Assembly of People's Power.

Referring to the young age of combatants in Che's column, Pavel Oliva, of the Young Communists League in the municipality of Buey Arriba, emphasized the leading role played by younger generations in defense of the Revolution and the country's development, putting into practice the legacy of fighters of earlier eras.

On August 1, 1957, leading some 75 men in the newly established Column 4, Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara attacked the garrison, and although the planned surprise factor did not function, the battle ended in victory for the Rebel forces, who were able to seize a cache of weapons and ammunition, including the Browning rifle taken by Che, the "gem of the garrison."

The dictatorship's forces suffered five casualties, and the defeat was especially demoralizing, demonstrating the Rebel's ability to take action outside of the mountains.

Also showing their mettle in the attack were then-captain Ramiro Valdés, as well Ciro Redondo and Lalo Sardiñas leading platoons, in addition to Juan Vitalio Acuña, who went on to join Che in Bolivia years later.

Although Che's column mourned the death of 17-year-old Pedro Rivero Peña, they gained miner Cristino Naranjo Vázquez, whose knowledge of explosives proved valuable to the Rebel forces.

Poets Who Dedicated Verses to Che 

Following the death of Ernesto Che Guevara, 50 years ago, distinguished Cuban, Latin American, and European poets dedicated tender and beautiful lines to him

Author: Mireya Castañeda | internet@granma.cu
July 25, 2017 15:07:06
     
Poets who dedicated verses to Che
Foto: Archive

Following the death of Ernesto Che Guevara, 50 years ago, distinguished Cuban, Latin American, and European poets dedicated tender and beautiful lines to him.

The list of outstanding voices of the Spanish language who wrote extraordinary poems to Che includes, among many Cubans: Nicolás Guillén (“Che Comandante”), Eliseo Diego (“Donde nunca jamás se lo imaginan”), Mirta Aguirre (“Canción antigua al Che Guevara”), José Lezama Lima (“Ernesto Guevara, comandante nuestro”), Miguel Barnet (“Che”), Fina García Marruz (“En la muerte de Ernesto Che Guevara”), Ángel Augier (“Che vivo”), Samuel Feijóo (“Che”), Félix Pita Rodríguez (“Cantata del guerrillero heroico”), and Cintio Vitier (“Ante el retrato de Guevara yacente”).

Admired and award-winning intellectuals from other countries joined this “cantata” to Che, including: Julio Cortázar (“Yo tuve un hermano”), León Felipe (“El gran relincho”), Vicente Aleixandre (“Funeral por Che Guevara”), Gabriel Celaya (“Yo estoy con el Che, ¿y usted?”), Gonzalo Rojas (“El Comandante”), Mario Benedetti (“Consternados, rabiosos”), Idea Vilariño (“Poema”), René Depestre (“Cantata de octubre a la vida y la muerte del Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara”), Juan Gelman (“Conversaciones”), Pablo Neruda (“Tristeza en la muerte de un Héroe”), and José Saramago (“Breve meditación sobre un retrato de Che Guevara”).

Below we offer a minimal sample of these compositions dedicated to Che, beginning with the moving poem “Che Comandante,” by Nicolás Guillén (1902 - 1989), which the poet himself read on that solemn evening of October 18, 1967, in Havana’s Plaza de la Revolución José Martí.
The first verses were prophetic. Twenty years ago, Che’s remains were found where they had been hidden, and were transferred to Cuba:

Though you have fallen your light burns no less bright.

A fire horse

sustains your guerrilla sculpture

among the wind and the clouds of the Sierra.

Though still you are not silence.

And even though they burn you,

they conceal you underground,

they hide you

in a cemetery, woods, paramos,

they are not going to prevent us from finding you

Che Comandante, friend.

                                    ***

One of the most unique poems was written by Cuba’s Mirta Aguirre (1912-1980): “Canción antigua al Che Guevara” (Old song to Che Guevara). It is not very extensive, but here we include only the final verses:

Where are you, gentleman of glory,

the leading among so many?

