Statement from the Cuban centers that are members of CLACSO
On July 26, we celebrate the 66th anniversary of the attack on the Moncada Barracks, which marked the beginning of a new era in Cuban history. That day laid the foundation for the struggle for a truly independent, sovereign, united, and equitable country. The revolutionary triumph of January 1, 1959, brought the insurrectionary phase of Cuban history to a close and ushered in a more challenging one: the construction of a socialist nation, in which social justice and the full dignity of humankind would not be empty pronouncements, but rather the fundamental principles of the revolutionary project.
Cuba became the first country in Latin America to eradicate illiteracy and guarantee equal access to education, culture, and healthcare for all. It achieved this under the leadership of Fidel Castro and the unwavering resolve of its people, who resisted and continue to resist the hostile policies of the United States.
Sixty-six years after the attack on the Moncada Barracks and sixty years after the triumph of the Revolution, the empire persists, intensifying the economic, financial, and commercial blockade. If there were any doubts, the recent measures that pave the way for the use of the Helms-Burton Act to impede Cuba's normal relations with the world demonstrate it conclusively.
Cuba is not the only victim of the United States' cruel policies. Other countries in our continent are victims as well. So is any government that attempts to oppose its designs and refuses to submit to its interests.
The objective of the current US administration's policies is to destroy the Cuban system and instill hunger in our people, even though it hypocritically attempts to disguise it as an action in defense of human rights. The blockade against Cuba, and its intensification with the Helms-Burton Act, constitute a flagrant violation of all human rights, both of Cubans and Americans.
We Cubans not only resist and reject this policy. Amidst the wave of conservatism that borders on the practice of neo-fascist policies, we are convinced that the only way forward is to continue making the dreams and goals of the Moncada attackers a reality and to build a better country, with the necessary prosperity, equity, and justice, without abandoning its spirit of cooperation and internationalism.
At a time like the one we are going through, the Cuban centers that are members of CLACSO wish to thank this academic network and its members for the solidarity shown with the Cuban people, particularly with its academics, and for the contribution made to the full development of a revolutionary critical thought, consistent with the most legitimate interests of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Havana, July 25, 2019
