The Militant - July 27, 2015 -- Greece: New book is tool to defend Cuban Revolution

Vol. 79/No. 26 July 27, 2015

Greece: New book is tool to
defend Cuban Revolution

BY GEORGES MEHRABIAN
ATHENS, Greece — The new book Cuba — USA: Cuba Can’t Be Bought Off, launched here June 26, is a tool for supporters of the Cuban Revolution to explain and build on the victory registered in the steps toward normalization of relations between Washington and Havana. The negotiations between the governments of the United States and Cuba on opening diplomatic relations and toward lifting Washington’s strangling embargo, announced last December, are the result of the failure of the U.S. rulers to overturn Cuba’s socialist revolution through 55 years of political and economic pressure.

The book makes available in Greek recent speeches, interviews and letters by Cuban President Raúl Castro; Fidel Castro, the historic political leader of the Cuban Revolution; Gerardo Hernández, one of the Cuban Five, who spent more than 16 years unjustly imprisoned in the U.S.; and Kenia Serrano, president of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples.

These documents explain how the Cuban Revolution “is based on international solidarity, on humanity, on social justice, on confidence in people’s abilities,” Cuban Ambassador Osvaldo Cobacho Martínez told nearly 40 people attending a June 26 reception at the embassy launching the book. “We will never give up on these principles and ideals of our revolution. Negotiations with the U.S. take place on this basis.”

Cuba Can’t Be Bought Off is “the result of the collaboration between the José Martí Cultural Association, the publishing house Diethnes Vima and a number of Cuban solidarity blogs and websites, including the Greek Solidarity Network,” said Natasha Terlexi, who chaired the event. Terlexi is president of Diethnes Vima and a leader of the José Martí Cultural Association.

“The revolution’s firm stand makes assaults by imperialism on Venezuela harder,” she said, “and it gives a boost to the freedom struggle of the Puerto Rican people, whose nation is still a U.S. colony.”

“Imperialism has not given up on its ultimate goals, to undermine and overthrow the socialist revolution,” said Loukia Konstantinou, another leader of the José Martí Cultural Association. “They will try different methods to achieve the same goal. But we are confident that Cuba will not retreat on any of its principles.”

The book contains “the words of three generations of Cuban revolutionaries,” he said — the generation that made the revolution, those who volunteered to defend Angola from South African invasions in the 1970s and ’80s, and the generation that grew up during the Special Period, when Cuba faced a severe economic crisis following the collapse of the Soviet Union. “You will find the same thread throughout: Over 50 years of uncompromising struggle and at each decisive phase the revolution has come out stronger than the enemy’s attempts to defeat it.

“The challenge before the solidarity movement now,” Konstantinou said, “is to fight for the immediate end to the U.S. embargo on Cuba and for U.S. withdrawal from Guantánamo,” where Washington maintains a naval base in violation of Cuban sovereignty.

In a lively discussion, some participants raised concerns about what lies ahead. “Many comrades think that Cuba is tired and that it is now about to give up,” one person said.

“We are aware that we face new dangers and therefore new struggles will be posed before us. But that can’t be a reason to stop,” the Cuban ambassador responded. “When the collapse of the socialist camp in the USSR and Eastern Europe took place, our very best friends did not believe we’d make it. We did and are still standing tall with the banner of socialism held high and held with honor!

“Socialism is of vital importance,” he added. “There can be no sovereignty in Cuba without socialism. There can be no truly human values without socialism and without a people willing to fight for justice anywhere in the world. We have confidence in our people and we ask our friends to have it as well.”

Participants bought 18 copies of the new book, and two took extra copies for sale to friends and co-workers.