Raúl isn’t an accused man, he’s a soldier of dignity: From the mass rally in Havana

Photos via Estudios Revolución

By Angélica Paredes López, translated from the Spanish

When Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, Hero of the Republic of Cuba, announced he was bringing a message from Raúl, his words stirred the crowd gathered at the José Martí Anti-Imperialist Tribune in Havana.

The Army General, according to the anti-terrorist fighter, said how thankful he was for the solidarity of the people and friends around the world, assuring them that as long as he lives, he will continue to lead the Cuban people, defending the Revolution, with his foot in the stirrup.

At dawn on Friday, May 22, National Defense Day, 250,000 people from Havana, representing the entire country, gathered at the Martí and Fidelista rostrum to denounce the shameful act of the U.S. Department of Justice against Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution, and to support the Declaration issued by the Revolutionary Government.

Leading the massive popular rally was Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, President of the National Defense Council, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, and President of the Republic, who had recently stated that in Cuba, the heroes of the Homeland are always honored, and any offense to history or traditions is met with a response. "The Army General is Cuba, and Cuba is respected."

Joining the Cuban president were the Commander of the Rebel Army, José Ramón Machado Ventura, along with members of the Political Bureau: Esteban Lazo Hernández, president of the National Assembly of People's Power and the Council of State; Manuel Marrero Cruz, the Prime Minister; and Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Party.

Other members of the Political Bureau, the Secretariat of the Central Committee, leaders of the Party, the State, the Government, mass and social organizations, the Union of Young Communists, the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution, the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior also participated.

Also present were the Heroes of the Republic of Cuba—René González, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, and Fernando González—alongside Gerardo Hernández, who left their mark on our nation’s recent history, bravely confronting terrorism in the very heart of the Empire.

Singer-songwriter Raúl Torres opened the memorable tribune with the lyrics and music of "El último mambí", a song he wrote, especially dedicated to the Army General.

Talented young musicians from the Hermanos Saíz Association also took the stage, performing “A los que luchan toda la vida,” a beautiful song by Vicente Feliú that has become a declaration of principles and a tribute to the resistance, solidarity, and hope of those who “break the mountain” and “build the future.”

The ever-patriotic and heartfelt verses were delivered by repentistas Osmiel Domínguez Rivera and Yassel García Cortés, accompanied by the guitar strings of Joaquín Santos Reina and Roberto Milagros Bermúdez.

In the final moments, just a few meters from the U.S. diplomatic headquarters in Havana, the Rumberos de Mayabeque performed Silvio Rodríguez’s song “El Necio” alongside the Revolution dance company and students from the National School of Dance.

Then, from the crowd, representatives of the people stepped up to the rostrum and stood tall, proudly holding photos of Cubans who, over decades of defending our sovereignty, had fallen victim to attacks carried out from U.S. territory.

In the front row, images of the 32 Cuban fighters who fell on January 3 in Venezuela, during the U.S. military aggression against the Homeland of Bolívar and Chávez, were displayed.

THE ACCUSATION AGAINST RAÚL LACKS ANY LEGITIMACY

The young jurist Rolando López Meriño stated that the accusation against our leader Raul, regarding the events of February 24, 1996—when two small planes from the terrorist group Brothers to the Rescue were shot down in Cuban airspace—"is absolutely fraudulent and illegitimate."

He spoke firmly, calling out the clear complicity and responsibility of the United States government in this international illicit act: "which did it not stop these actions of which it had full knowledge and of which it was alerted by the Cuban government on multiple occasions."

The expert stressed that "the accusation against our Army General lacks any legitimacy and goes against International Law, which has a solid basis in the sovereign equality of States."

Later, he forcefully argued that the United States has no jurisdiction over an incident that happened outside its territory and involved a Cuban citizen.

"This is a sovereign, exclusive and absolute right our State has in order to defend its population and which it made use of in the face of the violation of its airspace," the specialist emphasized.

López Meriño, while condemning the hostile actions aimed at intimidating our people and their leaders, remarked that "this is not a legal action, it is another political maneuver to increase the pressures and sanctions that suffocate us every day."

He warned that it’s part of the deceptive narrative they’re trying to push on the American public. "to justify the intensified aggression against our dignified and brave people."

The Cuban jurist once again called for the solidarity of all good people around the world, members of the international community, and especially the American people, to help end Washington's fascist and genocidal policy toward Cuba.

