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Message from the
President of the Councils of State and Ministers
of the Republic of Cuba to the distinguished Mr.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero on the occasion of
his election as President of the Spanish
government
Distinguished Mr. José Luis
Rodríguez Zapatero:
The Spanish people, decidedly
opposed to the cruel and unjust war of conquest in
Iraq, likewise opposed by yourself, and outraged
by the crude electoral manipulation of the
unjustifiable terrorist aggression suffered on
March 11, has decided to entrust you with the
leadership of the Spanish government. On the
occasion of this important event, which will have
repercussions in the international sphere, we
express to you our recognition.
I would also like to extend, and in
a special way, our most profound admiration and a
tribute of respect to the people of Spain for
their nobility and heroism, demonstrated so many
times throughout history.
I congratulate you on your decision
to withdraw the Spanish troops from Iraq by June
30.
Bearing in mind this decision, I beg
you not to forget that, by virtue of actions and
pressures on the part of Mr. Aznar as president of
the government of Spain, more than 1,000 young men
from small and impoverished Latin American nations
were sent as cannon fodder to Iraq under the
command of the Spanish Legion. Thus, the possible
death of any of those young people is the
responsibility of the Spanish state.
The peoples of Latin America thus
have the right to expect the immediate return of
those young people. They do not have a duty to
wait until June 30. The death of any one of those
young Salvadorans, Hondurans, Dominicans and
Nicaraguans would be doubly sad if, being
immediately preventable, it is not prevented,
given that the political responsibility of the
principal author of that measure has been swept
away by the Spanish people. The world, and
particularly the peoples of our hemisphere, would
greatly appreciate anything that you are able to
do before assuming the presidency in order to
avoid any more Latin American lives being added to
those lost in the unjustifiable holocaust that
took place in Madrid on March 11.
I hope that you understand the
spirit of this message and transmit to you my most
sincere sentiments of respect and consideration.
Fidel Castro Ruz
Havana, March 15,
2004(Granma) March, 16 2004 | 
