Cuba

This is the first time since the foundation of the United Nations that Africa's right to share the highest responsibilities within the Organization has been recognized. The delegation of Cuba is very happy that a representative from that continent, which has been humiliated, exploited and oppressed for centuries, has been elected to preside over the General Assembly at its sixteenth session. We must emphasize that this did not happen by chance. It was a clear and forceful expression of will which reflects the changes which have taken place both in the structure of international relations and in the composition of the United Nations. 125. I should like to congratulate Mr. Slim on behalf of the Government and people of Cuba and to ask him to assure the Government and people of Tunisia of our solidarity with them in their firm and heroic reply to imperialist aggression. 126. Considered purely from the point of view of its geographical dimensions, Cuba is one of the smallest nations in the world community. This circumstance, however, does not dismay or disturb Cuba in the exercise of its rights and duties as a country which bases its concept of international relations on respect for the right of peoples to self-determination, the full enjoyment of sovereignty, the principle of non-intervention, the sovereign equality of States and their peaceful coexistence whatever their political and social systems. 127. Cuba raises its voice in the United Nations without faltering, quibbling or grovelling. It believes in what it says and says what it thinks. The revolution, which has radically transformed its spirit, its structure and its appearance, has divorced it from lies and wedded it to the truth. Although it has no power to decide on the solution of conflicts which are beyond its scope, it feels itself fully competent to give its views and to take a stand on the dramatic problems which affect the dignity, survival and progress of peoples. It is not in vain that Cuba has ceased to be a mere onlooker and has assumed an active role. The minute Caribbean island is at present the scene of an epic feats the building of a socialist society within ninety miles of an empire which Is stubbornly resolved to stem the inexorable flow of history. 128. It is ninety-three years today since the Cuban people began their tremendous struggle for self- determination, independence and sovereignty. It so happens that Cuba's statement in the general debate coincides with this anniversary in its history, the beginning of the heroic deeds, the frustrations, misery, servitude, shame and rebellions which culminated in the radiant dawn of 1 January 1959. 129. The complete destruction of the edifice of power which supported the Batista tyranny brought about the necessary conditions for the further development of the revolutionary process, which, in successive stages and with lightning speed, gave the Cuban people national and social emancipation and in the Declaration of Havana proclaimed as a condition and guarantee of the cult of human dignity, the abolition of the exploitation of man by man. Liberating itself from the political, economic, diplomatic and military domination of United States imperialism, which had replaced the Spanish colonial system by deceit, bribery and force, and laying the foundations of a free, just, enlightened and prosperous society, the Cuban people, under the guidance of Fidel Castro, achieved the age-old aspirations of the nation, as new prospects which had existed in the visions and hopes of Jose Marti opened out before it. 130. Ninety-three years after the beginning of this process, the single star on our flag shines forth as a symbol of the fusion of reality and hope. 131. The long list of problems facing the General Assembly is an unmistakable sign of the increasing seriousness and complexity of the international situation. The United Nations was originally established to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. It is sad to note that, despite the ardent longing of the peoples of the world for peace and security, it has not even been possible to do away with all traces of the terrible hecatomb which led to its establishment. Mankind has been driven once more to the brink of war by the ambition, blindness and selfishness of the imperialist and colonial Powers—but a war which would differ radically from former wars: the death-dealing power of thermonuclear weapons is of such a nature and extent that it could turn the planet into a ball of lifeless ashes revolving through space. In this state of affairs we are logically faced with a choice between war and peace. It is no secret that the way out of this situation is general and complete disarmament. The complete abolition of the means of destruction is the only way to prevent war and consequently the direct and indirect dangers involved in thermonuclear tests. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has been compelled to resume such tests in order to preserve its national security, the security of the socialist camp and the security of all peace-loving peoples and States, which is gravely threatened by the unbridled preparations of the NATO Powers for war. 132. Thus the problem of disarmament is the most important and urgent item on the agenda of this session. 