Dear friends, sisters and brothers of the organizations of the movement of solidarity with Cuba, compatriots,
In the early hours of July 26, 1953, young poet Raúl Gómez García, rallied with his revolutionary speech the young people who would come out hours later willing to lay down their lives without fear for a free and sovereign homeland: “Compañeros, within a few hours, you may win or be defeated, but in any event - listen carefully, compañeros! – in any event, the movement will triumph. If we win tomorrow, that to which Marti aspired will be done sooner. If the opposite occurs, the effort will serve as an example to the people of Cuba, to take up the banner and continue forward”.
And so it was. Despite the defeat of the Moncada attack in tactical terms, this action would become the trigger that raised the awareness of Cubans and their struggle to end Batista's tyranny.
The attacks on the Moncada barracks in Santiago de Cuba and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes in Bayamo, organized and led by our eternal Commander-in-Chief, Fidel Castro, were among the most heroic deeds in the struggle for the total independence of Cuba.
This action marked a historic, generational and revolutionary milestone. It was carried out by young people whose main objective was to start up operations to transform Cuba’s political, economic and social regime and to eliminate foreign interference, misery, unemployment, unhealthiness and lack of education inflicted on our people.
On July 26, the leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, played a decisive role in presenting the program of struggle, demonstrating the willingness to take the fight forward, showing the way to achieve victory and guiding the advance of the revolution.
On this date, we experience mixed emotions. We feel sadness for the young and heroic shed blood, but also pride for being the sons and daughters of a lineage of courageous Cubans.
The Moncada's action opened up the path towards strategic victory. Sixty-five years later, Cuba is undergoing another momentous time in its history. As we celebrate the Day of National Rebelliousness, we Cubans are engaged in updating our Economic and Social Model of Socialist Development and drafting the new Constitution of the Republic. These processes are characterized by broad-based participation of the entire people, without giving up, not even for a single moment, Marti’s legacy and our revolutionary tradition. The political foundations of the socialist and revolutionary State remain unchanged and include among their essential aims the promotion of sustainable development to ensure individual and collective prosperity, working to attain greater levels of equity and social justice, as well as to preserve and multiply the achievements of the Revolution.
Cuba has continued to strengthen the democratic nature of its institutions, by enforcing laws, policies and programs of a popular and participatory nature, in order to meet people’s aspirations.
As a result of the last elections, our Parliament represents all sectors of the country, in which 87.8% of the 605 deputies were born after January 1, 1959; 53.22% are women, the highest figure reached in Cuba and second in the world; and the black and mixed race representation reached 40.49%.
As our newly elected President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez said: "in Cuba, by decision of the people, the only choice we have is to continue the work, through the unity of the generations born and educated in the Revolution and the founding generation, not yielding to pressure, without fear or setbacks, defending our truths and reasons, without renouncing sovereignty and independence, development programs and our dreams".
Our country will continue to promote its solidarity and internationalism with all the peoples of the world. We are likewise grateful to all the solidarity movements for their commitment to our country. You have unconditionally stood by us through all these years and continue to do so with the same loyalty and enthusiasm as always. Your support has been invaluable in fighting for the total and unconditional lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States. You have also helped defeating the attempted policy of isolation against Cuba. The Cuban Revolution has survived all kinds of hostile acts and aggressions, and will emerge victorious once again from this new stage. All of you, who are part of the solidarity movement to our country from within the bowels of imperialism, are also part of these victories.
We will continue to fight together to overthrow the unjust blockade imposed on the Cuban people for more than half a century. We will also fight together to spread the truth about Cuba and to confront the campaigns that slander and denigrate our people. We will defend peace, justice and solidarity, and we will do that with the same determination and firmness as the young people led by Fidel defended their convictions and ideals on July 26, 1953.
Eternal glory to the martyrs of Moncada!
Long live the Cuban Revolution!
Long live the Solidarity Movement with Cuba!
Long live Fidel and Raúl”
Homeland or death! We shall overcome!