With statements from the Communist parties of Turkey, Greece, Australia and Mexico and from the Party of Labour of Austria.
Image from the 70th anniversary celebrations in Cuba, July 26 -- via the Communist Party of Cuba
Updated July 27 with new statements from the Workers' Party of Ireland and the South African Communist Party.
Statements:
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the assault on the Moncada Barracks by young Cuban revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro with the aim of overthrowing the US puppet dictatorship of Batista.
The young people who carried out the Moncada Assault lit the first fire of the Cuban revolutionary struggle, which would be crowned with a victory in six years. The assault was a declaration that the oppression and exploitation prevailing in the country could not be resolved within the current order. It marked the beginning of the Cuban people’s taking up their own destiny with hope and determination after suffering so long under military coups and being tired by the corrupt democracy games of civilian governments.
It was not just the boldness of the action that stirred up the Cuban people; it was also the strong moral principles embodied in the young revolutionaries who had set out with a deep love for the country, a keen will for independence, an uncompromising search for social justice and a comprehensive development program. With their upright stance, their outspoken honesty, their unselfish devotion, and their determination that no one could dare to take away, they mobilized the great potential that lies within the honorable Cuban people. Those moral principles formed the basis of Cuban revolutionary history which extends to this day; they have been tested again and again at every critical turn of history, full of difficulties and struggles, and have been brought to the present day even more strengthened.
Today, the Cuban revolution continues to be a unique source of inspiration for all humanity longing for an equal and free world; such inspiration stems from not only the great social achievements of the Cuban socialism but also the moral principles jealously embraced by the Cuban people and their revolutionary leadership.
This is why solidarity with the Cuban revolution is not only a political but also a moral responsibility. Such responsibility is heavier than ever today, where Cuba is the sole country flying the flag of socialism and, in return, is exposed to the immeasurable attacks of US imperialism.
The effects of the US blockade on Cuba exceed billions of dollars each year; however, the consequences of this inhumane policy are too profound to be measured by economic data alone. This genocidal policy, which has been in practice for more than sixty years and has been hardened during the pandemic period, threatens every aspect of the social life, especially the health, nutrition, education and cultural development of the Cuban people.
Yet the US imperialism is not satisfied with the blockade; it carries out smear campaigns claiming the “failure” of socialism in Cuba by spreading all kinds of lies about the reasons for the economic difficulties which it actually aggravates itself with its blockade policy. Pouring millions of dollars into press and social media campaigns aiming to distort the causes of these problems, it tries every possible way to pave the way for political instability and social upheaval in the country.
We know that the purpose of all these despicable attacks is to pave the way for a so-called “humanitarian” military intervention in Cuba. We condemn the inhumane blockade policy and reject without hesitation any lies and attempts to destabilize Cuba.
The Communist Party of Turkey stands by the Cuban people and their legitimate revolutionary leadership. Our party declares that it will continue to strengthen its ties of friendship and solidarity with the Cuban people and the Communist Party of Cuba, who have stood up in the most difficult turns in history with an unshakable revolutionary will.
The moral armor that the Cuban revolution wore 70 years ago is strong enough to withstand all kinds of lies and distortions targeting it. The Communist Party of Turkey will act with an unwavering conviction in that, and will not allow any false allegation or prognostication that looks down on the honorable struggle of the Cuban people.
Glory to the 70th anniversary of the Moncada Assault!
Long live Socialist Cuba!
Long live internationalist solidarity!
Communist Party of Turkey
Central Committee
CP of Greece, 70 years since the assault on the Moncada barracks (translated from the Spanish)
On the occasion of the 70th anniversary since the assault on the Moncada barracks, which was the spark that ignited the resistance that led to the Revolution of the Cuban people against the hated Batista dictatorship and the shackles of capitalist exploitation, we address a comradely greeting to the Communist Party and the people of Cuba.
The anniversary of the heroic action of Fidel Castro and his comrades sends a timely message to workers around the world that no struggle, no battle waged by popular forces is futile, even when it does not give immediate results, it is not immediately victorious.
Today, when the correlation of forces worldwide is negative for the peoples, the message of the attack in Moncada is that the working class, in alliance with the other popular strata, can and must change the situation. It can and must fight for the overthrow of capitalist barbarism and the construction of society without exploitation of man by man, socialism-communism.
