Our Horizon Continues to be Socialist

Speech delivered by H.E. Miguel M. Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic of Cuba at the closing ceremony of the 22nd International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties at the Convention Center, on October 29, 2022 “Year 64 of the Revolution”

Author: Granma | internet@granma.cu

November 11, 2022 09:11:30

No obstacle will be enough to undermine our determination to resist, fight and win! Photo: Juvenal Balán

(Shorthand versions – Office of the President of the Republic)

Dear comrades,

Brothers and sisters of struggle,

In times like the ones we are living in, challenging and disheartening for the vast majority of people, victims of multiple simultaneous crises caused by the declining capitalism that pushes the world towards barbarity, is very comforting to hold an event that convened us for three days in Havana to realistically address shared alternatives and hopes.

We are here dreaming and making, especially trying to make possible the impossible. That is to say, making what the enemies of socialism and thus the enemies of human progress said was impossible since the ideas of Marx, Engels and the Communist Manifesto appeared: mobilizing the exploited and terrifying the exploiters.

The certainty that a better world is possible has not been delivered as a handbook. It has been confirmed along the way towards the socialist construction and with each party we meet that has the shared ideals in the relentless struggle for human emancipation and social justice.

Our horizon continues to be socialist, even after the tragic disappearance of the socialist bloc in Europe and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, and despite the ferocious anti-communist campaigns that the powers of transnational capitalism have turned into a single thought dogma through powerful global media.

In spite of the constant demonization of the glorious history of the international communist movement, the infamous limitation of rights to political participation in an increasing number of countries in the name of freedom and in the midst of a global situation as complex as in the worst moments of universal history, today we are closing an event that gathered, for the first time in Cuba, 145 delegates from 78 communist and workers' parties from 60 countries.

The demonized Cuba, the blocked Cuba, the harassed and punished Cuba convened and received those in the world who share and defend common ideals to exchange reflections and discussions on issues of strategic significance such as the necessary unity to confront the onslaught of imperialism, the rise of the ultra-right, the re-emergence of fascism and war, as well as to articulate actions in defense of peace, the environment workers’ rights and the promotion of solidarity of all peoples in their struggle.

We thank first of all, the trust of those who gave the Communist Party of Cuba the opportunity to organize this meeting, while recognizing the efforts made by those attending, in the midst of the dramatic and extremely complex political, economic and social realities suffered by most of the countries you come from.

We do not encourage you to praise a political model. We invite you to discuss and coordinate efforts.

Cuba represents a tangible experience of building socialism in a small, developing country, under the brutal harassment of the most powerful power in history at only 90 miles from its shores. It could be said that we express the understanding of the need for social change by rupturing the logic of capital and, at the same time, developing and improving how to make socialist social change a way to overcome the imperialist logic.

It is a matter of combining the challenge between the necessary and possible alternative in the process and in the project, so that the possible present does not contradict the necessary future of the historical project.

In other words: the possible alternative does not renounce the desired one, but it is nourished, built and developed by it.

Marxism is science and we are constantly challenged to confirm theory in practice, articulating answers to advance the conquest of social justice.

In that regard, it is important to take into account two essential aspects: the need for an organized vanguard, in our case the Communist Party of Cuba, with scientific, political and ideological training to understand the transformations of imperialism and the new forms of struggle and, at the same time, to assume that the ideology of socialist transformation is critical Marxism given its essence and foundations by proposing to transform reality with a scientific method.

Therefore, the Cuban socialist transition identifies and promotes two essential pillars in the socialist transformation: the centrality of work and the centrality of example. In both cases the human being is the object and subject of this transformation. We are advancing along this path, "crossing the wilderness in the buff and a heart in our fist", as the verse of a song by our troubadour Vicente Feliú poetically describes the Cuban confrontation with all challenges.

Comrade brothers and sisters,

We have agreed from different perspectives that the systemic crisis of capitalism, aggravated in the last two years by the COVID-19 pandemic, has deepened alienation, exclusion and social inequalities, selfishness and depoliticization in favor of the projects of the conservative ultra-right, fostering the resurgence of extremist and fascist ideas.

The assessments made by many of the attending parties confirm that the battle for social justice and socialism requires, in the first place, the unity of the communist and workers' movement and the building of alliances with trade union organizations, social, revolutionary and popular movements that oppose imperialist domination.

This understanding is essential to grow and advance in the construction of political programs that include other sectors of societies increasingly diverse in their composition and heterogeneous in their needs and social demands, such as intellectual workers, women, students and the youth, peasants and excluded minorities, among others. Only with the effort and coordination of all we will be able to achieve true revolutionary transformation.

The Declaration and Plan of Action adopted at this 22nd Meeting have such purpose. If we are able to achieve that these objectives and actions have real impact and effectiveness, we can affirm that this forum has been and will continue to be useful and transformative.

The communist and workers' parties have characterized the reality that we must and want to transform. We are aware that imperialism constitutes the main adversary. We know the articulated imperialist strategy aimed at promoting the demoralization of our forces, reinforcing the implementation of the worst of the consumerist, alienating and predatory model and imposing on us the most reactionary, alienating and conservative values at the political and ideological level.

Let us put in front of it, as a sword and shield of the peoples, the values and principles that we share and unite us, which constitute ethical and moral standards, such as equality, equity and social justice; revolutionary and socialist democracy, whose popular and participating character we must deepen; solidarity, from an authentic, respectful and complementary practice; and unity, first internally and then with other political parties, organizations and social and popular movements, starting in our countries and then at the regional and international level.

