We had the opportunity to share views with a great friend of Cuba, José Luis Centella, at the First International Meeting on Theoretical Publications by Left-winged Parties and Movements, which was held in Havana these days, convened by the Magazine Cuba Socialista and the Communist Party of Cuba. Elected last December as one of the vice presidents of Partido de la Izquierda Europea (Party of the European Left), and historical member of the Communist Party of Spain, Centella has a long history of struggle that allows him to assess, with lucidity and clarity, today’s reality of left-winged movements and especially, the role of Europe in recent world’s conflicts.

What importance do you attach to the holding of a meeting of publications belonging to parties and movements, for the union of leftist forces?

This meeting is essential at this time when the imperialism attacks are increasingly harsh, cruel and inhumane and such attacks need a response that is not only popular in struggle, but also theoretical. Here we discuss how we have and must be able to fight the empire's media that are distorting reality and they manage to manipulate. Cuba is the best place to do that because this is Fidel’s homeland and he was always a visionary when he said that the struggle of ideas was going to be key to build a freer, more humane world.

You are from Europe…How have you experienced the issue of war, and how do you assess the position of the Old Continent in that conflict?

Sadly, we must accept the submissive role of Europe regarding the US. Well, the role of European governments…There are people thinking quite differently. But it is actually true that European governments are submissive to NATO and the US. And it is a shame because Europe could perfectly play a major role in building a multipolar world. However, this submission is leading us to live one of the worst crises since the final days of World War II.

At this time in Europe there is an energy crisis, an economic crisis, and a health crisis, and we have been involved in a war in which our continent has much more to lose than to gain.

We must wage a battle to explain to the people what war means, and what it means to contribute to the expansion of NATO, and above all, raise the need for a strong Europe that can have a better relationship with Latin America, with the Caribbean, with Asia, with China, with all the peoples of the planet and not be subservient to that interest of the United States, of the imperialism, which is to dominate the peoples to plunder their natural resources.

Based on the war reality and the pandemic aftermath, how would you characterize the scenario in Spain and above all, from the point of view of popular, union struggles?

In Spain, there is a complex situation to the extent that there is a coalition government that is doing important social work. Measures have been taken to prevent the economic crisis from reaching the most popular classes. Unemployment has been reduced, the minimum wage, pensions; but on the other hand, the president of the government is doing the same as the rest of the European governments in international affairs. He is being submissive.

Therefore, the demonstrations are not led today by economic reasons but as to get Spain out of NATO, rejecting the submission to the United States, which leads to the submissive stance of Spain before situations that needs to be faced with courage. For instance, the relation with the Saharawi people, being more active against the US blockade against Cuba, and acting as a bridge between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean.

For you, who is a faithful spectator involved with our continent, what role does Latin America and the Caribbean play in a possible world balance?

I think that Latin America is a key player. It always has been, sometimes in a negative way because when the United States needs to set up a unipolar world order, they always go to their backyard, which they consider the US backyard. So at the time when the US managed, with Operation Condor and other atrocities, to dominate most of the Latin American countries, they were able to launch the offensive against the Soviet Union.

At this time, when Europe has that stance of submission, the hope right now is that Latin America and the Caribbean maintain their independence. It is paramount to situate the struggle of this continent as a struggle of all the peoples of the planet. That is to say, it is not a fight with which you have to be supportive, but rather you have to get involved. If the United States were to achieve its goal of re-dominating and reclaiming what they consider to be their backyard, it would be much more difficult in the world struggle.

However, in the same way that a great Latin American fabric with CELAC, UNASUR, gains strength, the United States would not be able to launch itself into the imperialist struggle. Because the Europe-United States axis can only consolidate if it has territories to conquer. We are very hopeful in the successes with Lula, in Chile, in Bolivia, the recent development and progression of the left-winged forces in Ecuador, that Latin America will be able to stand up.

Add to that list the resilience of Cuba…

When the Soviet Union collapsed and the United States believed they could dominate the entire planet, they almost succeeded, but they failed to dominate Cuba. From the moment Fidel ignores the advice of Gorbachev or Felipe González and keeps alive the flame of the Revolution in Cuba, a small island in the middle of the entire Latin American continent, that small island germinated.

And Chávez, Lula, Evo, Correa, everything that happened in Latin America afterward would not have been possible if Cuba did not display resilience. CELAC, ALBA, such recovery of the continent, was only possible due to the heroism of Cuba.

Therefore, the empire does not forgive this. That is why the US is redoubling the attacks on Cuba, because it is aware that if they manage to defeat it, everything will be much easier for them. This is the reasons why we shall all be aware of the opposite: that if Cuba continues to resist, as it does day by day, everything will be easier for the progressive forces.

Cuba is decisive.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff