Central Report to the Eighth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba
Full text of the presentation by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, April 16, 2021

Author: Raúl Castro Ruz | internet@granma.cu
april 22, 2021 09:04:39

Photo: Juvenal Balán
(Transcript: Presidency of the Republic/Translation: GI)

Compañeras and compañeros
The opening of the Eighth Party Congress takes place on a transcendental date in the nation’s history: The 60th anniversary of the proclamation by Comandante en jefe Fidel Castro Ruz of the socialist character of the Revolution, on April 16, 1961, at the funeral farewell for those killed the previous day in the bombing of our air bases, prelude to the mercenary invasion at Playa Giron, organized and financed by the United States government as part of plans to crush the example of the Cuban Revolution and reimpose neocolonial rule on the island, with the complicity of the Organization of American States.

We plan to conclude the Congress next Monday, April 19, when we will also commemorate the 60th anniversary of our victory over the mercenary expedition, achieved in less than 72 hours by Rebel Army, police and militia forces who, under the personal leadership of compañero Fidel, did not give the invaders a moment’s rest and shed, for the first time, their blood in defense of socialism. The decisive blows dealt by State Security to the counterrevolutionary groups, which acted as a fifth column inside the country, contributed to the defeat of the enemy’s plans.

The Playa Girón invasion, launched during the term of a Democratic President, was part of the “program of covert action against the Castro regime,” initiated by President Eisenhower, a Republican, which projected the creation of a unified opposition in Cuba, psychological warfare, plans to assassinate principal revolutionary leaders, Fidel in particular, sabotage of economic targets and terrorist attacks in the cities, the promotion of armed counterrevolutionary bands that massacred campesinos, workers and youth participating in the glorious literacy campaign.

We will never forget the 3,478 dead and 2,099 injured and disabled persons, victims of state terrorism against our country.

We are holding the Eighth Congress two years after the proclamation of the Constitution of the Republic on April 10, 2019, a century and a half after the first Mambi Constitution in Guáimaro.

The approval of the Constitution required the updating of a good portion of our laws and other legal provisions that its precepts impact, thus the National Assembly of People’s Power approved a corresponding legislative schedule, which is being fulfilled.

During the period since April of 2019, the Cuban legislature has approved eleven laws in the interest of guaranteeing the functioning and organization of principal state and government bodies. For its part, the Council of State issued 33 decree laws.

We will renounce none of our principles
Excerpts from speeches by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz emphasizing the need to respond to every challenge with unity, strength, optimism, and unwavering confidence in victory

Raúl Castro Ruzjune 3, 2019 09:06:21

Photo: Estudio Revolución
Once again, an adverse scenario has been created and again our enemies’ euphoria resurfaces, and they rush to make their dreams of destroying the example of Cuba a reality. This is not the first time, nor the last, that the Cuban Revolution must face challenges and threats. We have faced all dangers and resisted undefeated for 60 years.
For us, as for Venezuela and Nicaragua, it is very clear that the siege is tightening and our people must be alert and prepared to respond to every challenge with unity, strength, optimism, and unwavering confidence in the victory.
After almost a decade of practicing unconventional methods of war to prevent continuity or stop the return of progressive governments, the circles of power in Washington sponsored coups, first a military one to overthrow President Zelaya in Honduras and later the parliamentary-judicial coups against Lugo in Paraguay and Dilma Rousseff in Brazil.
They promoted rigged, politically motivated judicial processes, as well as manipulative campaigns to discredit leaders and organizations of the left, making use of their monopoly control of mass media. In this way they succeeded in imprisoning compañero Lula da Silva and deprived him of the right to run for President as the candidate of the Workers’ Party, to avoid his sure victory in the last elections. I take this opportunity to appeal to all honest political forces on the planet to demand his release and to stop the attacks and judicial persecution of the Dilma Rousseff and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

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