In the midst of the current complex international scenario, Cuba faces many challenges. The Communist Party of Cuba is working on the main missions defined at the Eighth Congress, held in April last year, which we named the Congress of Unity and Continuity. Such missions cover the economic battle, the struggle for peace and ideological strength. Likewise, we are working on the implementation of ideas, concepts and guidelines of the communists and of all the Cuban people, which were set forth at that event.

The Communist Party of Cuba attaches special importance to the permanent bond with the masses: "keeping your ear to the ground", as the Army General and leader of the Cuban Revolution, Raúl Castro Ruz, calls it in popular language; the direct relationship with the problems and aspirations of the people and the deep knowledge of the facts, circumstances and processes faced by the Cuban society.

With respect to the supreme interest of building socialism, which has been endorsed by the overwhelming majority of the Cuban people in the Constitutional Referendum, the Party has the mission of maintaining the unity and cohesion of the people and the social consensus, all of which has led us to creatively withstand the imperialist aspiration to divide us and make us give up our steadfastness and capacity to fight. In the spirit of "being closely tied to the firm and sweet entrails of the people", the Party educates, learns, and enhances the individual responsibility of its militancy and strengthens the collective leadership.

The Party's work in the ideological field is based on Marxist theory, Martí's teachings, Fidel's immense legacy, Raúl's lessons, the people's traditions of struggle, their historical experience and that of other peoples and nations.

Fellow comrades of struggle,

Let us prioritize our shared strategic objectives, while recognizing the strength of diversity.

Let us humbly appreciate the unquestionable experiences and achievements reached through the tireless struggle and collective construction, which unquestionably have emancipated important segments of the popular and working masses and has dignified the peoples.

Let us respect the different forms of organization for the struggle that each country and each region have defined according to their concrete reality.

Let us learn from the experiences gained from the history of struggle and resistance.

Let's opt for joint understanding, consensus and articulation.

Let us banish personalism, division and sectarianism, practices that deepen differences, increase distrust, break consensuses and benefit imperialism. Division will always favor the interests of the forces representing international financial capital, counterrevolution and imperialism.

We share an unavoidable duty: the formation of youth political organizations which, in turn, must lead the work towards wide and plural groups seriously impacted today by alienation and depoliticization.

The youth has been and continues to be one of the main historical subjects and we have the responsibility to promote their active and militant participation in the struggle. The leadership of the new generations in the construction and conduction of the present will make them accept the future with responsibility and a sense of belonging.

The fundamental objectives of the International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties have been aimed at providing a forum for reflection, exchange and collaboration; for the coordination of positions and mutual actions; for international solidarity. To achieve this, we must develop transparent, trustworthy and sincere relations, respecting the differences and enhancing what unites us.

The Communist Party of Cuba values these Meetings as a useful and necessary space for exchange and cooperation among the communist and workers' parties of the world, especially at a time characterized by a strong offensive of capitalism against workers' rights, a violent anti-communist campaign, growing threats to peace and international stability, destabilization and disinformation maneuvers, double standards, application of coercive measures and media and cultural wars.

The Communist Party of Cuba acknowledges the historical merit of the political forces that have permanently contributed to the development of these Meetings and ratifies its commitment to their founding principles.

Cuba reiterates its profoundly humanist and solidary vocation with the brotherly peoples who, faithful to their history of struggle, resist and build in any part of the world. Exercising internationalist solidarity is settling a debt with those who have supported our determination to build a socialist society of law and social justice in defense of national sovereignty and independence.

Therefore, Fidel’s socialist Cuba, guided by the thoughts of Marti, will never cease to accompany the homeland of Bolivar and Hugo Chavez. The friendship between both leaders, forged in the struggle for the true independence and integration of Latin America and the Caribbean will not be betrayed.

For the Cuban communists, the triumph of the Bolivarian Revolution constitutes an extraordinary and decisive chapter in the struggles for independence, integration and against imperialism in Latin America and the Caribbean, therefore we ratify our invariable support for that political process, for its civil-military alliance and for comrade Nicolás Maduro Moros (Applause).

Our Party ratifies its solidarity and support for the Sandinista Revolution, which today is faced by the political, media and diplomatic harassment of U.S. imperialism.

The causes of the peoples of Puerto Rico, Palestine and the Saharawi Democratic Republic will always count on our unconditional and steadfast support.

We commend the efforts in the construction of socialism by the Communist Parties of the People's Republic of China, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

We especially congratulate the Chinese Communists on the success of their recent Twentieth Congress (Applause).

Dear comrades,

From the extraordinary validity of the thought of Commander in Chief, Fidel Castro Ruz, let us revisit a reflection that he left us, as early as in 1961: "We must act with revolutionary methods, new methods, democratic methods, those that correspond to a revolutionary democracy, to a workers' democracy; because that is what socialism means: it means precisely the government of the country by the majority of the country, who are those who work, those who produce and those who impose their revolutionary law, with the force of their reason and with the force of their energy[...]".

In closing, I would like to thank the many expressions of solidarity conveyed at this event in support of the heroic struggle waged by the Cuban people in the face of the continued aggression of U.S. imperialism in its efforts to crush the Revolution.

We have firmly and creatively confronted the application of the criminal economic, commercial and financial blockade by the United States, which was opportunistically tightened at a time when we were facing the pandemic.

The Cuban people did not yield either to the media and subversive campaigns aimed at distorting reality and dividing the nation, or to the economic effects of the unjust inclusion of Cuba on the fraudulent list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, which further hinders the development and needs of our people.

No obstacle will be enough to undermine our determination to resist, fight and win!

Counting on your support in this battle invigorates and encourages us; you too can always count on Cuba and its Revolution!

Long live Socialism!

Long live proletarian internationalism!

We shall overcome!

(Standing ovation)