Speech by Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa at the Central Act for July 26 in Sancti Spíritus / We will continue the work of the Revolution forever

Dear Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution,

Comrade Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, and President of the Republic;

Commander of the Revolution, Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, attacker of Moncada;

Commander of the Rebel Army, José Ramón Machado Ventura;

Combatants of the July 26th feat and Granma expeditionaries;

Relatives of the fallen;

Distinguished guests who honor us with their presence;

People of Sancti Spíritus;

In this commemoration, as has always been the case, Fidel's first thought.  His words, spoken exactly 41 years ago today, are ever more relevant, I quote:

“In only one thing we are the same as on July 26, 1953: the same faith in the destiny of the Homeland, the same confidence in the virtues of our people, the same certainty in victory, the same ability to dream of all that will be realities of tomorrow above the dreams already realized of yesterday.”  

And something even more important: the fidelity of our people to the ideas for which the Commander in Chief went to Moncada and fought throughout his life remains firm and unalterable; the decision to continue making them a reality and to keep alive forever the spirit of resistance, combativeness, dialectical thinking and faith in victory that he knew how to instill in us, first of all with his example.

July 26, 1953 marked a definitive turning point in Cuba's historical future; it pointed out the course we have followed until the present; it coined truths of permanent value; it established ethical principles for all times and defined the invariable attitude to maintain in the face of dangers, challenges and difficulties, however insurmountable they may seem.

These truths, like unity, are powerful weapons, even more so in complex circumstances such as the present.

From the bitterest pages of Cuban history, José Martí learned that division leads inexorably to defeat. When restarting the war for independence, he warned his compatriots, and I quote:

“Our enemy obeys one plan: to embitter us, disperse us, divide us, suffocate us. That is why we obey another plan: to show ourselves to our full potential, to squeeze us, to unite us, to outwit him, to keep our country free.”   

The Centennial Generation, led by Fidel, made Martí's call its own in the new and definitive stage of the struggle.  Preserving unity, based on principles, has been and will be a permanent premise of the Cuban Revolution.

That is why Raúl urged us to take care of it "more than the apple of our eye," in his pivotal words on January 1st in Santiago de Cuba, and added, I quote: "The greater the difficulties and dangers, the more demanding, disciplined and united are required."   

Compatriots:

However much the enemy tries to hide it, any honest person, even if he does not share our ideas, understands that the intensified blockade, together with the rest of the aggressive measures implemented against Cuba by the United States government, constitutes the fundamental cause of the current economic difficulties, with inevitable impact on all spheres of society.

However, we are not sitting around waiting for the blockade to be lifted and for us to be removed from the list of alleged sponsors of terrorism, which causes us so much harm by constantly inhibiting access to credit and external financing, discouraging potential foreign investors, and hindering the arrival of necessary equipment and technology, among other problems.

We know only too well the empire and the openly anti-Cuban sectors that feed and sustain this policy of maximum suffocation, in its attempt to destroy the Revolution and its social project.  Creative resistance, inspired by the teachings and legacy of Fidel and the example of Raúl, has been and will continue to be our response.

In this significant commemoration, I once again express the gratitude of the people to the governments, parties, solidarity movements or simple citizens who throughout the world speak out against this absurd and criminal policy.

We have the honor of being accompanied by a large representation of solidarity friends from various countries who in difficult circumstances defend this Revolution of the humble, by the humble and for the humble.  Please accept my greetings from my brothers and sisters.

This stubborn and perverse aggression is also taking place today in complex circumstances for all countries, in the midst of a general economic crisis; of bloody wars whose deepest cause is the insatiable desire for profits intrinsic to capitalism, the interest in maintaining the existence of a unipolar hegemonic world; and of the increasingly evident and harmful effects of a climate change that no one dares to ignore anymore.

