Cuba’s Internationalist Foreign Policy, 1975-80, by Fidel Castro is one of Pathfinder’s Books of the Month for July. Castro was the central leader of the Rebel Army, victorious 1959 popular insurrection and the first socialist revolution in the Americas. Excerpted here is Castro’s “Speech to the fighting people,” given at the 1980 May Day rally in Havana. He led Cuban working people to respond to a series of military threats and provocations by the Jimmy Carter administration. This followed popular revolutions in Grenada and Nicaragua in 1979 and rising struggles throughout the region. Five million Cubans mobilized nationwide May 17 in a March of the Fighting People to stay Washington’s hand. Copyright © 1981 by Pathfinder Press. Reprinted by permission.
We have been waging a mass battle whose scope and depth is unique in the annals of the revolution. … The enemy had to be shown, the enemy had to be taught that he couldn’t mess with the people. [Shouts of “No messing!” and applause] The enemy had to be shown that he couldn’t mess with the revolution. [Applause and shouts] … And this image we see here is what they dreamed of destroying; the image of the people — the real, revolutionary people — the proletariat, the farmers, the students — the fighting people! [Applause and shouts of “The people united will never be defeated!”] Perhaps they thought the revolution had weakened; [Shouts of “No!”] but look what a “weak” revolution they’ve found! … That’s why this battle had to be waged. …
[O]ne of our basic concepts [is] that the work of a revolution and the building of socialism were tasks for free men and women acting completely voluntarily. … [N]o other revolution has the militant mass strength of the Cuban revolution. [Applause] …
This is the image imperialism tries to hide, because it doesn’t suit its purposes. It wants to make people lose faith in Cuba and be discouraged by its example. …
[A]t the time of the wars in Ethiopia and Angola, hundreds of thousands of Cubans volunteered to participate in those struggles. It is shown by the fact that fifty thousand of our compatriots — military personnel and civilians — are working abroad; it is shown by the fact that Cuban technicians are working in thirty-five countries. [Applause]
Imperialism has no allies here. At the beginning, it had the bourgeoisie, the landowners, it had the vacillating elements of the middle class including among the petty bourgeoisie; now, however, where can it find allies? Among the workers? [Shouts of “No!”] Among the farmers? [Shouts of “No!”] Among the students? [Shouts of “No!”] …
[The port of] Mariel was opened, and we were rigorously, strictly complying with our watchword that anyone who wanted to go to any other country that would accept them could do so [Shouts of “Good riddance!”] and that the building of socialism, the work of the revolution, was a task for free men and women. Don’t forget this principle; don’t forget this principle; which has tremendous moral value. [Applause] …
[Washington’s] main concern was over the revolutionary triumph in Nicaragua and the growing upsurge in the revolutionary movement in Central America. It began to prepare a mechanism for intervention. … [I]t carried out small-scale maneuvers at the Guantánamo base at the end of last year. These maneuvers, however, are much larger, on a much greater scale, with more equipment and more soldiers — and something strange about them. And we said, No, no, no; this cannot be. We are not going to sit by passively while the Yankees organize maneuvers like that.
As has already been said, they are a flagrant rehearsal for an invasion of our country, a shameless invasion rehearsal on our own soil. This, really, is what is intolerable, unacceptable: maneuvers for invading Cuba — held on our own soil. …
The United States has imposed a blockade against Cuba for more than twenty years, a tight economic blockade that even prohibits the sale of foodstuffs and medicines — even medicines! It has been a brutal thing, for twenty-one years.
The United States occupies a part of our territory by means of force, against the will of our people. What doctrine, what principles, what law, and what legality justify its maintenance of a naval base in the territory of another country, against the will of its people? This has no legal, juridical, or moral basis, absolutely no basis in principles; it is simply an act of force. …
It seems that now they’re saying they’ll restrict the maneuvers to the Florida coast and the East Coast of the United States. We know that these maneuvers are directed against us, Central America, and the Caribbean, but we aren’t going to contest their right to hold maneuvers there in U.S. territory. What we do contest is their right to hold maneuvers on Cuban soil.
Doubtless, this is a noteworthy victory for our people’s struggle and international solidarity. [Applause] Therefore the Cuban government will suspend the special maneuvers that the Eastern Army was going to hold under the name of Girón 19, which were to have begun on May 7. [Applause]
But the March of the Fighting People is still on; the March of the Fighting People is still on! [Applause] The March of the Fighting People was to be not only against the maneuvers but also against the blockade, against the Guantánamo base, and against the SR-71 spy flights. [Applause] We aren’t going to let the Yankees get an advantage by demobilizing the people in the middle of the battle. [Shouts of “Never!”]
The March of the Fighting People must go on, and it has to be even stronger than the march of April 19. [Applause] It is a people’s mobilization against the blockade; against the Guantánamo base; and against the violation of our airspace. Rather than sit back quietly, we should show world public opinion our rejection of and our militant opposition to all that. …
Do you know what makes us really strong — us, Nicaragua, and Grenada? The fact that ours are people’s revolutions, revolutions with deep roots and great support among the people.