Made a legend in the death that I die;

Made history, ma'am, made history

                                    ***

Eliseo Diego (1920-1994), winner of the 1993 Juan Rulfo International Prize for Latin American and Caribbean Literature, wrote on the death of Che the poem “Donde nunca jamás se lo imaginan” (Where they never ever imagine), of which we quote a few verses:

Today we are told

That you are really dead, that they have you

Finally where they wanted

                           

They are mistaken

More than us on supposing

That you are a torso of absolute marble

Motionless in history, where everyone

Can discover you.



When you

Were never anything but the fire,

But the light, the air,

But the freedom of the Americas

Inspiring wherever, where they never

Ever imagine, Che Guevara

                                    ***

Miguel Barnet (1940), in his poem to Che concedes:

It’s not that I would want to trade you

a pen for a gun

but the poet is you.

                                    ***

Meanwhile, José Lezama Lima (1910-1976), in his extensive “Ernesto Guevara, comandante nuestro” (Ernesto Guevara, Our Comandante), writes:

“Surrounded by the final test, stone stripped of the beginnings to hear the inaugurations of the verb, death went to find him... Man of all beginnings, of the last, of a single death, distinguished through death, stone on stone, stone fuelling the fire.”

                                    ***

Nobel laureate in Literature 1977, Vicente Aleixandre (1898-1984), a poet of Spain’s Generation of ‘27, wrote in exile “Funeral por Che Guevara” (Funeral for Che Guevara):

Who

moves

the ungreen

shadows?



The wind

flares up.

The moon

is redder,

the famous

night

without light already



The gaze

is the last.

The eyes are beautiful.

The face,



Asleep

he drifts

through the clear

Headed for the wide

How wide and long...!

                                    ***

Pablo Neruda (Chile 1904-1973) Nobel laureate in Literature 1971, met Che following the triumph of the Revolution in 1959. Before his assassination in Bolivia, he included the elegy “Tristeza en la muerte de un héroe” (Sadness on the death of a hero) in his book Fin de mundo. Below some of the verses:

Those who experience this story, this death and resurrection of our bereaved hope,

those who chose combat and saw the flags rise, we knew that the most quiet

were our only heroes and that after the victories came the vociferous

with mouths full of arrogance and salivary boasts.

The people nodded their heads:

and the hero returned to his silence.

But the silence was dressed in mourning until we drowned in grief when in the mountains died

the illustrious fire of Guevara.

                                    ***

A third Nobel laureate in Literature, this time in 1998, the Portuguese José Saramago (1922-2010) entitled his tribute “Breve meditación sobre un retrato de Che Guevara” (Brief contemplation on a portrait of Che Guevara), where he concludes:

“Che Guevara, if it can be said, existed before he was born, Che Guevara, if it can be affirmed, continued to exist after his death. Because Che Guevara is just another name for what is most just and worthy in the human spirit. What so often lives dormant within us. What we should wake up to know and to know ourselves, to add the humble step of each to the path of all.”

                                    ***

The Argentine author of Hopscotch, Julio Cortázar (1914-1984), wrote in “Yo tuve un hermano” (I had a brother):

We never saw each other

but it did not matter.

I had a brother

who wandered through the mountains

while I slept.

                                    ***

Uruguay’s Mario Benedetti (1920-2009), in “Consternados, rabiosos” (Dismayed, enraged), noted


That’s what we are.

Although this death is one of the foreseeable absurdities.

It is shameful…

Typing the three global letters of your name on the rigid typewriter that never, ever, had such a pale ribbon.

You’re dead, you’re alive, you’re falling, you’re a cloud, you’re rain, you’re a star.

Wherever you are, if you are, if you are arriving, it will be a pity if there is no God, but there will be others, of course there will be others, worthy of receiving you, comandante.

                                    ***

Spanish playwright Alfonso Sastre (1926) warned in his poem “Nada de llantos” (No tears):

… flags unfurled,

Yankees gone home (and pumba!), screams

of rabid anger, intestinal, and here war,

Lord, and then Glory.

Compañero, Che Guevara is dead!

                                    ***

Half a century after the death of Ernesto Guevara, poets continue to dedicate verses to him.

SADC Summit to Bid Farewell to Angola’s Dos Santos

Friday 28 July 2017 06:14
ANA

The elections in Angola will see President Jose Eduardo dos Santos stepping down after 37 years as president.

