Vol. 71/No. 39      October 22, 2007

Below are excerpts from an April 16, 1961, speech by Fidel Castro to a mass funeral procession honoring seven people killed in bombing raids carried out in preparation for the invasion. In it, he mobilizes Cuba’s working people to defend the country’s territory and proclaims the socialist character of the revolution. Copyright ©2001 by Pathfinder Press. Reprinted with permission.

BY FIDEL CASTRO  
Here we have, as other peoples have seldom had, the opportunity of knowing what imperialism is—inside and out, on every coast, top to bottom. Here we have the opportunity of appreciating how its whole financial, propaganda, and political apparatus works, as well as its mercenaries, secret bodies, and officials, who, with such tranquility and in an almost unheard of manner, are tricking the world.

Try to imagine how we would have known what’s happening in the world. How we would have been able to know what’s happening in the world, if this were the only version and the only explanation that countless people around the world are getting!

In other words, they organized the attack, prepared the attack, trained the mercenaries, supplied the planes, supplied the bombs, prepared the airports—everyone knows it. The attack occurs and they calmly state before the world that it’s not so. This is a world that they know would rise up in indignation in face of such a monstrous, cowardly act that violates the rights of the peoples and is a violation of peace! [Applause]

And these miserable gringo imperialists, after shrouding seven homes in mourning, after murdering a handful of young people who were not millionaire parasites—because those we’ve come here to bury were not millionaire parasites, they were not mercenaries who sold themselves for foreign gold, they were not thieves. They are true sons of our people! [Prolonged applause]

What the imperialists cannot forgive is that we are here. What the imperialists cannot forgive is the dignity, the integrity, the courage, the firmness of ideas, the spirit of sacrifice, and the revolutionary spirit of the people of Cuba. [Applause]

That is what they cannot forgive, that we are here under their very nose. What they cannot forgive is that we have made a socialist revolution right under the very nose of the United States! [Applause and shouts] That we defend this socialist revolution with these guns! [Applause] That we defend this socialist revolution with the same courage shown yesterday when our antiaircraft artillery riddled the aggressor’s planes with bullets! [Applause and shouts of “Venceremos!” and other revolutionary slogans.]

This revolution is not defended with mercenaries. This revolution is defended by men and women of the people.

Compañero workers and peasants, this is the socialist and democratic revolution of the working people, with the working people, and for the working people. [Applause] And for this revolution of the working people, by the working people, and for the working people we are prepared to give our lives. [Shouts]

Workers and peasants, men and women of our homeland: Do you swear to defend to the last drop of blood this revolution of the working people, by the working people, and for the working people? [Shouts of “Yes!”]

Here, in front of the graves of our fallen comrades; beside the remains of the heroic youth, children of workers and children of ordinary working men and women, we reaffirm our determination. Just as they faced the bullets, just as they gave their lives, we state that no matter when the mercenaries come, no matter who we face, that we are all proud of our revolution, proud to defend this revolution of the working people, for the working people, and by the working people. And we will not hesitate to defend it to the last drop of blood. [Applause]

Long live the working class! [Shouts of “Long live!”]

Long live the peasants! [Shouts of “Long live!”]

Long live the humble! [Shouts of “Long live!”]

Long live the martyrs of the homeland! [Shouts of “Long live!”]

Forever long live the heroes of the homeland! [Shouts of “Long live!”]

Long live the socialist revolution! [Shouts of “Long live!”]

Long live free Cuba! [Shouts of “Long live!”]

Patria o muerte! Venceremos! [Applause]

Let us sing the National Anthem, compañeros. [Those present sing the National Anthem.]

Compañeros, all units need to head toward the site of their respective battalions, in view of the mobilization order to maintain the country in a state of alert in face of the imminent mercenary aggression that can be deduced by all the events of the last weeks and yesterday’s cowardly attack.

Let us march to the Militia Houses.

Let us form up the battalions and prepare to go confront the enemies, with the national anthem on our lips, with the words of the patriotic anthem, with the cry of “To battle,” with the conviction that “to die for the homeland is to live” and “to live in chains is to live plunged in ignominy and shame.”

Compañeros, let us march to our respective battalions and wait there for orders. [Applause]  
 
 
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