We will not tire of denouncing, with the support of practically all governments and especially of the peoples of the world, the cowardly attitude of the main military and economic power of the planet, which, as they recognized many years ago in an official document, has the perverse objective of “causing hunger, desperation and the overthrow of the government,” which they know to be the legitimate representative of a people that only aspires to live in peace, preserve its independence and achieve the highest possible degree of social justice and well-being.

The above, as has been ratified by our First Secretary, Comrade Díaz-Canel, does not in any way mean ignoring our own shortcomings, inadequacies and errors.  On the contrary, we recognize and debate them in the open and give participation to any compatriot who expresses his willingness.

In Cuba, we are not sitting around lamenting and waiting for the enemy to rectify its criminal policy.  If one day it does, it is welcome, but while it persists in its sickly stubbornness, we must work with intelligence, dedication and creativity, with the maximum use of science, technology and innovation, in search of the paths that allow us to overcome each obstacle and advance with our resources, without waiting for miracles.

We have come this far and we will continue to be here, thanks to the exemplary capacity for resistance, the knowledge acquired as a result of the work of the Revolution, and especially to the unwavering determination of Cubans to fight and win.

This is done on a daily basis, knowing that the enemy will immediately amplify even the smallest difficulty, distort what has been said or simply lie in an attempt to place the blame on the Socialism we are building or on the country's leaders, and thereby influence public opinion.

It is an inevitable evil that we assume because we are convinced that it is the only way to find, together, the best solutions.

This was demonstrated, once again, by the profound, sincere and critical analyses carried out a few days ago during the days of the VIII Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Party and the third ordinary session of the National Assembly of People's Power, especially the essential closing speech of the comrade President of the Republic that contains orientations and concepts that we must implement.

There will always be little recognition for this people, who face the difficulties of daily life, without losing confidence that only Socialism can overcome them with justice, without leaving anyone abandoned to their fate, seeking alternatives and solutions and prioritizing the sectors and population groups in conditions of greatest vulnerability.

In food production, we must and can obtain, with work, sweat and intelligence, the majority of the products that the country consumes, since today the price of what we used to import is simply unaffordable.

In this important activity, the municipality is called upon to play a leading role, since in most of them, agricultural activity constitutes their main economic sector or at least is among them.

Likewise, it is necessary for the municipality to achieve a greater degree of autonomy, sovereignty and food security, and territorial development.  Achieving these goals is also a matter of national security.

Other important activities to which we must give maximum attention are increasing exports that provide us with the foreign currency that the economy so badly needs.  Apply the necessary measures to achieve macroeconomic equilibrium, which is essential to stop and begin to reverse the inflationary process, which so affects the real income of workers and retirees; at the same time continue to adopt whatever measures are rational and logical in the fight against abusive and speculative prices on basic necessities, such as those applied recently.
 
Associated with the above, it is imperative to reduce non-essential expenses and increase income to the Budget, including the decisive fight against those who under-declare or evade the payment of taxes and other contributions to which they are obliged.

Just as occurs in any family, no nation can afford to spend more than it produces.

The plan for investments in renewable energy sources is moving forward. Its main objective is to achieve, in the shortest possible time, the stabilization and subsequent recovery of the national electrical energy system, in which savings - as in everything else - play a fundamental role.

We must move forward in carrying out the definitive transformations of the socialist state enterprise, which will consolidate it as the main subject of the economy and ensure that its performance responds to what the circumstances of the current moment demand and impacts all areas in which the economic and social life of the country develops.

Likewise, we must confront in a more decisive, energetic and participatory manner, illegalities, indiscipline and acts of corruption.  We must punish with the severity and rigor allowed by law, all manifestations of violence and discrimination, social indiscipline, acts of vandalism and other attitudes that weaken order, tranquility and citizen security.

We will continue to take on this battle with the energy that its danger entails, even for the very existence of the Revolution.

The above is largely reflected in the implementation process of the government's projections to correct distortions and boost the economy this year, in which progress is being made - as the Prime Minister recently explained in the National Assembly - without rushing, carefully measuring each step before taking it, especially assessing the impact of the measure on people with lower incomes, but at the same time with the urgency that current circumstances demand.