Regional leaders are expected in South Africa for the forthcoming 37th Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government to be held at the Department of International Relations in Pretoria next month, an official said on Thursday.

“It is my pleasure to brief you on the forthcoming 37th SADC Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government to be held in this [OR Tambo] building from 10 to 20 August. The 37th SADC Ordinary Summit will take place three days before the Republic of Angola holds its general elections, scheduled for August 23. The elections in Angola will see President Jose Eduardo dos Santos stepping down after 37 years as president,” deputy director-general responsible for Africa at the Department of International Relations and Co-operation Xolisa Makaya told media in Pretoria.

“The SADC summit therefore is expected not only to bid farewell to President Dos Santos but also to thank him profoundly for his invaluable contribution and role in the liberation struggle in Southern Africa as well as the formation of the then Frontline States and later the SADC.”

Significantly, Makaya said the 37th SADC Ordinary Summit will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the formation of the regional bloc, formed on August 17, 1992 in Windhoek, Namibia. The total membership has since grown to 15 member states.

“You will recall that it was during the 36th SADC Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Swaziland in 2016, that President Jacob Zuma was elected as the incoming chair of SADC 2016/17. Hence, the hosting by South Africa of the 37th SADC Ordinary Summit during which President Zuma will take over the chairmanship of SADC,” said Makaya.

He said troubled areas in the region – the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho and Madagascar – would be on the agenda during the high level meeting.

South Africa previously chaired SADC in the period of August 2008 to August 2009. However, during the intervening period, South Africa chaired the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation from 2011 to 2012 and from 2014 to 2015, respectively.

The theme for South Africa’s chairmanship is “Partnering with the private sector in developing industry and regional value chains”.

Makaya said it is worth noting that the preoccupation of the region at present is regional economic integration.

“The theme therefore addresses this key priority. South Africa’s theme addresses two key issues to help move the industrialization programme in the region: the first around ‘partnering with the private sectors’, is focused on the need to build up the region’s capabilities both inside and outside government to support industry; and the second component of the theme around ‘developing industry and regional value chains’, complements the first, with a focus to attract private sector players into the prioritised value chains,” he said.

“South Africa therefore seeks to maximise this opportunity and provide guidance on a pragmatic contribution towards the accelerated implementation of the SADC work programme. In this regard, South Africa’s strategic direction as Chair of the Summit, will be aimed at achieving two main objectives, which are, institutionalisation of the relationship between the governments and the regional private sector, and operationalisation of the SADC adopted Industrialisation Policy and its Costed Action Plan.”

The SADC summit is features a senior officials meeting from August 11 to 14, a ministerial meeting on August 16, the Double Troika on August 18 and the actual summit of heads of State and government on August 19 and 20.

Angola Accepts a Reduced EU Election Team

ZADOK K. GYESI
Graphic Online
02 AUGUST 2017

Angola says it will allow four experts from the European Union (EU) to monitor its election later this month, the AFP news agency reports.

"The EU will only send a small mission... We cannot really speak of observers, only experts. A real mission of observers is 200 people," a European diplomatic source told the AFP.

The agreement was reached after extended talks and comes two weeks after the Angolan government rejected outright any EU observer mission.

The initial dispute was over access to polling stations and other conditions.

President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who has been in power for more than 37 years, has said he will step down after the vote takes place on August 23.

Angola Polling Stations Members Trained in Balombo

Angola Press

Balombo — At least 595 polling stations 'staff in municipality of Balombo, northeast off Benguela city in costal Benguela province have attended since Monday in a training session aimed at the general election of August 23.

According to the president of the Municipal Electoral Commission (CME) in Balombo, João Guilherme, the preparation of polling desks will run in two phases until August 15, by 18 trainers, who will impart knowledge and practice on the functioning of a polling station and on the counting process.

The deputy municipal administrator of Balombo, Lúcia Chilepa Carlos, who chaired the opening session, highlighted the preparation of members of polling stations, "for the success of the voting process," urging a "greater responsibility and willingness of all citizens".

