"Amidst the ideas and opinions put up for debate, amidst the different ideas on the historical, the philosophical and the social; amidst the wide variety of opinions, when every man believes he has his own formula, when every man believes he has the solution to the complex equation, what is difficult is to find the real path, the true path, to lead that country and that people, who trust their leaders, towards the triumph".
Quotes
"Imperialism is the one that needs weapons, since it is bereft of ideas. In order to maintain this opprobrious system as well as all those situations that have been described here, it needs weapons; it has to maintain all those situations by resorting to the use of force".
“There is still much that our increasingly united, better-educated and stronger people can do. We will not rest in our heroic and worthy struggle. We will honor every objective we sworn in Baraguá. We will win the epic battle of ideas.”
“In Cuba we have never cultivated hatred against the American people or blamed them for the aggressions perpetrated by the governments of that country. That would have run contrary to our political doctrines and our internationalist conscience, both well-proven throughout many years, and increasingly rooted in our ideas.”
“Revolutionary Cubans, in the thick of the Battle of Ideas we are waging and embroiled in the arduous and heroic defence of our Homeland, the Revolution and Socialism, on a day like today we are rendering a special tribute to our two great heroes, with a firm, unshakeable decision: We shall all be like Maceo and Che”
“I firmly believe that the great battle will be fought on the battleground of ideas, not of weapons, but without renouncing their use in cases like that of our country or others in similar circumstances if a war is forced upon us, because every force, every weapon, every strategy and every tactic has its antithesis borne of the inexhaustible intelligence and awareness of those who fight for a just cause”.
“It is ideas that light up the world, it is ideas, and when I say ideas, I mean ideas that are just, ideas that can bring peace to the world, and put an end to the grave danger of war, or put an end to violence. That is why we talk about the battle of ideas.”
“[…]down through history really humane ideas of justice have been shown to be much more powerful than force; force leaves in its wake only dusty, contemptible ruins; humane ideas leave a luminous trail that no one will ever be able to extinguish."
“Throughout the Battle of Ideas we have made an old dream come true: the universalization of higher education, thus making universities accessible to all the young people who graduate from the Revolution’s programs and to workers in general”.
"We are entering a new era of reorganizing the system and this signals an important victory that encourages us all in this battle we have decided to wage against squandering and vice, lifting up the revolutionary morale wherever routine and egoism have been eroding it.
We can say that what we have done so far is just the beginning. We have gone through a period of learning. Some details must be corrected, and so shall it be done, but we shall be advancing in a most decided manner in the matter of saving energy, motivated by our people’s growing awareness on this vital subject and for the benefits that will surely be ours as a result of all this work".
"I have no doubt whatsoever that our people and our Revolution will fight to the very end to defend these ideas and measures, as well as any others that are necessary to safeguard this historic process. Imperialism will never succeed in crushing Cuba. The Battle of Ideas will go forth".
"The prestige of the imperial policy will so crumble that not even its dust will remain. We will systematically denounce and demolish one by one, its hypocrisy and lies. They obviously have absolutely no idea what kinds of people have been forged in these 40 years of Revolution."