Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Message From Comandante Fidel Castro to the Revolutionary Combatants of Artemisa and All of Cuba

Havana. July 26, 2010

Message to the revolutionary combatants of Artemisa and all of Cuba

Dear compañeros:

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


Havana. July 26, 2010

Fidel pays tribute to the 26th of July martyrs in Artemisa

WITH his khaki shirt of 1,000 battles, Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz paid tribute last Saturday morning to the martyrs of the 26th of July at the mausoleum to their honor in Artemisa, Habana province.

Accompanied by Commanders of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés Menéndez and Guillermo García Frías; Ramón Pez Ferro and Gelasio Fernández, combatants from Artemisa in the assault on the Moncada Garrison; and other invited guests, the leader of the Revolution evoked countless memories of preparations for and the heroic action on July 26, 1953, and particularly emphasized the huge contribution of the Artemisa combatants.

He recalled the valiant spirit of those young men and noted, “If
something really enthused me it was to see how revolutionary the
students here were. They were the most combative in Cuba.”

Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdez and Pez Ferro related
various anecdotes of the Artemisa combatants and the manner in which they joined the revolutionary movement.

On analyzing the events of the Moncada assault from leaving the
Siboney Farmhouse until their retreat, Fidel affirmed that there was
no doubt as to that plan’s potential success. “I would do it again
exactly the same way. Only I wouldn’t take any notice of any Cossack
guard,” he said, recalling the unforeseen detail that led to the
failure of the factor of surprise.

In a conversation with Maribel Martínez, director of the Mausoleum,
Fidel asked about the characteristics of the building and when the
remains of the five combatants from Artemisa as yet not in the
Mausoleum would be transferred there to rest alongside the 20 who
died.

In an emotive moment, Fidel paid tribute to the combatants before the niches holding their remains and placed flowers there.

He then greeted the many people from Artemisa who had arrived there on hearing of his visit, who applauded and cheered him.

He also talked with the secretary of the Communist Party and the
president of the municipal government and asked about the progress of guava, mango and sugar cane cultivation.

He also commented on news items revealing the environmental disaster being experienced by humanity.

At the end of the emotive meeting with his compañeros of so many
revolutionary battles, Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro read out his
message to the revolutionary combatants of Artemisa and all of Cuba.

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