RAÚL: A FAMILY MAN WHO HAS DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO THE DEFENSE OF CUBA

During this rally of the people's anger, a woman took the stage on behalf of the families of over 3,000 Cubans who lost their lives due to terrorist acts organized or backed by the United States against Cuba.

With a mix of pain and pride, Betina Palenzuela Corcho spoke about losing her mother, Adriana Corcho, when she was just 12 years old. Her mother was killed by a bomb on April 22, 1976, at our country’s diplomatic headquarters in Lisbon, Portugal, an attack that also claimed the life of young Efraín Monteagudo.

Recalling the criminal event that changed her life forever, caused by a terrorist act funded by the United States government, she felt that the accusation against Army General Raúl Castro was unjustified and "is an infamous, illegitimate and immoral decision."

Betina, who had been denied by the U.S. government the right to live a normal life with her family, especially valued Raúl for that very reason, that he "is a family man who has dedicated his entire life to defend the sovereignty of Cuba, the dignity of its people and peace among nations."

Cubans are like one big family, people of peace and life, said this Cuban woman who has endured the cruelty of the Empire.

She said that for this reason, we cannot continue to allow the genocide being planned and carried out by the United States against our courageous people. "They want to suffocate us, but here we are, resolute."

In her words, which struck a deep emotional chord with those gathered at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune, she reminded everyone that we can never forget over 67 years of aggression, mercenary invasions, pirate attacks, sabotage, and assaults on Cuban headquarters abroad, all under a relentless blockade that has claimed the lives of more than 3,400 compatriots. "All these actions are irrefutable proof of the need for our country to defend itself from such acts," she stressed.

The oldest child of Cuban diplomat Adriana Corcho, who fell victim to the cruelty of terrorism organized and funded by the U.S. government, stated that "neither with terrorist acts, nor with infamous accusations, nor with the ruthless measures of the economic, commercial, financial and energy blockade, will they be able to stop our tireless struggle against terrorist acts and in favor of peace and truth. Dear Raúl, all of Cuba is with you."

In Cuba, it’s been a long time since they’ve bowed their heads, because the Americans speak loudly

"Raúl isn’t an accused man; he’s our leader, a soldier of dignity, and the heir to Martí and Fidel. As long as there’s even one Cuban with a raised fist, this injustice will be pushed back like any other disgrace—with firmness, with truth, and with unity."

That’s how Hero Gerardo Hernández Nordelo ended his speech, with words that carried a monumental weight. He was ready to give his life for his country, yet he was sentenced to two life terms plus fifteen years for a crime he didn’t commit. From September 1998 to December 2014, he endured unjust imprisonment in U.S. prisons for fighting terrorism, alongside his four brothers in struggle.

On the podium of the same Tribune where his people had so often called for the return of the Five from the Empire, his voice this Friday stirred thousands.

Known simply as Gerardo, a member of the Party’s Central Committee, the Council of State, and national coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, revealed that in the northern lands that despise us, they were well aware of the sinister plans that had been organized—and are still being plotted—against Cuba; they even met with José Basulto, "now presented as a victim, but registered by the United States security agencies themselves for his terrorist activities."

"That’s one of the real culprits behind those unfortunate deaths, attempting to stir up a confrontation between the two countries," said the Hero of the Republic. And then, he asked: "Who do they think they are to judge Raúl?"

Gerardo firmly assured: "How little they know us, how far they are from their objectives, if they think that this people would have remained impassive and docile when they learned of the infamy against their leader! In Cuba it has been a long time since the Yankees raised their voices."

Hernández Nordelo noted that the "Yankee government has neither legitimacy, nor evidence, nor jurisdiction to accuse the Army General. The Miami mobsters know it, Washington knows it and the whole world knows it."

In his lively speech, he mentioned that Cuba had promptly reported over 25 serious and intentional breaches of its airspace between 1994 and 1996. "No one did more than Cuba to avoid an incident of that nature, but we had and have the moral obligation to preserve the security of our people," Gerardo insisted.

Similarly, he recalled that, in the face of Cuba's warnings, Washington did absolutely nothing, "its silence was complicity. Their inaction, encouragement for terrorists."

He noted the excessive cynicism in the accusation against Raúl, which contributes to the Miami mafia's desperate attempts to justify the relentless collective punishment of the Cuban people and the threats of military aggression. "But they will not succeed."

This work was translated and shared via a License CC-BY-NC