133. The history of the frustration of the negotiations on general and complete disarmament is familiar to all, and international public opinion has already condemned the great Powers which are responsible for it. The action [resolution 1378 (XIV)] taken by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics at the fourteenth session gained the firm support of the immense majority of States Members of the United Nations. The delegations of India, Indonesia and Ghana submitted a draft resolution on the basic principles of general and complete disarmament. But the inflexible opposition of the United States delegation and its allies at the fifteenth session prevented the adoption of any decision on the question of general and complete disarmament. The present state of the bilateral negotiations which opened this year between the Government of the Soviet Union and the United States allows us a ray of hope. The two Governments issued a joint statement of the principles which should govern general and complete disarmament. The delegation of Cuba regards their common conviction of the urgent need to reach an agreement on the matter as a step towards the attainment of peace. Yet there is still profound disagreement about the nature and extent of international control. The United States Government thinks that control should be restricted to the field of armaments, while the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics proposes that it should be extended to cover the very process of general and complete disarmament. 134. The delegation of Cuba is in favour of international control over general and complete disarmament. Mere control over armaments is not only ineffective: it is a source of war rather than of peace. To be frank, it is an excuse for aggression. 135. International peace and security depend, in fact, on whether or not a treaty on general and complete disarmament is concluded. Since this is a question which affects the vital interests of all peoples, the delegation of Cuba considers that all States, whether or not they are Members of the United Nations, should take part in the coming talks and negotiations on general and complete disarmament. In accordance with the fundamental principles and purposes of its international policy and in compliance with an agreement reached by the Conference of the Heads of States or Government of Non-Aligned Countries which met recently at Belgrade, the delegation of Cuba asks that the representatives of those States should be included in the body responsible for drawing up the treaty on general and complete disarmament. The final abolition of war and the investment of the fabulous sums now spent on the manufacture of means of destruction in the economic development of the under-developed countries would make the achievements of science, technology and culture available to many peoples and would contribute to the expansion of material welfare and spiritual progress. The possibility of perpetual peace in a world of peaceful competition between systems, values and methods, no longer a Utopian dream. 136. The Cuban delegation thinks that steps should be taken immediately to reduce international tension, to strengthen mutual confidence among States and to reduce the danger of war. Such steps could include the strengthening of peaceful coexistence, the freezing of military budgets, the unconditional renunciation of the use of thermonuclear weapons, the establishment of zones where the production, stockpiling and use of such weapons would be forbidden, the prohibition of surprise attacks until such time as a non- aggression pact is concluded between the military blocs, the restoration to the People's Republic of China of its rights in the United Nations, the conclusion of a peace treaty with the two German States, U A/C.1/L.259 and Add.l and 2. the settlement of the disputes between states by peaceful means, the disappearance of colonialism in every shape and form and the abolition of foreign military bases in countries whose Governments and " peoples are opposed to their establishment or continued presence. 137. This last point applies to Cuba. The only military base in our country is neither Soviet nor Chinese: it belongs to the United States and was imposed when the Platt Amendment was enacted. This base, which has no strategic value for the military defence of the United States, has been repudiated by the Revolutionary Government and the Government of Cuba, not only because it infringes the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country but because it has become a bastion of United States imperialism against the popular movements of liberation in the Caribbean area and is now a. centre of subversion, conspiracy, provocation and aggression and a serious danger to the independence of Cuba and to international peace and security. The Belgrade Conference explicitly recognized, in a separate clause, the inalienable right of the Cuban people to recover that portion of their national territory. My delegation solemnly reiterates before the United Nations General Assembly the intention of the Revolutionary Government of Cuba to raise that claim at such time as it deems opportune and in the international forum which it considers appropriate. With equal solemnity it repeats that there has not been, nor is there now, any intention of resorting to force in order to recover the exercise of Cuba's sovereignty over that portion of its national territory which has been usurped. Finally, it should be realized that the strategy of provoked aggression at the military base at Guantanamo continues to be one of the favourite plans of the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency. The countries which have foreign military bases on their territory should look at themselves in the mirror of Bizerta. 