The Cuban Revolution marked its 60th anniversary just a few days ago. Contrary to all the predictions that were made, the Revolution has withstood all attacks against it and continued its course, overcoming the difficulties, the war and subversion launched against it. It overcome on a day-to-day all the hardships caused by the American blockade.

The Cuban Revolution has for 60 years now been holding the flame of dignity and heroism alight; a flame that inspires, not just communists, but every person and all peoples throughout the world who are struggling for independence and popular sovereignty, for social justice and socialism.

Many times, when we talk about Cuba and the Cuban Revolution, we confine ourselves to the romantic appeal its symbols and legendary figures like Fidel, Che, Camilo, Vilma Espin and Raul generate. But the Cuban Revolution is embodied in the great socialist achievements it has made to the benefit of its people. That is why I believe that in this case – rather than a historical retrospective or an ideological theoretical analysis on Cuba – it is more worthwhile to outline all that demonstrates in practice what a socialist Revolution does and should mean; to listen to what the new, the different and the qualitatively superior society about which we are talking about and fighting for is more than feasible.
As I am certain that certain forces and circles will seek to mock what we say, I shall provoke them to compare the situation in Cuba with the other countries of the region which have pursued the capitalist model of development. They will easily arrive at conclusions as to which is the most developed country that doesn’t care just about its own citizens

In all the EU countries, but also throughout the wider Western world in general, the peoples are demanding more spending for schools, hospitals and social benefits. However, their governments aren’t listening at all because the interests they serve are different. In contrast Cuba, which is being accused by these very governments as being “a dictatorship that holds its people in poverty”, half of the state budget is being channeled into education, health and social security for its citizens. It is therefore no coincidence that the Revolution took the people of Cuba out of the misery it was suffering under the Batista dictatorship. Today, 60 years after the Revolution, socialist Cuba is leading all the Caribbean countries in the indicators with regards life expectancy, education, health, in the civil defence system to tackle the frequent natural disasters. Cuba is now being compared favourably with the more developed Western nations.

The Revolution has eradicated illiteracy and ensured free education at all levels. No family in Cuba needs to pay a single cent for the education of its children. In all-day primary and secondary schools, children learn sports, music, dance and foreign languages. The Revolution has also created a public, free and high-quality health system, resulting, among other things, in the almost complete elimination of child and maternal mortality, while the infant mortality rate in Cuba is now lower than that of the US itself. Furthermore, the Cuban Revolution has eradicated numerous life-threatening diseases present throughout the entire region, while in 2015 Cuba became the first country in the world to eradicate the transmission of the HIV virus and syphilis from mother to child, which the World Health Organization itself hailed as “one of the greatest achievements in the field of public health”. Cuba is the first country in the world as regards the number of doctors per inhabitant. Medicines, vaccines, therapies and medical infrastructures are being developed daily, which are owned and are at the disposal of the people and not in the hands of some multinational companies. This is the Revolution. This is socialism.

As for the role of women in Cuba, as Fidel characteristically said, it is “a revolution in the Revolution”. Today, 53% of Cuban MP’s are women, the second largest number throughout the world. Indeed, this year, the World Economic Forum ranked Cuba in 23rd place in the world with regards gender equality. Cyprus is in 92nd position in the same table, for all those who want to make comparisons.
Crime, racism, the homeless, high price of essential goods that a family needs, are unknown concepts in Cuban society. Ecological issues are addressed in a completely different way and manner. For example, the reforestation program implemented by Cuba has resulted in 1/3 of the territory of the island being covered by forests, that is to say, three times larger than what existed before the Revolution. Or to put it another way, in Cuba there isn’t an economic system or government that gives “relaxations” and facilitates big capital to trample on the natural environment.
Cuba’s most impressive and stirring achievement is its humanitarian internationalism, the thousands of medical and educational missions it carries out in dozens of countries in every corner of the planet, where peoples are suffering from disasters, destitution, illnesses and poverty.
When, for example, the extremely deadly Ebola virus broke out in West Africa a few years ago, Cuba, despite its own difficulties, sent the largest mission of doctors and humanitarian assistance out of all the countries of the world, receiving the congratulations of the World Health Organization. In contrast, the US chose to send a large number of military forces to the region. The same happened last year when the US, England and France launched air strikes on Syria. Cuba responded to the imperialist attacks by sending consignments of vaccines and medicines to the Syrian people.

It is estimated that throughout the years of the Revolution, several hundreds of thousands of Cuban doctors and nurses have taken part in missions in 160 countries all over the world to offer voluntary assistance, to address natural disasters and epidemics. Cuban doctors have carried out millions of surgeries, vaccinations and births in Latin America, Africa, Asia and other parts of the globe, while thousands of young people from developing countries are studying with a scholarship in Cuban medical schools. However the Western media do not show anything about all of these actions. There is the well-known case of Mario Terran Salazar, the Bolivian military man chosen in October 1967 to assassinate Che Guevara, who a few decades later received free medical treatment by Cuban doctors restoring his eyesight. This is the moral superiority of socialist Cuba.

This modern Cuban humanitarian internationalism is a continuation of the internationalist solidarity shown by Cuba in the decades after 1960 towards the armed national liberation movements in colonized Africa, where Cubans fought and sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the peoples there.
More specifically as regards South Africa, the contribution of the Cuban volunteers was crucial for the fall of the racist apartheid regime. Nelson Mandela himself had stated the following about Cuba’s solidarity: “It was the first time a country from another continent came here not to steal something, but to help Africans gain their freedom.” The President of Namibia characteristically declared at Fidel’s funeral the following: “When the troops of the racist regime in South Africa attacked us, the Cubans were the first to help us militarily and they were the first to take our orphans and provide education for them in their own schools. Cubans did not come to take our gold or diamonds, all they wanted was to return to collect the remains of their fallen comrades.”