With these reflections we express the unwavering solidarity of the KKE with the communists and the people of Cuba. We intensify the struggle for the abolition of the barbaric economic and commercial blockade and all kinds of sanctions and measures against Cuba. We denounce the dangerous escalation of aggression by the United States and its allies against Cuba, expressed in recent years: With the 243 measures taken by the Trump administration and maintained by the Biden administration.
With the imperialist plans against the Cuban people, the propaganda war and fake news, the reinsertion of Cuba in the list of "state sponsors of terrorism" and, very recently, with the unacceptable resolution of the European Parliament demanding that additional sanctions be applied against the Cuban people. We stand with the Cuban people to recognize their right to decide their future without external interference.
Greetings comrades
International Relations Section of the KKE
Message from the Party of Labour of Austria (PdA) to the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) on occasion of the 70th anniversary of the attack on the Moncada Barracks
Dear comrades,
The Central Committee of the Party of Labour of Austria sends solidarity greetings and congratulations to the Cuban people, the Government of People's Power and the Communist Party of Cuba on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the attacks on the Moncada and Céspedes Barracks.
26 July 1953 marks forever a turning point in the history of Cuba and all Latin America, it is the beginning of the Cuban Revolution, which was victorious on 1 January 1959. Since then, socialism in Cuba has clearly demonstrated its superiority over capitalism, despite all imperialist interventions, threats and difficulties. Socialist Cuba is an inspiration and a model for the peoples of the world fighting for their freedom, for the world's urban and rural working class fighting against exploitation and oppression.
On today's anniversary, we honour the courage and determination of the heroic fighters around Fidel and Raúl Castro who started the armed uprising on 26 July 1953. We remember the fallen of the battles in Santiago de Cuba and Bayamo and the victims of the subsequent massacre of the Batista regime. We draw confidence from the successful continued struggle of the Cuban revolutionaries who, not coincidentally, rallied under the banner of M-26-7.
But we also use the anniversary to declare once again our unbreakable solidarity with the Cuban people, the revolution, the people's power and the Communist Party of Cuba. We stand side by side in the international struggle against imperialism and capitalism. We demand the end of the US blockade against Cuba, which is against international law, as well as of all repressions and interventions - including those of the European Union - against the independent development path of the Republic of Cuba.
Long live 26 July!
Long live the Cuban Revolution!
Long live international solidarity!
Central Committee of the Party of Labour of Austria (PdA)
Vienna, 26 July 2023
Communist Party of Australia greetings to the heroic people of Cuba on the 70th anniversary of the assault on the Moncada barracks on 26th July 1953
The Communist Party of Australia salutes the Cuban revolution and its revolutionary government led by the Communist Party of Cuba on the 70th anniversary of the heroic spark of the Cuban revolution.
The young revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro who on 26th July 1953 stood against the tyrannical government of Fulgencio Batista by launching military attacks on the heart of the dictatorship the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes barracks.
The event in which the majority of the participants were killed in combat or captured and tortured to death showed the weakness of a system that had to be changed for independence and self-determination. This of course included the US domination on the homeland of Jose Marti.
The Moncada which marks the day of national revelry is also considered the spark of the Cuban revolution that successfully defeated the Batista’s dictatorship and overthrew its government on 1st January 1959.
The US has not forgiven the people of Cuba for their desire and strong determination to build a better society for all, a socialist society just 90 miles away from the United States. It began its attacks on the Cuban people straight from that historic victory.
Cuba has been subjected to a cruel and inhumane criminal and illegal blockade by the United States. More than 60 years of coercive measures and limitations imposed on the people of Cuba have not prevented the will of the Cuban people to defend the gains of their socialist revolution and the lessons from the Moncada.
The strong leadership by commander Fidel Castro, Raul Castro, Miguel Diaz-Canel and all the historic leaders of the revolution are a guarantee that the people of Cuba will overcome and the criminal blockade eventually will be lifted.
The Communist Party of Australia demands the end of the US blockade on Cuba and calls on the Australian government to use its diplomatic means with the US government to remove Cuba from the US unilateral list of countries sponsors of terrorism and to stop its subversive actions against the people of Cuba.