138. It must be agreed, however, that any conversations and even any agreements on general and complete disarmament would be futile if the People's Republic of China did not participate- directly in such conversations and in the work of the body entrusted with the task of drawing up the relevant treaty. It is not possible to discuss peace, the abolition of colonialism and the granting of aid to under-developed countries unless the presence and co-operation of all peoples without exception is assured; this is particularly true of the question of peace and of the participation and vote of the People's Republic of China. Now is an excellent time to restore to the only legitimate Government of the Chinese people, without further delays or subterfuges, the rights inherent in self-determination, independence and sovereignty. The "theory" of the two Chinas, defended and upheld by the United States, is inadmissible because it is absurd and has been repudiated as false. My delegation proposes that as soon as the general debate is concluded the Assembly should restore to the People's Republic of China its place in this forum and in the Security Council. In so doing it would be not only rectifying an injustice compounded by inaction but also making real progress towards general and complete disarmament, peaceful coexistence and the universality of the United Nations, from which the Mongolian People's Republic has been and still is inexplicably barred. 139. The adoption of the measures which have been ^briefly enumerated would do much, in the opinion of my delegation, to prepare the ground and clear the air for drafting of the treaty on general and complete disarmament. 140. Of all these measures, the most urgent is unquestionably that relating to the liquidation of the consequences of the Second World War. The tensions existing in parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America constitute a very grave threat to international peace and security. None of them, however, is as explosive as the situation which has developed in Berlin as a result of the systematic refusal of the United States, the United Kingdom and France to sign a peace treaty with Germany. The urgent need to find a peaceful solution to the situation created by this refusal, the irredentist policy of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the threats of the NATO Powers to maintain the status quo and even to annex the territory of the German Democratic Republic at the cost of a thermonuclear war—these leave little room for speculation. It is the course of events and their implications which dictate the solution in this case. The application of the principle of the self- determination of the German people and the reunification of Germany, which are invoked by some delegations as prerequisites for the signing of a peace treaty, are, objectively speaking, impracticable at the preset .stage in the development of the situation. 141. The existence of the German Democratic Republic is as irreversible as the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is only too well known which State was born first and what aims the three Western occupying Powers were pursuing when they made that forceps delivery. The fact is, however, that it exists as a State and that fact cannot be ignored. Neither the forcible absorption of the German Democratic Republic nor the forcible, absorption of the Federal Republic of Germany would constitute an effective or lasting solution. . 142. Proceeding on the basis of that premise, i.e., the objective existence of the German States as an irreversible fact, it may be seen that the only real way to overcome this situation is to sign a peace treaty with both the German States, to guarantee the inviolability of the borders laid down at Potsdam and to admit those States to the United Nations. The peace treaty would, of course, entail the conversion of West Berlin into a free demilitarized city and would expressly recognize and provide for the international defence of the right of its people to live under the social system of their choice and to maintain unrestricted relations with the outside world, while the obligations deriving from the German Democratic Republic's sovereignty Over the means of access passing through its own territory would be complied with. Any other matters which might affect relations between the two States would fall within the exclusive competence of those two States themselves following the signing of the peace treaty. 143. This is not a matter which can be deferred. It is as urgent as it is important. The way it is decided will determine the future of mankind. Berlin is at the very heart of the "peace or war" dilemma. Those whose response to the rational proposal for the signing of a peace treaty with Germany is to unleash a thermonuclear conflagration, betray a degree of irresponsibility which borders on insanity and imbecility. My delegation, conscious that a catastrophe threatens, urges the parties concerned to take a peaceful settlement of this alarming situation. 144. This is, in essence, my delegation's position concerning a problem which reality, being stronger than rules and regulations, has inscribed on the Assembly's agenda with a prominence that cannot be challenged^ although it has not been formally recommended by the General Committee. 145. One of the chronic disturbers of international peace and security and one of the main causes of the oppression, backwardness and poverty which exist in vast areas of the globe has been and is the colonialist system, formerly in its classic form and now as neocolonialism, which is the form that imperialism takes in the politically emancipated countries where economic conditions are precarious and there is little awareness of the subtle tactics used by the wolf in sheep's clothing. Although in the dialectical development of the process of history colonialism, neocolonialism and imperialism have been condemned to death, the sentence still remains to be carried out. The historic Declaration on the granting of independence to all colonial countries and peoples [resolution 1514 (XV)], adopted by the General Assembly on 14 December 1960, was a harsh blow to colonialism, neo-colonialism and imperialism. On the eve of the anniversary of that Declaration, not only has the course of events dampened the hopes placed in its application but the situation in Algeria, Angola, Uganda, Kenya, Rhodesia, Nyasaland and West Irian is even grimmer than it was a year ago. Only one Territory has obtained independence since then: Sierra Leone. My delegation extends to it the warmest greetings. 