KKE holds mass rally marking the 100th anniversary of Castro's birth and in solidarity with Cuba

Dimitris Koutsoumbas speaks at the rally -- all images via the Communist Party of Cuba on X

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) reports that on June 15 a large crowd of workers and young people attended the KKE event marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro. The rally also called for an immediate end to the US blockade against Cuba, the removal of Cuba from the US government’s despicable list of “state sponsors of terrorism”, and for the Greek government and other parties to take a clear stand in favour of ending the embargo.

The main speaker at the event was Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the KKE, while the Cuban Ambassador to Greece, Aramis Fuente Hernández, delivered the opening address.

Opening his speech, D. Koutsoumbas stated: “We are here today to honour the memory and legacy of one of the great communist revolutionaries of the 20th century: Comandante Fidel Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution and of the Communist Party of Cuba, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 10th anniversary of his passing.

The KKE honours Fidel’s memory and his historic contribution to the cause of the social liberation of the peoples of Latin America, to internationalist solidarity with struggling peoples, and his effort to build a new society. Above all, we honour his contribution to the Cuban Revolution, the first socialist revolution on the American continent and one of the defining events of the 20th century. His long and legendary life was devoted to the revolutionary struggle of the people of his homeland. It is no coincidence that Fidel Castro, as the leader of the Cuban Revolution, became a red rag to the imperialists, exploiters, and anti-communists everywhere”.

The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the KKE went on to speak extensively about Fidel Castro, highlighting key moments in his life that are inseparably linked to the struggle of the heroic people of Cuba, who have endured imperialist aggression for decades. D. Koutsoumbas rejected the pretexts used by the imperialists to attack Cuba and stated, among other things:

“From the very victory of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the KKE has consistently stood alongside the Cuban people. It expressed its solidarity even during the difficult years of illegality and dictatorship in Greece, and continues to do so today, regardless of the cost or sacrifices involved.

Together with dozens of other Communist and Workers’ Parties around the world, we are strengthening initiatives of support and solidarity with Cuba and with all peoples suffering from imperialist interventions, wars and oppression.

We support the Communist Parties; we support the peoples, who alone have the right to determine the course of events in their own countries. We support the common struggle of the peoples against capitalist–imperialist barbarity and the joint struggle to abolish the exploitation of man by man.

Today, once again, faithful to our internationalist duty, and declare: Hands off Cuba!

Send the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz —deployed in the Caribbean to advance their war-mongering plans— back where it came from.

Let the US imperialists not dare to attack the Island of the Revolution!

They will find us standing in their way at every step of any escalation of aggression against Cuba. They will find the trade unions, the anti-war, pro-peace, and anti-imperialist movement, the student unions, the women’s organizations, and every mass organization fighting for the interests of the working class and the people standing in their path.

We join our voices with those of the people and youth of Cuba, who demonstrate and proclaim that neither threats, nor isolation, nor the energy embargo, nor fabricated accusations will break their will!

We salute the more than 6.2 million Cubans —over 80% of those eligible to vote— who recently signed the appeal in defence of their homeland.

Two months ago, the KKE organized a mass rally in the centre of Athens and a demonstration outside the US Embassy, making it crystal clear that Cuba is not alone! The Cuban people have the communists and the Greek people by their side in their struggle against the new escalation of imperialist aggression and the barbaric economic blockade.

We organized another militant protest outside the US Embassy following the prosecution of the leader of the Cuban Revolution, General Raúl Castro. We are raising our voice in the Greek Parliament, while the KKE’s MEPs are expressing their militant solidarity with Cuba and condemning anti-communism and the counter-revolutionary forces harboured by the EU in the European Parliament.

KKE organizations are carrying out hundreds of initiatives throughout Greece, including events, demonstrations, and concerts, to inform the public and express the Greek people’s solidarity with Cuba.

We are signing and circulating a statement that has already gathered thousands of signatures from workers, elected representatives of the popular movement, and prominent public figures across the country, both online and in print. We have submitted this statement to MPs from other parties in Parliament, and dozens of them, in addition to the KKE’s 21 MPs, have already signed it.

We support the initiatives of the Greek–Cuban Association of Friendship and Solidarity.

We are preparing to participate in the 24th International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties, which will take place in Havana in 7–9 August, alongside dozens of other Communist Parties. We will also participate in the events organized by the Communist Party of Cuba from 10–13 August to mark the 100th anniversary of Fidel’s birth. KNE is likewise preparing to take part in a solidarity brigade in Cuba during August.

We will continue our struggle resolutely alongside the Cuban people and the Communist Party of Cuba, and we demand:

- The lifting of all measures associated with the genocidal US economic blockade against Cuba. Let Cuba breathe!

- An end to all forms of persecution against Raúl Castro.

- The immediate withdrawal of the US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz from the Caribbean.

- The removal of Cuba from the despicable list of “state sponsors of terrorism” maintained by the US State Department as a tool of economic suffocation against the Island of the Revolution.

- The lifting of all hostile sanctions targeting Cuban institutions and organizations, including ICAP, as well as the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba and the Cuban government.

- We demand that the Greek government condemn the aggression against Cuba.

- We support the Cuban people’s right to defend their chosen path of development by every means necessary.

- We reject any foreign intervention in Cuba’s internal affairs.

The KKE assumes its responsibility towards our people, their movement and their organizations to further strengthen solidarity with the Island of the Revolution, ensuring that the propaganda and distortions promoted by the US imperialist leadership do not prevail.

We have commitments to our people, to all peoples under attack, and to those , proud peoples who, through their struggle, have become symbols of uncompromising resistance, such as the people of Cuba!

‘Revolution means being aware of the historical moment. It means changing everything that needs to be changed (...) It means a profound conviction that there is no force in the world capable of crushing the power of truth and ideas. Revolution means unity and independence; it means fighting for our dreams, for justice for Cuba and for the whole world’. Fidel’s words will remain with us forever.

Cuba is not alone! The people will prevail! Venceremos! Hasta la victoria, siempre!”