On this anniversary the Communist Party of Australia also stands in solidarity with the Cuban government in denouncing the recent incursion of a US submarine into Cuban waters. The US must end their illegal occupation of Guantanamo Bay and return it to the Cuban people.
Fraternal and mutual beneficial diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba are possible. The US just needs to allow Cuba to choose its own system.
Long live the heroes of Moncada!
Long live Cuba!
Long live Fidel!
Communist Party of Australia, CPA
26th July 2023
The Workers Party of Ireland expresses its solidarity with the Communist Party of Cuba and the Cuban people and government on the anniversary of the attacks on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes garrisons on 26 July 1953, in the revolutionary struggle against the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship. Batista’s dictatorship thrived on exploitation and terror; the revolutionaries planned for a better future for the people and workers of Cuba. These actions became a rallying call for the Cuban people in that struggle.
On New Year’s Day 1959, the Cuban revolutionary forces seized the city of Santa Clara in central Cuba. Batista fled Cuba into exile. From the beginning Revolutionary Cuba faced US imperialist aggression. This has involved economic and financial sanctions, sabotage, assassination attempts, slander and misinformation, military training for Cuba’s enemies, attempted invasion and open terrorism. The US blockade is the most enduring blockade in history and has cost the Cuban economy many billions of dollars. Despite the ongoing provocations and aggression and the billions of dollars spent by the US funding anti-Cuban projects, Socialist Cuba has prevailed.
The Workers Party of Ireland reiterates its longstanding internationalist solidarity with the Cuban people, led by the Cuban Communist Party, in defence of the Revolution, which has demonstrated its strengths in health, education, gender equality, global humanitarian assistance, employment and labour rights, culture, art and sport.
Our Party today adds its voice to the worldwide commemorations in remembrance of these decisive historical events.
Long live Socialist Cuba!
End the Criminal Blockade!
Viva Socialismo!
Cllr. Ted Tynan, President
Gerry Grainger, International Secretary
Workers Party of Ireland
South African Communist Party
Statement in solidarity with the people, the government and Communist Party of Cuba on the 70th anniversary of the 26 July Movement
Wednesday 26 July 2023: Today, South African Communists will join the Friends of Cuba Society in Johannesburg at 18h00, Central African Time, at the Johannesburg City Hall, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the 26 July 1953’s spark that culminated in the success of the Cuban Revolution on 1 January 1959. Named after the revolutionary campaign, Cuba’s 26 July Movement holds a significant place in history.
It is an example of the unwavering determination of the Cuban people to fight for their independence, sovereignty and socialist transformation and development towards economic and social justice. As we reflect on the impact of the 26 July Movement, we also recognise its profound influence on inspiring people worldwide and strengthening the anti-imperialist struggle.
The 26 July Movement, led by Fidel Castro, aimed to overthrow the United States-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and establish a society that prioritised the well-being of its citizens over the interests of a tiny minority of the privileged. This movement emerged at a time when imperialism and neo-colonialism were prevalent in many parts of the world, and the Cuban people's struggle struck a chord with those fighting against exploitation and inequality globally.
Cuba's quest for socialism demonstrated the potential for an alternative socioeconomic system that prioritises the needs of the working class and the marginalised. Through the nationalisation of industries, the establishment of an equitable healthcare system, and the promotion of education and social programs, Cuba has become a beacon of hope for many nations grappling with similar challenges.
The 26 July 1953-armed operation on Moncada barracks ignited the Cuban Revolution, the final victory of which was the arrival of a socialist construction path in the western hemisphere. Cuba remains a bastion of socialism and a continuation of the Great October Socialist Revolution which occurred in Russia in 1917.
The triumph of the Cuban Revolution on 1 January 1959 marked a decisive breakthrough of the national struggles to end colonial rule in Latin America. This inspired others striving to achieve self-determination, social justice, and liberation from imperialist domination and exploitation.
Building on the success of their historic 1 January 1959 revolution, Cuba's international solidarity efforts have made a profound impact on the world stage. Through its medical and education programmes, Cuba has extended a helping hand to nations in need. This has resonated with people around the world, strengthening the global movement for justice and challenging the dog-eat-dog model driven by imperial powers.
