[Campaign Events] [News from Cuba] [International news and events] [UK Events] [Reviews]
By Javier Molina
AMIDST some tension and a high level of security Venezuela hosted the VII Ibero-American Summit in November on Margarita Island.
The 19 heads of state with Juan Carlos of Spain and Portugal's Prime Minister expressed their views on the theme of this summit: "The Ethical Values of Democracy".
It is this theme that gave rise to the predominant position of Cuba, be it because some see it as lacking democracy while others consider it to be the best example of "People's Power".
To fuel this importance, the US government sent emissaries to all the participant nations requesting not only to be part of the summit at its highest level but also to rally the other nations in vetoing Cuba from it. These emissaries went home empty-handed.
It was nevertheless President Fidel Castro's presence that all awaited with interest. His arrival was received amidst cheers of a large crowd gathered at the airport carrying signs welcoming him.
His speech was reminiscent of another in 1960 at the Organisation of American States when he suggested that the developed nations should contribute with a fund to aid the Third World. His suggestion was ignored at the time, yet not a year later president Kennedy implemented the idea with his "Alliance for Progress".
As the third speaker on the first session President Castro pointed out that "a total change of course... is the most ethical, democratic and revolutionary thing that should happen in today's world" referring to the deadly globalisation of neo-liberalism.
He stated that his country had worked in all the summits for unity and consensus: "We have always expressed our ideas with total loyalty in every open and closed meeting. We have subscribed to every concept as we interpret it, and we have committed ourselves to those values which we believe and for which we are willing to give our lives."
Remembering the First Summit he remarked it was time to end the arbitrary and embarrassing exclusion against a small country "that has defended its right to exist with great dignity in a lonely and heroic struggle."
He pointed out the futile attempt of those emissaries sent to sabotage the participation of Cuba.
"I am obliged to recall," he said, "that in Cuba there was, is and always will be a revolution who's principles cannot be bought or betrayed, that we have never renounced our political, economic and social system."
Furthermore, he pointed out that Cuba had "struggled more than anyone, in this time of inequalities and injustice, for a real democracy, a government of the people by the people and for the people, and not of the rich, by the rich and for the rich and in the defence of the most sacred rights of every human being." And facing the leader of the whole world with a clear gaze Fidel once again pointed out at the root and cause of the problem: "Let other bend before the lies, tricks, illusions and interests of the world's powerful. We will keep defending the ideals for which we have struggled all our lives, alongside the poor, the sick without doctors or medicine, the parents without jobs, the hundreds of millions of children abandoned to their fate or forced to work or prostitute themselves to live, the hungry, the oppressed and the exploited throughout the world who constitute the vast majority of humanity."
He underlined that if discussions are to be held, he will be part of them and that "each one should confront, according to their conscience, the unassailable statistics and the palpable realities that show the increasing growth of a universal and unsustainable financial speculation, the increasing vulnerability of our economies, the destruction of nature, humanity's uncertain future and the bottomless pit which a blind and uncontrollable neo-liberalism and a crushing and brutal globalism is leading us under the leadership of the most powerful and egoistic force in history."
His final words were exemplified by the recent collapse of the major market and market players in the far east: "We should not wait until our currencies lose their value and our markets crash."
(The full speech can be obtained from the CSC web site)