11 October 2022, “Anagenisis” Club of the Left, Deryneia
Dear Friends,
First of all, on behalf of the Cyprus-Cuban Friendship Association, permit me to thank the Local Club of the mass organisations of the Left "Anagenisis” of Deryneia for its hospitality.
This year our Association celebrates 30 years of activity and voluntary work. Through our activities we try to bring together the two peoples - Cypriot and Cuban - to get to know each other's culture. We seek to carry the flame of the Cuban Revolution, which today is as relevant as ever, to express our daily solidarity with the Cuban people who are fighting against imperialism, for their national sovereignty and dignity.
The people of Cuba have been fighting for 62 years against the inhumane American economic, commercial and financial blockade in the attempts by the USA to strangle Cuba economically and through its open interventions in the internal affairs of the country. Cuba over the last 3 months has been struck by repeated natural disasters and is struggling to overcome the effects of the devastating fire caused by lightning strikes on oil tanks, as well as the most recent devastating cyclone 'Jan'.
At the same time, we express our sincere gratitude to the Cuban people for their full solidarity with our struggle against imperialism, for the reunification of our country and people.
We should say that in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Association we have organised this year a series of events in different parts of Cyprus. Our next event will take place in Lymbia and will be dedicated to the leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro.
Our events will culminate in our main event which will take place in December in the Old Market in Nicosia. This event will include an exhibition by Cypriot artists inspired by Cuba. Taking advantage of this platform, I will also invite local artists - professional and amateur - to participate with their own works in the exhibition, and all of you to give an impetus to the actions of friendship and solidarity with the Cuban people.
Our theme today brings to mind the visit of Aleida, Che's daughter, who was in Cyprus in 2017, on the 50th anniversary of her father's assassination. Aleida participated in the numerous events that were organised in honor of ourAssociation's 25th anniversary. Aleida contacted us by chance today and when we told her about tonight's event we were organising, she asked us to convey her greetings and love to each and every oneof you and her thanks for remembering and honoring her father.
We could talk for hours about Ernesto Guevara, the revolutionary and communist. We will confine ourselves here to just a few points: His life, struggles and work left a rich legacy and remain to this day an inspiration and guidance for the peoples of the whole world struggling for their national sovereignty and class emancipation. His figure is always at the forefront of mobilizations for every form of assertion. His ideological beliefs pushed him to always be in the frontline of the struggle. They also created in him an inexhaustible need to study and seek a deeper understanding.
Che often stressed to young communists that they should feel honor and pride in their capacity as young communists. At the same time to be able to grasp reality and to struggle daily to change it in the interests of the people. To be at the forefront of the struggle, to set and become a living example themselves.
After all, Che himselfwas an example. He proved it in the Cuban Revolution, and in the subsequent socialist construction.
Che’s main characteristic was also his internationalism. As he wrote to his children, "Above all, be able to feel, as deeply as you can, every injustice done to anyone, in any country of the world. It is the finest gift of a revolutionary." which he himself put into practice on the battlefields of places beyond his two homelands, Argentina and Cuba.
We cannot but mention the fact that Che, as a representative of the revolutionary government of Cuba at the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1964, defended Cyprus’ struggle, referring to the crimes that were beingcommitted by imperialism in our homeland. More specifically, Che Guevarafrom the podium of the UN said "Peaceful coexistence is also being tested - in a brutal way - in Cyprus, because of the pressures exerted by the Turkish government and NATO, forcing the people and government of Cyprus to heroically defend their sovereignty."