Cuba has deployed thousands of doctors, the Henry Reeve Medical Brigade, to help the world in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. It has more doctors providing quality healthcare in several impoverished countries. Many of its scientists and engineers are placing their skills in the service of development. These are shared benefits of the Cuban Revolution.
In South Africa, especially rural areas, we have the support of Cuban medical professionals, engineers, scientists and specialists, all highly qualified, involved in safeguarding the lives of our people, mostly the workers and poor who are rejected in the profit-driven private education and healthcare provision.
The SACP takes this opportunity to reiterate its condemnation and call for an end of the unjust, illegal and criminal United States commercial, economic, financial and wider blockade against Cuba. The blockade is a flagrant and systematic violation of human rights.
Cuba, a sovereign country with a population of 11 million people, upholds the social, cultural, and economic rights of citizens, guarantees the right to employment, education, health, housing, food security, and social protection, and has fulfilled the Millennium Development Goals. Its government has far surpassed the level of social development of many countries, including that of the rich western world, in the extension of human rights guarantees.
The imperialist blockade by the United States seeks to destroy Cuba’s already achieved human development successes and block any further successes to misinterpret facts and propagate the false notion that socialism has failed. Coupled with this, the United States is pushing its imperialist regime change agenda to install a puppet regime in Cuba.
Joe Biden’s impervious attitude to global appeals for the lifting of the unjust blockade is a disgrace to the legacy of Nelson Mandela, at whose memorial service the first steps to normalise relations between the United States and Cuba were taken.
Many United States Americans are also affected by the blockade in various ways.
The SACP stands firmly in solidarity with the Cuban people in their struggle to secure their fundamental rights of self-determination, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The SACP calls for the unconditional removal of every economic, commercial, financial and other sanctions and the entire blockade the United States has imposed on Cuba. In the same vein, the United States must unconditionally end its occupation of and evacuate Cuba’s Guantanamo Bay.
We condemn the US’s attempts to destabilise Cuba’s economy and its interference in Cuba’s sovereign affairs.
CP of Mexico, The assault on the Moncada Barracks, a living example of rebellion and struggle for the peoples (translated from the Spanish)
The assault on the Moncada Barracks, a living example of rebellion and struggle for the peoples
From the Communist Party of Mexico, we send a fraternal and fighting greeting to the people and workers of Cuba and to the Communist Party of Cuba now that 70 years of that heroic deed are celebrated: the assault on the Moncada Barracks and the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Barracks. That operation, which sought to become a mass insurrection against the dictator Batista, became the first seed that some years later would result in the first Socialist Revolution in America. The struggle against tyranny and interference by the United States, carried to its ultimate consequences under the leadership of Fidel Castro, became a struggle for socialism, proving to be the only sure path for the liberation and independence of the Cuban people.
We salute those brave fighters who gave their lives for national liberation. Definitely, history absolved them, and crowned their sacrifice with the fact that seven decades later, their people have been able to escape the clutches and rottenness of capitalism: exploitation, illiteracy and malnutrition, unemployment, and in general all those evils and vices of capitalism that still afflict countries like Mexico. Their example continues, day by day, in the millions of Cubans who work to continue and improve the Cuban Revolution.
We convey our solidarity with the Cuban people, for their resistance, for their tenacity in the construction of a just society, for their unity around the ideals of the Revolution. Particularly, for their courage in facing the constant attacks of imperialism, mainly by the US and the European Union. We express our total condemnation of the criminal blockade of the United States against the Cuban people, unilateral sanctions and acts of provocation and attacks against Cuba.
We salute the Communist Party of Cuba, the Revolutionary Government, and in particular comrade Miguel Díaz-Canel. Know that, in the Communist Party of Mexico, you have a sister organization, which will know how to defend the Cuban Revolution and its socialist conquests in any situation.
The challenges in the future will continue to be very great, especially in the face of the sharpening of the contradictions in the imperialist system and the ever-approaching threat of a generalized imperialist war. In this scenario, the example of Cuba will continue to be a beacon for the peoples of Our America, and of the world. Socialism is possible, socialism is the way.
Long live the Cuban Revolution!
Long live the Communist Party of Cuba!
Long live proletarian internationalism!
It's always 26!
The Political Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Mexico