We will continue to move forward decisively on all these fronts without neglecting for a moment the defense of the Homeland in its broadest sense.  The price of a military aggression, direct or through terrorist mercenaries, such as the one that was recently attempted to be orchestrated, will continue to be unaffordable for the enemy.

We cannot ever neglect revolutionary vigilance, with the conscious and active participation of workers, peasants, students, housewives and the people in general, convinced that it constitutes the most effective way to confront subversion, crime, corruption and the no less dangerous indiscipline, disorganization, indolence, carelessness and lack of control.

The decisive political-ideological work will continue to be strengthened, in which it is necessary to perfect the use of the media and digital social networks, a field in which the counterrevolution tries to take advantage of the enormous technological and financial potential placed at its disposal by the United States government.

It is something necessary and important, but we do not forget for a moment that the main and most effective trench of this combat is daily, direct and sincere contact with our compatriots, especially with the youngest and precisely where the difficulties, problems or misunderstandings are greatest, with the weapons of truth and reason.

These are challenges that we face, fulfilling the premise set forth by the Commander in Chief in the commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of the assault on Moncada, in this same city, when he warned, I quote:

“It is not worth moving forward if what has been done is not consolidated” and added: “…we have not been able to emphasize and instill that the first duty of the revolutionary is work (…) only from work will wealth come.”  And he concluded: “A people that is capable of overcoming its own defects, its own errors; a people that fears nothing, a people that does not bow down to anything or anyone, is and will always be an invincible people.” 

This has been done in Sancti Spíritus until achieving economic and social results that made it worthy of hosting this event, which was briefly reported on a few moments ago. The Political Bureau's communication on this decision states that the province, like the others, is not exempt from the complexities that the country is experiencing, but it is distinguished by the fact that, faced with each insufficiency and problem, it undertook actions aimed at solving them.

On behalf of the leadership of the Party, the Government, and all the people, the people of Sancti Spiritus receive a well-deserved congratulations for so much effort and especially for its results.

It is also fair to recognize the effective work of the cadres at all levels, headed by the first secretary of the Party, Deivy Pérez Martín, and the governor of the province, Alexis Lorente Jiménez, for applying a style and work methods characterized by systematic control, demand and permanent links with the masses, which has allowed this territory to achieve stability in programs of wide social scope related to education, culture, sports, health and other sectors.

The people of Sancti Spíritus, like all our people, have known how to be, once again, at the height of their glorious history, which treasures an admirable legacy of tradition of struggle from the colonial period to the present.

Sancti Spíritus has a prominent place in the war of liberation and in the dedication of its children to the Homeland and to the construction of the new society, anticipated by Fidel in the Moncada Program.

The beautiful images that we were able to enjoy during the ceremony recall the culminating moments of the feat that men of the stature of Serafín Sánchez Valdivia carried out in these fields.  In the Sancti Spiritus jungle, Panchito Gómez Toro was born, a paradigm of patriotism, loyalty and courage of the Cuban youth.

That is the lineage of our people, of the combatants of the Rebel Army and of the clandestine struggle; of the militiamen of Girón and the fight against bandits, which had a decisive stage in this province; of its internationalists; of the millions of Cubans who face the no less complex and dangerous current challenges.

Let the enemy not have new illusions, because they will inexorably lead them to disappointment again.

The heirs of such an extraordinary wealth of heroism and sacrifice will continue the work of the Revolution forever.

In the face of every obstacle, difficulty or sacrifice for the good of the country, including that of one's own life, we will continue to repeat that sublime order of Major General Serafín Sánchez Valdivia, knowing that he was mortally wounded by an enemy bullet:

"It doesn't matter, let the march continue!"

Eternal glory to our heroes and martyrs!

Long live the Revolution and Socialism!