I watched most of the proceedings of ALBA on Telesur yesterday. After several of the countries pledged their support to Cuba concerning ending the blockade, Raul got up and, with his hand on Ortega's shoulder, proceeded to denunciate the US, OAS, etc. Much of what he said is in this article below. Raul may have started out as a 78 year old man at the beginning of his presentation but by the time he finished, he was much like the young, baby-faced kid in the Sierra Maestra ready for serious battle.
magbana
"ALBA Countries Express Strong Support of Cuba against US Economic Blockade
HAVANA, Cuba, April 17 (acn)The countries making up the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) expressed, during their summit in Venezuela, their strong support of Cuba´s struggle against the nearly-50-year US economic, commercial and financial blockade.
After listening to the statements by participants at the meeting, Cuban President Raul Castro thanked for the expressions of support that marked a large part of the Summit, which also analyzed the world economic crisis and its impact on the region.
Raul Castro recalled that almost all countries on the planet, with the exception of the United States and Israel and some other countries, condemn the blockade imposed by Washington on the Caribbean nation for nearly 50 years now.
He affirmed Cuba´s willingness to address any topic with the United States, under equal conditions and on the basis of respect for the right of the Cuban people to self-determination. In that direction, Raul included among the topics for negotiations the issue concerning the counterrevolutionaries incarcerated in Cuba, whom Washington refers to as “political prisoners.”
“If they want the release of those prisoners, who include some confessed terrorists, they must release our five heroes who are incarcerated for fighting terrorism and for defending the Cuban people, and then we will send them the so-called dissidents and their families,” said Raul Castro.
The Cuban President recalled that the five Cubans are held in US jails for collecting information on terrorist organizations in order to prevent criminal actions against Cuba.
Raul Castro particularly criticized the Organization of American States for its actions against Cuba as it backed US hostility and aggressions against the Caribbean nation. Blood has been oozing out of the Organization of American States since its very creation; Cuba is an example of that and there are many other examples, said the Cuban President who recalled the 1954 invasion on Guatemala after President Jacobo Arbenz tried to distribute land among the needed indigenous population.
He said that in April 16, 1961, the bombing of Cuban air bases took place as part of a military aggression organized by the United States, even when Cuba had not yet mentioned the word Socialism.
The Cuban President said that during the mourning ceremony to the victims of the bombing, Fidel Castro proclaimed Socialism and a huge mass of people expressed their determination to fight back the aggression at any cost.
He said that with the Bay of Pigs Invasion or Playa Giron as Cubans named it, the invaders expected to set up a beach head to pave the way for the Organization of American States to recognize a puppet government set up in Florida and give green light to the US military invasion.
On that occasion US military aircraft flew over the combat zone, though they did not participate in the actions, while ships from the US navy were seen just three miles from the Cuban coast, Raul said and explained that such a situation was the reason why the OAS had not yet expelled Cuba since they expected to recognize the puppet government that would ask the OAS for help, and the US armed forces would have acted.
However, in January 1962 the United States broke relations with Cuba and just few days later the Organization of American States expelled Cuba from its membership, since they were planning an invasion by the US forces, and what prevented that invasion from taking place were the soviet missiles that were set up in Cuba, a fact proven by declassified documents, Raul Castro recalled.
Previously, the Cuban President reaffirmed his country rejection of returning to the Organization of American States as he had expressed during the Rio Group Summit, in Sauipe, Brazil. He said on that occasion he recalled a phrase by Cuban National Hero Jose Martí that he used in that direction: “Before Cuba joins the OAS, the North Sea and the South Sea should mix and a snake will be born from an eagles’ egg.”
Upon his arrival in Cumaná, the Cuban president stressed the coincidence of the ALBA Summit with the 48th Anniverssary of the April 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, organized by the United States. "
http://www.cubanews.ain.cu/2009/0417albacountries.htm
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