STATEMENT BY CUBAN WORKERS’ ORGANISAIONS
Campaign News | Friday, 18 April 2003
CTC (Cuban Trade Union Council)
STATEMENT BY THE CUBAN WORKERS’ TRADE UNION CENTRAL
A Revolution is truthful, only if it’s worthy of defending itself.
The Cuban Revolution has been for more than 40 years, the object of all types of aggressions coming from the number one military, political and economic superpower ever to be known in the history of mankind: The United States of America.
From the very onset of the Revolutionary triumph, continuous North American Governments have launched military invasions, biological and bacteriological warfare, terrorists attacks, plans of assassination against the principal leaders of our country, the creation in Cuba and abroad of contra revolutionary groups and bands, thousands of hours of radio and TV broadcasting with the intention of promoting destabilizing actions and the most extended and genocide economic blockade ever to be known in history. All of this, with the sole intention of destroying the Revolution and to impose once again a capitalist system in our country.
The Cuban people, the number one exponent of the Cuban Revolution, have paid the price due to the lost of thousands of the lives of our sons; because of them defending their rights to build, as established by International Conventions, the kind of economic, political and social system chosen by the Cuban people.
Only because of the unbreakable will of the vast majority of Cubans, workers, peasants, students, intellectuals, artists, men and women of our people who rallies around the historic leadership of the Revolution, we have made possible the defense of socialism, our independence and sovereignty.
With the disappearance of the USSR and Socialism in Europe, when the fall of the Berlin Wall was celebrated in the West, as well as the ending of the Cold War, very few had noticed the tremendous danger ahead of us, because of the new-coming of a unipolar world, under the designs of the United States.
The events taken place in recent years, have served the purpose of clearly demonstrating, that the empire have consolidated its tremendous power and that it also pretends to make the world be ruled by the guidelines imposed by Washington.
The absolute domination over international financial institutions and the acceleration of the ruthless imposition of neo-liberal globalization, the disregard and consequent destruction of the System of United Nations, the criminal support of Israel in their policy of annihilation of the Palestinian people and the genocide wars against Yugoslavia, supported including, by some important European unions, the wars against Afghanistan and then against Iraq, unveils the real nature of the empire and of those who submissive and obedient, have accompanied the master in his felonies around the world.
Under these circumstances, when a group of hawks have nested in the White House and are ready to carry on with their purpose of submitting the world to their feet, no matter what consequences, there is left no other alternative for the Cuban revolution, that that of defending itself.
The Cuban people cannot forget that the present US President of the United States, George W. Bush, is in the White House today thanks to the colossal fraud orchestrated in Florida, in combination with the Cuban-American mafia based there, and to whom Mr. Bush owes grate favors that must be paid back for during his present and his expected second term in the White House.
The tragic and painful events of September 11, that cost the lives of thousands of innocent people, have served however, and in the name of a struggle against terrorism, to submit other countries and to apply new and sophisticated McCarty’s policies against the US people.
During recent years, Cubans have seen the way in which there have been an increase of the plans for destabilizing the Revolution: the reinforcement of the blockade, the complete violation of the collective human rights of an entire nation; the maintenance of the criminal Cuban Adjustment Law, aimed towards promoting illegal migrations to the US and the encourage the stealing of boats and aircrafts, risking the lives of hundreds of people, including women and children. The perpetrators of such terrorist actions, once arriving into US territory, are welcomed as heroes and they are sheltered with complete impunity; as well as the shameful support of terrorist actions organized against Cuba from Miami; the “fixed” trail and the harsh sentences ruled against five young Cubans who are being submitted to cruel and brutal punishment; the creation, funding and logistic support of “so-called” political, trade union and human rights organizations in our country, that only exists in the sick imagination of those boot-lickers of imperialism, who would like to appear in Cuba, alongside the ghost of contra revolution.
The recent events are nothing else than the outcome of an intense and aggressive campaign launched by the US Government geared towards undermining the support of our people for the Revolution and to prepare conditions for the development of far-reaching actions. Only because of the above-mentioned, the frantic activity of conspiracy of the Head of the US interest Section in Havana could be explained as well as the enormous irresponsibility with which the US administration promotes and encourages the violation of the Immigration Agreements subscribed between both countries.
Those who have been close followers of the history of the Cuban Revolution, are very much aware that this is the only country in our hemisphere, where throughout the long period of four decades, that there have never been a single case of someone tortured, disappeared, or murdered.
The Cuban Revolution have seen itself obliged to now adopt harsh measures that we would not have wanted, but there has been no other alternative, that to implement and to make valid those laws that guarantees our own independence and sovereignty, as well as the safety of our people.