For the First Time in 37 Years, Oil-Rich Angola Prepares for a New President

A surprising successor and slew of scandals have the country’s elites scrambling for cover

By Arick Wierson and Richard Hecker
Observer
07/28/17 6:10am
   
Despite decades of chaos stemming from a protracted civil war, Angola, Africa’s largest producer of crude oil, has had just two presidents since gaining independence in 1975. This August, the second-longest serving president in Africa will pass the mantle to an unlikely successor in the midst of the country’s worst economic crisis. For the country’s elites, the timing couldn’t be worse.

President José Eduardo dos Santos, who turns 75 in August, is stepping down after 37 years in office. He has guided the diamond and oil-rich nation through some very tough times, including a protracted 27-year civil war that claimed upwards of 500,000 lives and displaced over a third of the country’s population. Since taking office in 1979 (following the untimely and still mysterious death of the country’s first president and founding father, Agostinho Neto), dos Santos has proven to be an adroit political survivor, carefully balancing the competing interests of the country’s military, political and economic elites through a lucrative and revolving patronage system that has rewarded loyalty and kept any one person or faction from mounting a challenge to his power. “Against all odds, [dos Santos] has remained in power since 1979, overcoming challenges of war, elections and at the same time displaying a highly-refined political craftsmanship,” said Alex Vines of British think tank Chatham House.

The president’s deteriorating health (he has been battling complications stemming from prostate cancer) has left a power vacuum in Luanda. The inside joke in the country’s capital is that the seat of government has effectively relocated to Spain, where dos Santos receives his cancer treatments at a private clinic. So it was no surprise that dos Santos and his MPLA party had been mulling a succession plan for some time. Among the presumed favored candidates were current Vice President Manuel Vicente and several of dos Santos’ adult children.

Thus, it was met with a mix of consternation and surprise when MPLA selected Defense Minister João Lourenço to head the party’s ticket in the August presidential elections. MPLA party loyalists, local media, as well as the general population had anticipated that dos Santos, who many in the country somewhat affectionately refer to as Pai Grande (“Big Father”), was priming one of his children to take over. His oldest daughter, Isabel dos Santos, is a celebrated businesswoman and Africa’s richest woman. His eldest son, Filomeno dos Santos, has also been stepping up his public profile ever since his father tapped him to chair the country’s sovereign wealth fund, a multi-billion dollar investment vehicle aimed at building up the country’s strategic reserves.

The decision to choose Lourenço, age 62, shocked the country’s elites, many of whom had grown fabulously wealthy in the post-war years of the early 2000s as the country experienced double digit annual GDP growth amid a global commodities boom and waves of massive foreign investment. Lourenço, despite being a product of the country’s military and a staunch party loyalist, is widely recognized as an independent thinker and is known for his frugalness—a practice at odds with many of his military and government counterparts. His wife, Ana Dias Lourenço, is an accomplished woman in her own right. A former minister of planning in Angola and National Assembly member, she also recently concluded an assignment in Washington, D.C. as an executive director of the Board of the World Bank Group, representing the interests of Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest economies: Angola, Nigeria and South Africa.

The country’s elites fear that Lourenço will make good on his promises to govern in a more transparent fashion and clean up the country’s systemic culture of corruption and graft. Currently, Angola ranks 168th out of 178 countries on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

A crackdown would not be good news for Angolan elites who have already been feeling the squeeze of the country’s devastating economic crisis, driven by the dramatic fall of crude oil prices in 2014. With the recession now entering its fourth year, government spending has come to a virtual halt and Central Bank currency rationing has limited the amount of dollars circulating freely in the economy. And just as the country braces for a historic transition from one president to another, a host of internationally-led corruption probes are nipping at the heels of the country’s elites at the very top of the Angolan food-chain.

Angolan Vice President Manuel Vicente, who for years helmed the country’s state oil giant Sonangol, is now in the crosshairs of prosecutors in Portugal who have charged him with multiple accounts of corruption and money laundering. General Manuel Helder Vieira Dias, who heads the Security Intelligence Bureau of the Presidency and is considered the country’s most powerful figure after dos Santos, has his own set of legal issues to contend with in Portugal, where he is currently being investigated for economic crimes and obstruction of justice charges. Another recent international probe receiving significant media attention is a joint French-Brazilian investigation known as “Le Coq,” which recently conducted a high-profile raid in a luxury condominium in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazilian Federal Police agents were looking for physical evidence to support corruption allegations involving a kick-back scheme between several Brazilian businessmen operating in Angola and the former Angolan Central Bank president in a deal revolving around a French company’s contract to print the Angolan currency, the Kwanza. Additional investigations and inquiries into a slew of former ministers, members of the extended dos Santos family, and other connected elites dot the Portuguese language headlines in Lisbon as well as the opposition newspapers in Luanda.