146. The heroic people of Algeria are continuing to shed their blood as the Government of France fails to move from promises to deeds. France will never be role to conquer the Algerian people by military might. The Algerians have already won the full right to self-determination, independence, territorial unity and sovereignty, and they will win the exercise of that right either by force of arms or by agreements which will allow of no compromise. It is simply a question of time. 147. The imperialist machinations designed to bring about the secession of the Province of Katanga from the Republic of the Congo are being carried on behind the scenes. The plot which is being hatched must be watched carefully. The Central Government of the Congo, reconstituted and propped up by Parliament, is not yet strong enough to resist another neo-colonialist assault such as that which preceded the foul murder of Patrice Lumumba. 148. The Congo belongs exclusively to the Congolese and it is for them alone to solve their problems. The action of the United Nations has been too negative to justify placing any faith in it. To the great havoc wrought and the many crimes committed under its aegis must be added the strange death of Dag Hammarskjold, the Secretary-General, and those accompanying him. 149. The atrocities perpetrated by the Portuguese authorities in Angola and Mozambique with the concealed support of the NATO Powers, especially in the former of those two Territories, where more horrors are being recorded with every passing day, must be stopped and punished. 150. the inhabitants of Bechuanaland, Rhodesia, Nyasaland and Kenya are the victims of oppression, poverty and backwardness under United Kingdom rule. The same thing is happening in Ruanda-Urundi under the Belgian yoke. Over West Irian, a Territory which belongs to Indonesia, dark clouds are gathering. In the Republic of South Africa and in the Territory of South West Africa, which is under the despotic rule of the Republic, racial discrimination has been made the essential tool of the ruling Power, which has set itself the goal of exterminating the African population. Such monstrous evil has not been seen since the days of Hitler. 151. My delegation calls for immediate decisions on these matters, expresses its abhorrence of that system of political cannibalism and views in the same light all existing forms of racial discrimination, wherever they may be found; in this connexion I may mention the vexations and abusive treatment by the United States authorities of African diplomats representing their countries in the United Nations. 152. I take this opportunity to denounce the restrictive measures, constituting a violation of diplomatic immunity, which the Government of the United States applies to the Permanent Representative and members of the Mission of Cuba. . 153. It is obvious that the imperialists, colonialists and neo-colonialists are acting An concert, in Laos as in Angola, in a desperate effort to prevent the crumbling and collapse of the turgid system which has enriched them at the expense of the labour, poverty, ignorance and blood of millions of human beings. 154. The Cuban delegation considers it essential that the General Assembly should without delay provide the necessary means for bringing about, within a specified time, the abolition of colonialism wherever it may exist and in whatever form it may appear. It must point out, however, that the colonial system is not confined to Africa, Asia and Oceania and that the European Powers are not the only colonial Powers. There are still territories in America under United Kingdom, French and Netherlands domination; there is also a people, akin to us in history, language and aspirations, which has every right and qualification to govern itself as an independent, free and sovereign nation but which nevertheless forms a part of the colonial system of the United States. I refer to Puerto Rico, that unrecovered island which Jose Marti hoped to liberate together with Cuba but which has not yet been able to come into our America. Until that happens, the Declaration on the independence of colonial countries and peoples will remain in force, even though the last vestiges of colonialism may have disappeared from the rest of the world. 155. The Cuban delegation proposed that Puerto Rico should be included in the resolution to be adopted for the implementation of the mandate laid down in the Declaration approved by the General Assembly. The right to self-determination is as indivisible as peace. 156. The Cuban delegation considers it essential that the obsolescent machinery of the United Nations should be reformed to bring it into harmony with the development of the international situation and the increase in the number of its Members. It will not be enough to ensure that Africa and Asia are equitably represented in the Security Council and in the Economic and Social Council; it is also necessary to increase their participation in all the specialized agencies and above all, to make the necessary changes in the Secretariat to adapt it to the exigencies, realities and currents of contemporary international life so that it may function impartially, dynamically and effectively. Colonialism must also be banished from the principal organs of the United Nations. This reform should be completed with the abolition of the " Trusteeship System. 