PREPARED SAYS RAUL CASTRO
‘Cuba's-attitude in: face of the’ latest provocations of the Johnson administration is one of restraint but also of readiness to respond in the firmest way to any escalation. This was clearly indicated in a speech delivered May 23 by Raul Castro at the funeral of Iuis Ramirez Lépez, the sentry killed by a shot. fired from the Guantanamo Naval Base.
"With the. desire to avoid difficulties, because we understand that any serious incident in this area may have incalculable nation- ‘al and international consequentes," said the minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces;- "we have: known how to’ maintain a controlled patience. But with this murder, added to the previous cases, they are already standing. on the line which marks the Limit of that patience.
The best response to imperialist provocations and aggression, : said Ratl Castro isa firm reply. "We know that all’ the bravado. . / that! characterizes’ the statements and attitudes of ‘the Yankee: imperialists tends to disappear in the face ‘of a determined’ position.
ir
te
He recalled the October 1962 crisis, "when, pursuing their adventurist policy, the imperialists boldly started to send their combat: planes flying low:over our country. Through our’ Commander in: Chief, we warned them to stop those flights and; in spite of ‘féquests from
various quarters that we not interfere with the'@iscussions, we made our decision -- we know that the imperialists understood perfectly. The Commander in “Chief gave the order to fire at all enemy planes, and they disappeared | from our skies." .
“Continuing along this theme, Rail Castro said:
"If they attack us, our strength will serve to defend us in an exemplary and heroic fashion. If they do not attack us, it. will have been because of that strength, combined with ‘the determination of our people to fight.
"That. is why the little David of the Cuban Revolution must prepare “himself to fight intelligently against the, imperialist Goliath. wo
to the shouts and applause - of the crowd, Rat] Castro said that the terms "reconciliation," "surrender". and "défeat" had been eliminated from the. Cuban political and military vocabulary.
_ And we can tell them our reason as follows: We. do not want, ever == ‘as you, the people, say -- to reconcile ourselves. with imperialism, not even, as Fidel has already declared;-in ‘a so-called peace limited to the caribbean, because we shall never accept such a reconéiliation while Santo Domingo: is under U.S. occupation, while South Vietnam is under occupation, while North Vietnam is under attack!. owe
"We “do not want a ‘selfish 7 peace, for ourselves alone, because that would not only be an ‘opportunist and negative attitude of which our people ‘are incapable, but because we know that it would be ~ transitory. and that at the first opportunity they would try to crush, us.
As head of the armed forces, Raul Castro _ revealed something about the défense preparations in Cuba to ward off an American assault. Arms and ammunition are being stockpiled throughout the island and the population is engaged in intensive training.
"The tens of thousands of light weapons of different kinds that are strategically situated in many parts-.of our country is no secret to them. There is almost no place left in Cuba where this precaution has not been taken. What's more, the troops who are going to use these weapons. are not necessarily those who will be deployed first in the struggle. ne
After the combat alarm sounds, a quarter of a million. men will be in position within three hours, he continued.
"It is no secret to them [the U.S. imperialists] -- because they have already observed several of our mobilizations -- that we would have half a million: men under arms within twelve hours. What remains a secret for them is::;how many men-we will have. mobilized within twenty-four hours after the combat alarm is sounded. And
this: we are not going to tell then..
“tana a ‘people wielding such a great number: of weapons, and of such high quality, cannot be defeated even if, as a result of. enemy superiority, of a correlation of forces favorable to them militarily speaking -- they might be able to invade and occupy a piece of territory or the whole territory, as they shamelessly claim they have done in South Vietnam --— where they really occupy only a small-piece of territory, because the rest. is in the hands of the patriots. The resistance which we have already - organized against . them guarantees that while Cuba may be attacked, she will.never be’: defeated!"
Rail Castro did not confine. his- remarks to defense. prepara-...... tions in Cuba. Utilizing some admissions by Senator Robert Kennedy, he pointed to the inevitability of the revolutionary process through: out Latin America,. a revolution which Cuba opened and for which it provided an inspiring example. "We are in complete.agreement as to the inevitability. of the revolution in Latin. America. They speak . of a ‘democratic revolution,' a few simple reformist concessions. We speak of genuine revolution, the kind we have made in Cuba, which is: undoubtedly just. the. kind of revolution. that our. Latin- American brothers will make. ee
Clearly indicating Cuba' s attitude toward revolutions, in. other countries, Ratil Castro said: a
"Our response to the many imperialist aggressions will not be just for effect, but it.will be effective; it will not be sensationalist, but: it. will be powerful; we will not make a lot of noise,. but the time will: come when. we will be able to contemplate the | results of our. actions as.a whole. There is nothing new in what we are Saying: we are merely reiterating here today, in the face of .. this criminal and cowardly deed, that we will redouble our efforts, according to our ability, to aid all the fighting liberation movements of the three continents, because that is the Achilles' heel. of U.S. imperialism. " ; .
| TORONTO