Although he is stepping down from the presidency, dos Santos—as long as his health permits—will still have his hand on the levers of power. He has given every indication that he intends to stay on as the head of his MPLA party. But for good measure, on his way out, dos Santos is making sure that he and his Vice President, Manuel Vicente, will be immune from any future allegations of wrongdoing. Parliament recently pushed through a measure that confers onto dos Santos the lifelong title of Presidente Emeritus—a title that, among other things, will protect him and his Number Two from any future local prosecution by granting them lifetime immunity.

For Lourenço and the MPLA party, there is, of course, a formality on the Angolan political calendar known as the national presidential election, slated for August 23 of this year. However, with the party’s iron-clad grip on the country’s major institutions, including the National Election Commission, it will effectively be an exercise in state propaganda geared towards engaging international audiences longing to marvel at an evolving democracy in action. The real transformation will happen in the days and months after Lourenço takes over and the multiple investigations in Europe and Brazil come to a head. Angolan elites are bracing for the worst.

Arick Wierson is a six-time Emmy®Award-winning television executive and former political and communications adviser to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He is the founder of NYC TV and NYC Media Group, the largest publically-owned broadcast entity in the United States. Currently, Wierson is a political strategist and branding consultant to clients in U.S., Latin America, and Africa. You can follow him on twitter @ArickWierson.

Richard Hecker is the CEO of Traction + Scale, an investment holding company that builds companies and transforms their industries. He is also the co-founder of SeedingX.org. You can follow him on twitter @RichieBlueEyes. 

Former TAAG Angola Leader Returns to Role Following Emirates Pull-out

Jul 31, 2017
Alan Dron
Air Transport World

Former chairman and CEO of TAAG Angola, Joaquim Teixeira da Cunha, has been reinstated to his old posts following the sudden departure from the carrier of the Emirates Airline management team.

Dubai-based Emirates ended its 10-year management contract with the African carrier in July after only two years when Emirates was unable to repatriate substantial funds from its Angola operations. Emirates cut its daily Dubai-Luanda service to 3X-weekly because of its earnings being blocked.

As a consequence, Emirates ended its management contract with TAAG Angola, and chairman & CEO Peter Hill and several management team members returned to Dubai.

In a July 26 letter seen by ATW, da Cunha said the Angolan government had set up an interim management committee to oversee the airline in the run-up to Angolan elections in late August.

The committee is chaired by da Cunha and includes two deputies, the previous deputy CEO of Angola’s aviation regulator INAVIC  Rui Carreira and TAAG CCO William Boulter.

All other expatriates appointed by Emirates will retain their positions and CFO Vipula Gunatilleka also remains in post, as well as becoming a member of the interim management committee.

Da Cunha noted that the airline had “come through the unexpected withdrawal of Emirates without much material change in our senior management. We are very confident that the great advances TAAG has made in the past two years will be sustained.”

Alan Dron alandron@adepteditorial.com

Angola's Central Bank Leaves Lending Rate Unchanged at 16 Percent

LUANDA, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Angola's central bank kept its benchmark lending rate unchanged at 16 percent following a policy meeting on July 31, the regulator said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Bank of Angola's monetary policy committee said it was satisfied with the downward trajectory of inflation since January. Consumer price-growth slowed to 30.51 percent year-on-year in June having began the year at a rate of over 40 percent. (Writing by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by James Macharia)

Halliburton to Pay $29.2 Million to Settle U.S. Charges Tied to Angola

Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Oil company Halliburton Co will pay $29.2 million to settle civil charges it violated federal anti-bribery rules related to books, record-keeping and internal accounting controls while doing business in Angola, U.S. regulators said on Thursday.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said Halliburton's former vice president, Jeannot Lorenz, separately agreed to pay a $75,000 penalty in connection with the alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Both the company and Lorenz are settling the case without admitting or denying the allegations.

