"Of course revolutions don’t take place in a laboratory: they are the work of the masses in the living reality of history, in harsh conditions and in the middle of a ruthless class struggle."
“[...] We do not have much financial capital but we do have a great human capital.”
“Don’t let yourselves be confused by anything, don’t ever let anyone deceive you. This is our hope, that our country never goes backwards, that this Revolution never goes backwards and that all the dignity and glory which we have acquired can never be destroyed. This is our commitment and our pledge to our glorious and heroic comrades who have given their lives for this cause.”
“Today there are higher ideals. Before we were fighting for our country; today we’re fighting for the world and we’re doing so for two reasons. Firstly, we have acquired an awareness of humanity, so beautifully expressed in Martí’s phrase, "The homeland is humanity". Secondly, because we have acquired these concepts through Martí’s teachings and our political, revolutionary, Marxist, Leninist, socialist education.”
“Every new idea can be a step towards the pinnacle of human progress. We borrowed ideas from philosophers, thinkers and revolutionaries. Our people has contributed new ideas and will continue to do so.”
“A brilliant future lies ahead and we are working for that future. Nothing can defeat us. They can wipe our country off the map but they cannot wipe the Revolution off the face of the country. There will be not people that surrenders, no revolutionary who yields. We have not done so and we will never do so.”
“There can be no better tribute to those fallen in action, those who perished later without ever abandoning their principles and those who keep on fighting. They are the symbol of a whole generation who put up a fight and it is only fair that our people rejoice in their memory.”
“In our era, problems are increasingly more complex and news is produced at the speed of light, as many know. Nothing happens today in our world, which does not teach something to those of us who wish, and are still able, to understand new realities.”
“This tribute could not have been more pure, this gesture could not have been more noble, nor could it have been more noble, brothers of Venezuela, to have received from this noble and heroic people a greater favor than the one received by the people of Cuba from the people of Venezuela tonight”.
“I distrust the seemingly easy path of apologetics or its antithesis the self-flagellation. We should always be prepared for the worst variable”.