A march for the honour and dignity of the Homeland.
By Angélica Paredes López . Dec 22 2024
More than 500,000 Cubans from the capital, representing the entire country, marched this Friday [December 21, 2024] in front of Havana's Malecón. In “the first line of combat,” as Fidel taught, were the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz; and the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.
At 4 in the afternoon on December 20, the largest popular mobilization in recent times began. In front of the Anti-imperialist and deeply Martian Tribune, Cubans of several generations gathered, flooding the esplanade with the colors of our flag. And that is what we are, a colorful archipelago, which radiates light and grows, in the midst of difficulties.
Raúl and Díaz-Canel came to take their places, standing next to the capital's people. Along with them were the Commander of the Rebel Army, José Ramón Machado Ventura, leaders of the Party, the State, the Government, youth, student and mass organizations, officers of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior.
In the first block of the march, representing their people, were the deputies of the National Assembly of People's Power, who hours before had concluded their ordinary session, in days of contributing debates on the problems, aspirations and challenges of the country.
The Army General, tireless guerrilla, wearing his military uniform; and the Cuban president, carrying the lone star flag on his chest, joined the crowd with the same nobility with which 20 years ago, on May 14, 2004, on this same Havana stage of struggles for the Homeland, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro had warned the Empire: "This is only a small part of an entire brave and heroic people who would like to be here, with us, if it were physically possible."
So, this time, it was Díaz-Canel, continuator of the ideas of Fidel and Raúl, who walked to the platform located, precisely, in front of the sculpture of José Martí, which shows the National Hero standing, with the courage that has given us accompanied from the mambisa bush to the feats that our people carry out every day.
When speaking to his compatriots, the Cuban president recalled that the current North American administration, which as of December 20 has exactly one month left in the White House, "has done nothing to move away from the reinforced blockade line and economic suffocation to Cuba, which was left as a legacy by the Republican administration that returns to the Oval Office in January.
The President of the Republic stressed that there are numerous statements by American personalities and other parts of the world, who demand that President Biden use his power to, at least, remove from that spurious list "the name of a nation that has never "It should have been."
In clear allusion "to the doomsayers of anti-Cuban hatred who hysterically shouted that it would be a failure," President Diaz-Canel stated: "How little they know the Cuban people! How much they still underestimate our patriotic and revolutionary convictions!"
Pointing out Cuba as a State that supposedly sponsors terrorism - the president asserted - "is at the very least false and immoral, regardless of where the accusation comes from, but it is doubly so, when the accusation comes from US territory, where groups are training right now. paramilitaries that organize, promote and finance terrorist actions against social and economic structures in Cuba.
"No North American ruler can classify Cuba as a terrorist state," he stated categorically in his vibrant speech.
Later, Díaz-Canel considered that "the permanence of Cuba on that list and the intensification of the blockade policy are ruthless actions towards the Cuban people, which must stop now."
"The intention of the United States to lacerate the dignity of this people, by means of the club, has been undone today, with this concentration and combative march, which demonstrate how high the honor of our Homeland continues to be," said the Cuban President, and Hundreds of thousands of flags waved overhead.
And in clear allusion "to the doomsayers of anti-Cuban hatred who hysterically shouted that it would be a failure," the president stated: "How little they know the Cuban people! How much they still underestimate our patriotic and revolutionary convictions!
To the "other voices of the US government" and the anti-Cuban mafia in South Florida, who insisted on poisoning the networks with the false idea that this was an "anti-American" march, Díaz-Canel confirmed that "against the people "We as Americans do not profess the slightest feeling of hatred."
"Towards the noble citizens of that country all our respect, and the hand always extended to strengthen the ties of brotherhood between our two peoples," said the Head of State.
In the voice of the President of Cuba, the feeling of an entire people was heard, convinced that, if the United States persists in its efforts to break its sovereignty, independence and socialism, they will only find rebellion and intransigence. "Every administration that has tried, the Cuban Revolution has survived, and it will continue to do so."
"We march now, to tell the United States government: Let the Cuban people live in peace!" With this call, the journey of just over a kilometer began, along the entire Malecón, until reaching Avenida de los Presidentes, G Street in the capital of Vedado.
Raúl and Díaz-Canel led the shocking march and a compact town advanced with a firm step. Throughout the journey, numerous slogans condemning Washington's hostile policy were heard; demanding the end of the blockade and the elimination of Cuba from the illegitimate and absurd “list”; of support for the Revolution that in a few days will reach its 66th anniversary; and ratifying the deep conviction that Fidel is and will be in every battle we fight.
Certainly, the voices were more energetic, right in front of the Embassy that represents the government that is trying to suffocate us economically.
Raúl and Díaz-Canel led the march along the 1,300-meter route. And then, where G Street and Malecón Avenue intertwine, the President of the Republic stood watching the massive parade, greeting the people, hugging some children who came up to where the Head of State was, and even taking photos with young people, workers, people of our brave people who this Friday showed, as so many times in our history, the greatest strength that we continue to count on: the unity of the nation.
For one hour and 45 minutes, the people of the capital paraded along the Malecón of all Cubans. It was a march for life, honor and dignity. It was a march for the future of this Giant town, which continues to spread joy, confidence and optimism, even in the midst of adversity.
