• Affirms President Fidel Castro, speaking on a special Television program condemning the insolent measures adopted by the European Union against our country

BY REYNOLD RASSI—Granma daily staff writer—

“WE are disposed to live in peace, but not to concede one iota of our sovereignty, independence and dignity,” President Fidel Castro stated last night on detailing the Cuban position vis-à-vis the recent European Union (EU) statement proposing measures against the island and thus demonstrating its support for the aggressive anti-Cuba policy of the U.S. government.

Speaking on a special Television program, the president of the Councils of State and Ministers described the document of the 15 European countries as insolent and gross, and the measures laid down in it as interfering in the nation’s internal affairs.

Fidel noted that the essence of the trashy document lies in the four measures laid down in it: the curtailment of top-level contacts, reduced participation in cultural events, inviting so-called dissidents to celebrations of national holidays in the European embassies and a reassessment of the those countries’ common position towards the island.

Referring to the EU bloc’s shameless decision, he clarified that there are European leaders and countries that – as far as they can, given the pressures to which they have been subjected by the United States and various of its recent allies – have not subscribed to that position out of self-respect. He noted that he was sure that some of those leaders who signed the document had not read it properly, as if they had done so, they would never have put their names to such a monstrosity.

On the measure to curtail high-level visits to Cuba, he commented that merely a few parliamentarians and officials have ever come to the island, because doing so has for a long time required much valor and independence and that sense of independence is very rare in the world. He added that if those countries fail to send anyone, that is their problem and liberates Cuba from the arrogance of some of them, particularly representatives of the Spanish government, “who believe that we are still their subordinates after their hundreds of years spent colonizing the island.”

The Cuban president commented that it was more pleasurable to talk with Third World representatives who are not characterized by being lackeys, “and whose interests we have defended internationally for more than 40 years, people who are like family and are grateful for Cuba’s position and help.”

Moving on to the reduced participation in cultural events on the island, he observed that that measure reminded him of the barbarity of German fascism that burned books not written by German authors, but, “at the end of the day, they will be the ones to lose the opportunity of appreciating and learning of the development of Cuba’s cultural and educational plans.

In another part of his address, the Cuban leader qualified as naked interference the intention of European embassies accredited on the island to invite counterrevolutionary elements in the pay of the U.S. government to their activities and maintain regular contact with them, adding that no self-respecting country would tolerate such actions. He stated that certain European countries are currently attempting to dust off a plan conceived years ago to give strength to the so-called internal opposition, as they did in China and Viet Nam, “but in no manner are we going to permit that.”

In relation to the reassessment of the EU common position on Cuba, Fidel noted that in the sphere of economic relations Cuba had adopted a policy of diversifying its trade, and in that context maintains relations with many nations and a secure market of some two billion dollars, meaning that it would not be convenient for Europe to adopt measures of that kind against Cuba.

He highlighted that the EU member countries to have signed this fascist-style statement have themselves suffered fascism and its barbarities and that it is sad to see that by subscribing to that document they are cooperating with the fascist U.S. government in its policy of aggression towards Cuba, which it has included on the list of the so-called terrorist countries, “when for more than 40 years we have been the victim of thousands of attacks by terrorists organized and financed by U.S. governments.”

In that context the Cuban president stated that if “one day, in its stupidity and crazy warmongering, the U.S. administration should bombard our cities and our children, young people, women and old people, it would suffer for those actions and millions of them would die, and if that should happen we will say now that those mainly responsible would be those who signed that repugnant document backing aggression of Cuba.”

Fidel berated José María Aznar, president of the Spanish government, for leading the vocals in the creation of that shameful document and his subordinate position to the government of his U.S. counterpart, as well as his close relations with the anti-Cuban terrorist mafia of Miami. He likewise defined as servile the attitude of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, for joining Spain in this anti-Cuban conspiracy, adding that the Italian leader is virtually without ethics and has been charged with corruption.

The leader of the Revolution made it very clear that not all the European countries or their representations have adopted a similar attitude to Cuba and that it is known that many diplomats are embarrassed and distressed at their governments’ attitude.

He warned that in addition to what is stated in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) statement in the case of European countries that apply the measures laid down in the document, no Cuban government official will attend official activities in their embassies, and neither will any of their diplomatic personnel be invited to any official Cuban activity, and if their officials’ mission is to have relations with the groups in the pay of the United States, then they are surplus to requirements.

The president clarified for certain people who have come to believe that such measures could asphyxiate or bring Cubans to their knees, that what it will do is to “multiply our energy and capacity to fight all the harder,” affirmed that they will not be able to destroy the Revolution, and that “the glory of our people will grow even more, as we have demonstrated that not even the greatest power in the world has been able to defeat us in these 44 years of Revolution, not even with the dissolution of the Socialist camp, the disappearance of the Soviet Union, or the intensification of the economic blockade.”

He likewise noted that they could not even halt the social plans and programs being undertaken by the country.

Fidel announced that measures are to be taken in the next few days to recoup the building that functioned as the Spanish Cultural Center so that it would genuinely serve those ends and not others, as has been the case. He added that monuments to outstanding intellectual figures – such as Federico García Lorca, Antonio Machado and Pablo de la Torriente Brau – who fought against Spanish fascism, are to be raised facing that country’s embassy.

“Any attempt to pressure Cuba with any kind of measure will be in vain, and nobody can make us lose any sleep,” Fidel affirmed.
 

(Granma) June 12, 2003