This unselfishness that governs Cuba is the essence and personification of socialism.

In describing all these successes, we do not argue, nor does Cuba itself argue that it doesn’t face problems, weaknesses and challenges. On the contrary, the leadership of the country itself, and above all the Communist Party of Cuba, which has identified and analyzed them, has initiated in recent years a procedure to update the country’s economic model.
This process neither does not signify Cuba’s surrender to foreign capital, nor does it represent a restoration of capitalism as its implacable enemies are rushing to celebrate. On the contrary, this process aims to defend the Revolution and its achievements; to ensure that it has a future and a prospect. Undoubtedly, risks and challenges do exist on this path. However, we express our confidence in the Communist Party of Cuba and the Cuban people that they will continue steadfastly on the path of socialist construction.

The current process of revising the Constitution of Cuba is taking place within this very context; a process that, for anyone who has followed it, is a good reply to those who accuse Cuba of a lack of democracy. 7.6 million Cubans participated in 110,000 popular assemblies that were held in neighborhoods, workplaces and education establishments where the new draft Constitution was discussed for months. Contrary to what many people may think, through these assemblies, the people themselves either rejected or amended several of the proposals put forward by the leadership.

The final draft, as formulated by the National Assembly on the basis of the positions expressed during the popular consultation, will be put forward next month before Cuban citizens in a universal and binding referendum. In other words, the people were participants in the debate and the people will have the final say. Dialogue and fermentation of opinions is not based on who has the control of the media, wealth or power in his/her hands. Everyone can make their own comparison as to what is happening in the US itself where only a small percentage of citizens participate in elections and political life. Or even in the EU as well, where in many cases the results of referenda are ignored or repeated until the peoples vote what the EU considers as “correct/right”.

These are just some of the Revolution’s achievements, which prove why the Cuban people are the leading and driving force of the Revolution and socialist construction; why the Cuban people hasn’t abandoned the socialist path and its leadership, despite all the sacrifices that were demanded all through these years; why the Cuban people haven’t been convinced by the various counter-revolutionary groups in Cuba that are funded by the US to carry out opposition with the goal of leading the country to the so-called “paradise” of capitalism; why the Cuban people has remained faithful to the path charted and pursued by Fidel and Che, to the path of socialism and its tangible achievements.

If the Cuban re revolution’s successes and achievements of the Cuban Revolution bring about admiration and impress us, we should think about where Cuba could have been today if it didn’t have to face for 60 years the economic, trade and financial blockade imposed by the US. This blockade is an inhuman and criminal policy systematically punishing an entire people for 57 years, which has provoked economic damage to Cuba amounting to at least 135 billion dollars. Nonetheless, the US are systematically scorning the Resolutions of the UN General Assembly, which for 27 consecutive years has been calling for with an overwhelming majority for an end to the blockade. The US, 60 years afterwards, cannot stand the fact that Cuba has chosen its independence and opted for socialism; that an island just 90 miles from their shores has not only not surrendered to the American multinationals, but is making great advances, standing proud and unsubmissive.
It is of course well-known that the government of Donald Trump – within the framework of the overall intensification of the US’ aggressiveness – has annulled even the limited measures that had been taken during the Obama administration as regards the restoration of Cuba-US diplomatic relations. Trump has strengthened sanctions against Cuba, while he is increasing his aggressive rhetoric against the Island of the Revolution. He now has another anticommunist leader on his side, namely the new President of Brazil Bolsonaro, who has expressed his willingness to assist the US for the overthrow of the Revolution in Cuba, but also of the government of Venezuela too.

In our opinion, the European Union also bears grave responsibilities. For many years, the EU fully aligned itself with the US pursuing a line that demanded the overthrow of the Revolution for EU-Cuba relations to exist. The fact that in 2016 the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement was drawn up constituted a step forward. As AKEL, we welcomed this step, given that the EU accepted, at least verbally, that it respects the sovereignty of Cuba. Nevertheless, it is unacceptable on the part of the EU that it continues to accept the so-called extraterritorial American legislation being applied for the blockade against Cuba, given that today, persons, companies and organisations of the EU that have transactions with Cuba face penalties and sanctions by the US. Also unacceptable are the various anti-communist and anti-Cuban resolutions which is European right-wing and ultra-right are imposing in the European Parliament and it is regretful that – apart of course from AKEL – the other Cypriot political parties back them.
All this confirms that Cuba is still being targeted by international imperialism and the most reactionary forces. It also confirms that solidarity with and standing by Cuba has never been more imperative than it is today. That’s precisely the reason why AKEL continues to participate actively in the international solidarity movement with Cuba, and raise its voice at every opportunity for the abolition of the American blockade imposed on Cuba and that the Cuban people be compensated for all the losses and damages it has suffered. We demand the closure of the Guantánamo American hell-base and the return its territory to Cuba. We demand that the sovereignty of Cuba and the choice made by its people for the country’s path of development is respected. May the friendship and solidarity between the peoples of Cyprus and Cuba grow stronger.

At this point I would like to salute the activity of the Cyprus-Cuba Friendship Association and call on every friend of Cuba to join the Association and support the internationalist work it has been doing for 27 years now.
The Cuban Revolution has matured and is developing, but isn’t aging.
Because for 60 years now it is putting into practice the untainted and noble vision for the future of the peoples of the world and humanity.
Because every day it writes a page of patriotism, humanism and internationalism in world History.

Because it holds socialism’s banners high and proudly.
Long live the Cuban Revolution! Long live the Socialist Cuba!

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