“What would be the meaning of our lives and the future of our people without socialism and without the Revolution? We are defending the Cuban nation, we are defending national independence.”
Quotes
“When the socialist bloc collapsed and fell apart, we were able to stay steady and carry on; we raised our flags, we didn’t put them away, we didn’t give them up, and we are prepared to go on fighting until victory is reached.”
"[...
]from the knowledge we have of the history of humankind and of the history of revolutions, there has been no revolution more human or transparent than the Cuban Revolution. "Our enemies have not been able to destroy that truth despite their giant and immense publicity apparatus."
“[…] we must remember that on this day, on an afternoon such as this, the socialist nature of the Revolution was proclaimed. That, we could say, was the first great salvo fired in response to the aggression.”
“If our land did not have sufficient honor and glory, as it has conquered during such a long time, this honor and glory of having fought […] against that mighty empire would suffice, and the fact that our Revolution is still here and it will continue to be, upright and invincible.”
“Saving Old Havana, which they were already completely destroying, but which the world now admires as the Heritage of Humanity, all that architecture that has incalculable value, protected, where they were already starting to make heliports and tall buildings. If the Revolution had been delayed a few more years, nothing would remain of Old Havana, which is now not only a cultural center admired by the world but even a center of wealth and income for the country. There isn't a citizen who comes to the capital who doesn't want to go to visit Old Havana, which has been preserved by the Revolution”.
“The country did all it could and is doing all it can in matters of education. And it has been able to maintain what we have despite the worsening of the blockade”.
“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.”
“It is possible for our country, in its capacity as a revolutionary state, to devote a great part of its efforts to that struggle for the future, to that struggle against the neo-liberal globalization that is crushing us all. It is not the struggle against globalization as an inevitable phenomenon, but the struggle for a more humane and fair globalization.”
“Revolutionaries have always fought for the future. Máximo Gómez and Martí fought for the future. When Martí died at Dos Ríos he knew he was dying for the future. He was not concerned with seeing the results of all that. It would have been extraordinarily useful to have him longer. It can be said that he died in the prime of youth, when his talent was at its best. They were fighting for the future.”