Havana, april 19, 2021.- President of the Republic Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez was elected today, Monday, as first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee, during the first plenary meeting of the leadership body, elected by the delegates to the 8th Party Congress Sunday evening.
Army General Raúl Castro Ruz made this announcement after reporting the 14 members of the Political Bureau, including nine returning to the body and five added as new members:
Juan Esteban Lazo Hernández, President of the National Assembly of People's Power and the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba.
Salvador Valdés Mesa, Vice President of the Republic of Cuba.
Roberto Morales Ojeda, Deputy Prime Minister.
Army Corps General Álvaro López Miera, Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.
Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento, Federation of Cuban Workers general secretary.
Teresa María Amarelle Bué, secretary general of the Federation of Cuban Women’s National Directorate.
Marta Ayala Ávila, general director of the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center.
Manuel Marrero Cruz, Prime Minister.
José Amado Ricardo Guerra, Council of Ministers secretary.
Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja, executive president of the Enterprise Administration Group.
Major General Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, Minister of the Interior.
Gladys Martínez Verdecia, first secretary of the Party Provincial Committee in Artemisa.
Subsequently, the new Party Central Committee first secretary introduced members of the Secretariat and the areas each will attend:
Roberto Morales Ojeda, secretary of Organization and Cadre Policy.
Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, head of the Ideological Department.
Joel Queipo Ruiz, head of the Economic Department.
José Ramón Monteagudo Ruiz, head of the Agri-food Department.
Félix Duarte Ortega, head of the Industry, Construction, Tourism, Transportation and Services Department.
Jorge Luis Broche Lorenzo, head of the Education, Sports and Science Department.
First on the agenda, this morning during the closing session of the 8th Congress, was a report on the tally of ballots cast by delegates yesterday, April 18, to elect members of the new Central Committee, corroborating that 100% of the ballots were valid and that all were elected with more than 99.32% of the votes.
As on the sands of Playa Girón, the Party stands tall and invincible
Havana, april 19, 2021.- April 19 always dawns with Cuba celebrating the triumph of a heroic country. On this day, David defeated Goliath on the sands of Playa Giron, and 60 years later, the same indomitable people that shed its blood in the Cienaga for the Revolution, adds today, in honor of the date, another legendary victory.
With today’s closing of the 8th Party Congress, Cuba offers new lessons. Just as the artillery-armed mercenaries invading along the Bay of Pigs were sent into disarray, our ideas and arguments now frighten the lackeys: unity, resistance, continuity, that great word that the empire does not understand, and that today, once again, is materialized in the orderly transfer of the nation’s leadership to younger generations.
There is but one commitment: to defend the Revolution and to continue, at an accelerated pace, the construction of socialism which demands a great deal. We did not inherit a complete work, but a perfectible project that we are honored to continue.
The way forward, clearly stated in the Central Report presented by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, was discussed and approved yesterday by delegates in a resolution which describes the document as "an expression of the historic generation’s legacy, and a guide for the future work of the party organization and other actors within society."
In plenary session, delegates also ratified resolutions referring to the updating of the Conceptualization of the Economic and Social Model; the status of implementation of Policy Guidelines; the fulfillment of objectives established during the First Conference, regarding the Party’s functioning, ideological activity and ties with the population; and the Cadre Policy Assessment .
After its presentation and study, the candidature for members of the Central Committee was submitted to a vote, with results to be announced today.
The first plenary session of the newly elected Central Committee will be held today, Monday.
April 19 always dawns with Cuba celebrating the triumph of a heroic country. On this day, David defeated Goliath on the sands of Playa Giron, and 60 years later, the same indomitable people that shed its blood in the Cienaga for the Revolution, adds today, in honor of the date, another legendary victory.
(Cubaminrex-Granma)