157. With regard to the immediate problem facing the Secretariat as a consequence of the tragic death of its Secretary-General, the Cuban delegation accepts in principle the formula recommended by the Security Council: namely, the appointment of an Acting Secretary-General to be assisted by various Under-Secretaries who will work in close agreement and co-operation with him. The United States claim that the Acting Secretary-General should be elected by the General Assembly is completely arbitrary and its objective is obviously to impose someone on the Organization by means of its mechanical majority. 158. There have been various references to Cuba in the course of the general debate. This is only natural since Cuba is today one of the most serious centres of international tension. Well, is its Government or its people to blame for that or is it the sole fault of - United States imperialism, which, in its idle attempt to restore the crumbling colonial system and to impose a puppet government on the Cuban people has not hesitated to endanger international peace and security? 159. The repeated and well-grounded accusations and claims which Cuba has made in the Security Council and in the General Assembly have been provoked by the wilful acts of aggression and intervention by the United States Government in its internal affairs. I am not inventing any tendentious stories; I . and presenting incontrovertible facts. The President of the United States himself has publicly accepted full responsibility for the organization, financing, direction and failure of the invasion by mercenaries at Playa Giron which was crushed by the Cuban people and their armed forces. 160. Despite the Universal revulsion which this act of piracy aroused in world public opinion, the United States Government is preparing new plans of aggression and acts of interference, in complete contempt of the Charter of the United Nations and the Charter of the Organization of American States and of international peace and security. It was to expose these new plans of aggression and acts of interference, with the aid of incontrovertible facts and dates, that the Cuban complaint was submitted for inclusion in the agenda. 161. On this occasion the Cuban delegation will merely place the General Assembly on the alert and provide it with some background data. The territory of the United States, the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, the plantations of Guatemala, the ranches of Nicaragua, the estates of the Dominican Republic and the Panama Canal Zone have been and are being used as training camps and centres for mercenaries, and the agents of the Central Intelligence Agency and Cuban counter-revolutionaries are, by various ways and means, smuggling explosive material and arms into Cuba for purposes of sabotage, acts of terrorism and attacks on individuals. The discovery of he plan to assassinate Major Raul Castro, Minister of the Armed Forces, which was conceived and planned at the United States military base of Guantanamo, and the recent plot to do away with Dr. Fidel Castro, the Prime Minister of the Revolutionary Government, are Convincing proofs of this sinister intrigue; so also are the clandestine printing of a preposterous decree according to which the right of patria potestas is to be revoked and the crude forgery of documents attributed to the Cuban Foreign Office which was done at more or less the same time in Argentina and the Philippines with the object of forcing those Governments to break off diplomatic relations with Cuba. 162. The trick is as old as it is contemptible. When on 15 April last we challenged the United States representative to produce the mythical pilots of the Cuban Air Force who were supposed to have deserted and to have bombed Havana, the facts proved that those pilots were mercenaries in the pay of the Government of the United States. Again today we challenge him to prove the authenticity of the documents which the Central Intelligence Agency has forged and which are said to have been removed from the Cuban Embassy at Buenos Aires. We know in advance that the result will be the same. 163. The purpose of these manoeuvres is quite clear. In view of the obstacles which, since the Inter- American Economic Conference at Punta del Este and the failure of the military coup in Brazil, it has encountered in its efforts to convene a meeting of the Presidents of the Latin American Republics in Washington and subsequently a conference of Foreign Ministers, the United States Government is bringing pressure to bear on the Latin American Governments to force them individually and in turn to break off diplomatic relations with the Revolutionary Government of Cuba, just as it has already succeeded in doing, by similar methods, with Guatemala, Peru, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica. It will then seek in the Organization of American States to give these measures a collective character, thus setting the stage for a military aggression, also of a collective character, on the pretext that Cuba constitutes "a danger to the security of the hemisphere" because it intervenes in the domestic affairs of other States, and thus, with unparalleled cynicism, trying to make the victim of its acts of aggression and interference, perpetrated in collusion with its Latin American vassals, appear to be the villain of the piece. 