A brief report on Fidel's speech July 26 speech

["Jose G. Perez" <jg_perez@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Like many of his speeches over the years at these sorts of
commemorations, Fidel gave a fairly detailed, statistical accounting of
Cuba's progress under the revolution, contrasting it with the situation
that prevailed then on the island and still does in the Third World.

However, the last part of his speech was dedicated entirely to
responding to the imperialist European Union.

He explained the sanctions imposed by the EU against Cuba (cutting off
aid) and said it didn't matter, because Europe wasn't really giving Cuba
any aid at all, despite what it claims. The EU had placed all sorts of
bureaucratic obstacles to any aid being given, and in addition had tried
to condition it on CUBA giving the EU decision-making authority over
Cuban projects carried out in Cuba with Cuba's own resources, IN
ADDITION to those the EU was willing to sponsor.

His tone wasn't just sharp, it was scathing. He demanded reparations for
Africa and other parts of the Third World for slavery, for centuries of
European colonialism, and for their continuing colonial holdings. He
demanded the Europeans free their colonies from the Caribbean to the
Malvinas.

"In Cuba you will find a country that does not obey masters," he told
the EU "and that does not lack the courage to say the truth."

"You need to have a few truths told to you," he said, addressing the
imperialist EU.

I think we can expect very shortly the reaction from the bourgeois
press. "Fidel is crazy," picking a fight with the Europeans when he's
already in trouble with the Americans and so on and so forth. 

Very interesting also will be to see the reaction of certain European
groups that claim to be revolutionary and socialist but nevertheless
joined the imperialist campaign of outraged indignation at Cuba's
dismantling of the network of paid U.S. operatives that were
collaborating with would-be American proconsul in Cuba, James Cason.

José