From 16 to 19 April was held in Havana, the 7th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, coinciding with two significant historical events for the Cuban people: first the 55th anniversary of the Bay of Pig Victory - an armed aggression, financed and organized by the government of John. F. Kennedy in 1961 to topple from its inception the genuinely revolutionary process and second, the proclamation of the socialist character of the Cuban Revolution; just a few hours before combating the aforementioned invasion.
The Congress comes at a time of an international climate marked by the global crisis and the worsening of global geopolitical contradictions, while in the Latin American and Caribbean context there is an increased counteroffensive from the imperialist and the right oligarchic continental against revolutionary processes, the progressive and the democracy of the region, where the death of Hugo Chavez complicate the internal situation in Venezuela, to the loss of the parliamentary majority; in Argentina the right won the presidential election; Evo Morales in Bolivia, despite having high popularity ratings, has had to face setbacks, while Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff faces a maneuver of parliamentary coup: this whole situation conspires against the integrationist consensus that has developed in the continent.
Paradoxically, while there is an aggression to the above processes, the environment between Cuba and the United States is improved with the restoration of diplomatic relations. In this fact it was an important moment the first visit to Havana after 88 years of an American president. It is a long and difficult process to get to normalize relations, where Cuba demands the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed more than half a century and despite the intentions of President Obama, is still in full force, so as the just demand for the return to the island the illegally occupied territory by the US in Guantanamo naval base, against our will for more than a century.
We intend to maintain civilized relations with a neighbour in the same conditions on the basis of respect for our ideological and political differences and maintain a peaceful coexistence as an important contribution to peace in the region and the world. It is not a secret that important US sectors keep the aim of eroding the foundations of the revolution and overthrow our political system, through the approach and the direct influence.
In this new scenario it is that the Communist Party of Cuba held its Congress and its future success will depend in large measure, of the ability to strengthen the consensus and to establish policies pursuant to the domestic and international situation.
As you know, Cuba is in the historical period of building socialism, according to our own national, cultural and historical characteristics, based on the concept that socialism is a society of equal opportunities for all, with social justice. From these premises, the congress debated and approved the theoretical conceptualization of the Economic and Social Model that Cubans aspire, where social ownership of the basic means of production is paramount, as well as the recognition of other forms of cooperative, mixed, private property, etc; social policy is guaranteed, with free access to social services such as education, health, culture, sports, social security and welfare. To achieve this ideal, the Cuban economy has to perform efficiently, so that contributes to the essential material support to enable the socially just distribution of wealth. The strategic objective of the Cuban model is to promote and consolidate the construction of a prosper socialist society, sustainable in economic, social and environmental aspects and committed with the strengthening of the ethical, cultural and political values, forged by the Revolution, in an independent, sovereign and solidarity nation.
Congress approved the base that serves as a guide for the National Development Plan of the island until 2030, where there are reflected axes and socio-economic strategic sectors. There were taken strategic decisions for the future of the island, embodied in the program documents that will now be discussed broad and democratically with our people for final approval. A new leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba was elected which ratified as first secretary to Raul Castro Ruz, the current president of the Councils of State and Ministers. It was also assessed that the next five years until 2021 will be decisive for Cuba, because that would be a gradual, ordered and transition period to be handing over the principal responsibilities of the country, so that when it reaches the 8th Congress Party the new generation of Cubans who will taking over the country.
CUBAN EMBASSY IN INDIA