164. The renewal of the campaign of calumny against the Cuban revolution by the news services of the Department of State and the forgery of official documents by the Central Intelligence Agency with the connivance of Cuban counter-revolutionaries are the basic ingredients of the plan to isolate Cuba diplomatically. A secondary theme which it has shamelessly exploited has been the Revolutionary Government's behaviour to the Catholic Church, which, like all religions, has been and will continue to be scrupulously respected by the Revolutionary Government so long as its activities remain within the law. Similarly, the propaganda conducted by United States imperialism and its henchmen sheds crocodile tears over the execution, in conformity with the legislation in force, of war. criminals, terrorists, traitors and foreign agents. 165. The shameless allegations, oblique references and appeals for surrender which we have heard from certain specific speakers or have read in the Press— including statements by two Presidents of Latin American Republics, one abjuring the principle of non-intervention and the other offering his adherence to the "free world" in exchange for his preservation in power—are in conformity with the strategy and tactics of the United States Government. 166. Let us. hear no more of these hypocritical lamentations and dubious digressions about Cuba having withdrawn from the "inter-American system". Let us tell the truth. Let us say that Cuba can neither admit nor accept the United States Government's concept of the Organization of American States as a Ministry of Colonies. And let us also say that, despite the worthy efforts made by a minority of respected and respectable Governments, the Organization of American States has given the green light to the United States Government's aggressive and interventionist policy towards Cuba. It has not been this Organization which has so far prevented a United States military invasion, as it ought to have done in accordance with the letter of its standards and principles; it has rather been the Cuban people's decision to conquer or die, the warnings of the Soviet Union, the1 support of the socialist camp, the backing of the non-aligned countries, the firm attitude of various Latin American Governments and the militant solidarity of all the peoples of the world. 167. Cuba is a small country which asks only to be allowed to work out its own life in peace. It does not and cannot constitute a threat to any country, least of all to the United States, whose arsenals are overflowing with thermonuclear bombs and rockets. Cuba has declared over and over again that it is prepared to settle its differences with the United States through bilateral negotiations, on a footing of equality and with an open agenda, excluding only the subject of its independence and sovereignty, which are not negotiable. 168. The Government of the United States, however, not only has stubbornly refused to enter into unconditional discussions with Cuba but, to use the words of Dr. Osvaldo Dorticos, the President of the Republic, when he spoke at the Belgrade Conference of Non- Aligned Countries, it "organized a commercial and economic blockade against our little country, fostered a conspiracy of terrorism under the direction of the Central Intelligence Agency, and crowned its villainies with the bombardment and armed invasion of our territory". 169. The President went on to say: "With outstanding courage, the Cuban people routed the mercenary troops which the Government of the United States, on its own- confession, had equipped and organized to destroy the Cuban revolution. The revolution gained in strength and cohesiveness after the victory against the invaders; nevertheless, not only did we again express our desire to live in peace and to develop our country without external military conflicts but we also proposed, and explicitly stated our readiness to accept, the friendly mediation of various Latin American Governments in exploring the possibilities of just and honourable negotiations with the Government of the United States The arrogant response of the Government of the United States of America to the peaceful and dignified conduct on the part of the Cuban Revolutionary Government was to pursue its aggressive aims and to declare its irrevocable determination not to enter into any negotiations with the Cuban Government. Thus this' imperialist Government refuses an honourable and peaceful understanding with a small country like ours and proclaims the necessity of destroying the work of our revolution". 170. Mr. Alfonso Arino de Melho Franco, the distinguished former Foreign Minister and present representative of Brazil, stated the position of the genuinely representative Governments of Latin America towards the Cuban revolution plainly and unequivocally: "Respect for sovereignty, based on the principle of non-intervention"—I am quoting literally—"constitutes an imperative duty of international life and an essential condition for the restoration of continental harmony. Brazil considers that Cuba alone can decide its own destiny". 171. Leave Cuba in peace and you will see how the focus of international tension deliberately created by the United States Government for the manifest purpose of re-conquest and hegemony will at once disappear. 172. Yet I should warn you that the last word in the defence of Cuba's self-determination, independence and sovereignty rests with its people. On the occasion of the announcement of a forthcoming intervention by the Organization of American State in the affairs of our country, Dr. Fidel Castro, the Prime Minister and leader of the revolution, expressed himself as follows: "Cuba's right to self-determination is sacred and inalienable; it is not a right which the Cuban people will proclaim at the rostrum or in the public square but a right that we shall defend to the last drop of our blood on the battlefield, a right that we shall defend in cur trenches with our weapons at our side, a right that we Cubans shall defend to the last patriot".