In a statement, Halliburton said the Justice Department had also investigated the matter and was planning to close it out without filing related criminal charges.

The probe began after the company received an anonymous allegation about possible FCPA violations in December 2010. The company said it "promptly" reported the tip about possible corruption to the Justice Department, conducted its own internal investigation and cooperated with the government.

A lawyer for Lorenz could not immediately be reached for comment.

The SEC said the alleged FCPA violations stemmed from contracts that Halliburton entered into with a local Angolan company in order to satisfy certain "local content regulations" for foreign firms doing business in the country.

Some of those payments, the SEC said, "were made in advance of Halliburton obtaining lucrative oilfield service contracts."

Angola: Sonangol Reaffirms Commitment to Excellence At Fair

Luanda — Rigor, transparency, excellence and profitability remain the top four pillars of extreme importance in the daily activities of the National Fuel Company of Angola (Sonangol) and its subsidiaries, under its programme dubbed "Somos Energia".

Speaking to Angop on Friday on the sideline of FILDA2017, taking place on 26-30 July at Luanda Bay, the director of Sonangol stand at the fair, Ronaldo Groz said that the four pillars of company cover its all subsidiaries, such as Sonair, Sonagás, Sonangol Distribuidora and Clínica Girassol, which are represented with their services and products in the largest business stock exchange in the country.

In addition to the services, Sonangol is exhibiting at FILDA2017 the three models of fuel pumps used in Angola, namely the mechanical pump used in the 1960s, semi-electronics and the current electronics.

Sonair has its weekly flights service to Houston (USA), with a promotion on its tickets until the 30 July.

Sonagás is exhibiting its varieties of bottle of gas, the "Levite" being the most popular.

Clínica Girassol has free consultations, measuring blood pressure, height and body weight.

The Luanda International Fair (FILDA2017), to end on Sunday, counts on the participation of 234 companies, both national and foreign firms.

The event, which is themed "Diversify the economy and boost national production, aiming for a self-sufficient and exporting Angola ", is taking place in an area of 16.000 square meters, with highlights to the sectors of food industry, trade, financial sector, telecommunications, motoring industry, machinery and equipment, construction material, petroleum industry, handicrafts, education, hotels and tourism, among others.

FILDA2017 counts on the participation of 13 foreign countries, with 62 exhibiting companies, including Portugal (23), China (13), Brazil (13) and Germany (4).

Zambia Patriotic Front Govt Makes History in Failed Salary Negotiations

August 2, 2017

The Patriotic Front-PF Government is said to have made unprecedented history by failing to award its workers salary increment.

The Zambia National Union of Teachers-ZNUT Spokesperson Joel Kasaka says it is unprecedented in the Zambian history to have tripartite negotiations prolonged for over six months.

Mr Kasaka says members are now getting agitated while the union has been placed in and awkward position as their credibility is being questioned by members.

LUAPULA EXPO SHOWS ZAMBIA RIPE FOR MORE INVESTMENT, SAYS ROGAN

By STEVEN ZANDE
Times of Zambia

UNITED Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country representative Janet Rogan has said the successfully held Luapula Expo and Investment Conference shows that Zambia is ripe for more foreign investment.

Ms Rogan said the event demonstrated that Zambians were determined and united in an effort to generate development while the expo had exposed the country’s vast unexplored potential in tourism, agriculture and mining when investment opportunities in other countries had dwindled.

“Zambia is peaceful, with a motivated workforce and huge natural resource deposits, making the country a great place for investment,” she said.

Ms Rogan said in an interview in Mansa during the expo that additional investments in unexploited sectors like tourism and mining in areas like Luapula Province would contribute to strengthened countrywide economic activity.

She said economic development in individual provinces was important to national job creation efforts among the people, stating that this would further result in improved living standards in the country.

Finance Minister Felix Mutati on Friday in Mansa announced that the expo had attracted US$1 billion in investment pledges in various sectors.

Ms Rogan praised the Luapula provincial administration for working closely with the area traditional leaders and ordinary people in making the expo a success.

She said such unity of purpose should be encouraged and replicated in other parts of the country as this would help curb poverty and inequality.

Ms Rogan said there was a need for concerted efforts among the Government, traditional leaders and relevant stakeholders to help Zambia realise its national development aspirations.