In any country in the world, those who serve a foreign power, against the interest of their own country, are considered as traitors, and if such service is given under the circumstances of a nation that is under a permanent threat and attack, the seriousness of his/her action increases.
The Cuban workers, who have consecrated their lives to the defense of the Revolution, to make our most cherished dreams of freedom and social justice to become reality, are aware that what is at stake today, is our own existence as a nation that is really free and independent and that those who plots together with the government that has dedicated all its power in defeating the Revolution, cannot be treated if not as vulgar mercenaries who are paid by the empire.
The tremendous campaign that the mass media, most of them at the service of the powerful, in relation to these events, have demonstrated the insane attempt of condemning and discrediting our country. Just as it was demonstrated in the trials that were conducted, all the defendants had their defense attorneys and all the attorneys enjoyed the opportunity of contacting their defendants with the indispensable procedural guarantee. In all cases, proceedings were according to the laws established in our country, laws that are very similar or identical to those existing in many other countries in the world. No one has been punished because of his or her right to dissent, but rather because of the degrading crime of betraying his or her own people.
It is absolutely false, and odiously ill intentioned, so as demonstrated by the dates of detentions, the argument made in the sense that Cuba acted against these individuals, after the criminal war against Iraq, so as to dodge publicity and escape from international condemnation.
Those who assert such idea, knows very little about the fact, that our country takes on, as we have always done, the complete responsibility for our actions and that when we act upon the basis of principles, our response is in line with those principles. They should not forget that these events took place while the European Union was analyzing the entrance of Cuba into the Cotonou Agreement; meanwhile the United States was orchestrating their traditional anti-Cuban masquerade at the Human rights Commission in Geneva that only serves their interest of perpetuating the criminal blockade against Cuba. Those who know us well are aware that Cuba has never acted due to political opportunism.
It is also inconsistent, that there was trade unionist amongst the convicted. The more than 1.5 million Cuban trade union leaders, representing 3.5 million affiliated workers, always acts in favor of the permanent defense of the interest of our workers, and we are today, more that ever, on the side of those who – according to our Jose Marti - “love and lay foundations” and against those who – “hates and destroy” -.
Workers in the world knows, despite the fact that some leaders might have forgotten, that a union can only exist where there is a workplace, in which they are elected by the workers, with the support of the workers and not those unions, that are created in the “get-together circles” under the umbrella of their very powerful masters and with the attendance of a few associates, who are always ready to portray their “generosity”
For those in the world who honestly struggles against terrorism, should be aware that there is no such “good” or “bad” terrorism. Each and every manifestation of terrorism is undoubtedly incompatible with ethical and human values. Those who with their actions demolished the Twin Tower in New York are as terrorist, as those who in Miami mastermind the blowing up of a Cuban aircraft in full flight over the Barbadian sea, carrying 76 passengers on board. Terrorists are also those who organizes and place time-bombs in hotels, restaurants and monuments in Cuba, or those who encouraged by the accomplices policies of the United states, hijack airplanes and ships, determined to, as a fact, blow them up and risking the lives of hundred of innocent people.
Because of their struggle against terrorism, they are imprisoned and serving long-term sentences, including life imprisonment and long periods of solitary confinement in United States penitentiaries, five courageous young Cubans, only because of them infiltrating into groups of terrorist that operates in the US territory, and to report to both countries about their actions. They did not endanger the life of any human being, they did not use force in their heroic service rendered to their people. They are simply and blatantly innocent of all charges against them, but to their disadvantage, all the burden of the gut-hatred of the enemies of the Revolution has fallen upon them.
Many organization and individuals in the world have raised their voices in solidarity with our five compatriots. Other organizations and individuals however, have preferred to silence such crime. Some could argue about lack of information, and they are right. It is not of the interest of the major mass media and communication agencies, to bring into light the pages of flagrant violation of the most basic human rights. They all agree however, to serve the worst of purposes and interests, so as to deceive, twist the truth, to slander and to blemish the human undertakings of this small country, despite the criminal war that have lasted for more than 40 years, a nation that is still on its feet and struggling, not only for its right to build its own future, but rater in favor of the right of all nations of the world for full enjoyment of all human rights, the civilian and political as well, but also the right to work, to be fed, the rights to medical acre and education for all, in fact the right to have a decent and dignified life for the million of human beings who, excluded from all rights, are living today in infrahuman conditions around the world.
April 18th. 2003
NATIONAL COMMITTEE
THE CUBAN WORKERS’ TRADE UNION CENTRAL
