Cuba

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Díaz-Canel: In Cuba there are no capitalist gyrations
Posted on July 17, 2018 • 17:24by International Writing 1 Comment


Photo: René Pérez Massola

"In the face of the onslaught of capitalist and neoliberal restoration that tries to impose the empire, once again we are summoned by the Forum of Sao Paulo (FSP) that endures, that exists, that is present, its role as an essential political protagonist being indispensable. the region and space for the coordination of experiences and the construction of political alternatives, "said Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, president of the Councils of State and Ministers of Cuba, speaking on Tuesday at the XXIV Meeting of the regional mechanism.

As a sign of the relevance of the Forum, Diaz-Canel specified data of the high participation in this meeting, which brought together 625 delegates from more than 51 countries and 168 organizations.

For the first time, the FSP opens up as a space for dialogue between parties and social movements, a commitment that must be maintained with the necessary coordination to follow up, he said.

At the beginning of his speech, the Cuban leader also paid tribute to Fidel and Chávez, as well as remembering Lula da Silva, Néstor Kirchner and Cristina, Correa, Daniel and Mujica.

We live in an international situation marked by growing threats to international peace and security, with dangers for the survival of the human species and an unjust and exclusive international economic order, denounced.

The Head of State explained that in the midst of the current crisis, capitalism is trying to expand, expand its capacity for enrichment and impose a colonizing platform: "the processes that take place in Latin America are an evident expression of the rebirth of these plans". again to the perverse Monroe doctrine.

Faced with this reality, the Latin American and Caribbean left meets to reflect on the most pressing problems and draw joint strategies to save the conquered, he said.

"Therefore, it is of great significance that we dedicate a special plenary in this Forum to discuss the thinking of the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, who along with Lula - now in unjust imprisonment - was the architect of the creation of the Sao Paulo Forum, "he said.

As the best disciple of Martí, Fidel applied the maxim that "the best way to say is to do" and thus survived his work, thought and led the Revolution, gave dignity to the country, established hope for humanity, faced imperialism and he grew up with his people, he said.

Díaz-Canel recognized the role of the Commander as creator of the concept of revolution that the Cuban people have assumed to the ultimate consequences, as a tribute to him.

Among the many values ​​of that definition, the emphasis placed on unity stands out, which explains why we have been able to successfully face the most sensitive problems related to the construction of socialism, he said.

He said that solidarity and solidarity culture acquired an additional dimension, that of internationalism, defined by Fidel as the best essence of socialism. This made Cubans more complete human beings, he illustrated.

The political and social context of the region deserves the urgent coordination of all the progressive forces of our America to build a strategic platform, he stressed.

The Cuban president ratified his support for the Revolution and the Bolivarian and Chavez government, as well as Nicaragua, Bolivia, El Salvador and Brazil. In addition, he reiterated his support for the fulfillment of the peace agreements in Colombia and the just cause of the brotherly Puerto Rican people for their independence.

He congratulated Andrés Manuel López Obrador for his victory in the recent elections and demanded the return of the Malvinas Islands to Argentina. Likewise, he ratified the importance of CELAC, Unasur and Alba-TCP as mechanisms of political agreement and stressed the importance of the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.

Cuba reaffirms solidarity with the peoples of Palestine, Syria and Saharawi, said and called for the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba, as well as the return of the territory illegally occupied by the Guantánamo Naval Base.

This meeting has confirmed the presence of the legacy of Fidel, Chávez and Che in our struggle. "In Cuba there are not and there will not be capitalist turns, I emphasize this and I ask that it be understood as a solemn oath before Fidel," he said.

The Cuban Revolution will uphold its principles of solidarity and internationalism. Today we are all Fidel and our get will be Until the victory always !, concluded.

http://www.trabajadores.cu/20180717/dia ... italistas/

Google Translator. 'Gyrations', really?

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New Constitution of Cuba would change institution of marriage



Havana, Jul 21 (Prensa Latina) Cuba's new Constitution project proposes changes in the institution of marriage, one of the aspects analyzed today in the first ordinary session of the IX Legislature of the National Assembly of People's Power.

The Magna Carta valid since 1976 defines marriage as the voluntary union between a man and a woman, however, the new text departs from that conception and proposes marriage between two people, explained Secretary of the Council of State, Homero Acosta .

According to Acosta, the law - in the future - will establish how that concept will be developed because when it mentions between two people it does not specify what sex.

That does not say that it is about equal marriage, just break with that barrier so that in the future that could be incorporated as an act of justice, equality and humanism, added the deputy.

We are not the first, nor would we be the vanguard in this matter because there are around 24 countries that have this concept incorporated, and we could not turn our back on this issue when preparing a new constitutional project, he said.

Acosta explained that after the Constitution was enacted, those in charge of detailing the changes in the institution of marriage will have a year to introduce the necessary adjustments.

It is not only the area of ​​family law, this translates other rights that have to do with the civil code, records and successions (inheritance), the legislator added.

Gathered in the Havana Convention Center for three days, the deputies to the National Assembly of People's Power analyze in detail the draft Constitution, after unanimously approving the new Council of Ministers proposed by President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

If approved in this session, the document must be submitted to the opinion of the population and subsequently to a popular referendum.

wmr / clp

http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?o ... matrimonio

Google Translator

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Like the root in the earth
Cuban socialism is not an arbitrary imposition, accepted by a docile people, stripped of their voice and vote, as proclaimed by a few, ill-informed or malicious

Author: Yudy Castro Morales | yudy@granma.cu

July 22, 2018 23:07:08


Cuban socialism is rooted in a popular decision, of democratic essence. Photo: Jose M. Correa

Constitutions could also tell the story of a country. A story that takes into account each right conquered and even the struggle to achieve it. It is the letter (and the spirit) of every Magna Carta, a preclear reflection of the society that governs, both by the provisions of its articles and by the eluded.

The Cuban constitutional evolution is an inseparable part of our libertarian tradition, of that legacy of emancipatory struggles that has brought us here, and that a January, almost 60 years ago, opened the contest to embark on the socialist course with the help of a Revolution "with everyone and for the good of all", deeply Martian and Fidelista.

As Army General Raul Castro Ruz said during the proclamation of our supreme law in 1976, "the nature and content of the Constitution are a reflection of the existing social order, of the position that some social classes occupy (...)" .

In a socialist country, he said then, "the Constitution will have to legally endorse the political domination of the working class in alliance with the rest of the working masses of the people.

"It will consolidate the socio-economic system based on social ownership of the means of production, the elimination of exploitation and the gradual disappearance of class differences. It must ensure the achievements and rights of workers, the freedom of individuals and provide the real guarantees for its practical realization ».

(...) "The Constitution that we put into force today legally consolidates what has already been achieved by the Revolution and norm (...) the objectives set in the construction of socialism and communism. (...) Every right that proclaims is a right guaranteed by the economic, political and social reality of the country ».

And that Magna Carta, the one of 1976, totally socialist and that reverenced Marti's doctrine about "the cult of Cubans to the full dignity of man", was approved in a referendum by 97.7% of the voters who came to vote, that is, five and a half million men and women.

But beyond reflecting the existing political and social order in any nation, as is necessary for the Law of Laws, why in Cuba, constitutionally, socialism is irrevocable?

Cuban socialism is not an arbitrary imposition, accepted by a docile people, stripped of its voice and vote, as proclaimed by a few, ill-informed or malicious. It is rooted in a popular decision, of democratic essence, like the Revolution itself, and it takes root in the consequent action of the generations that embody continuity.

THE SACRED AND THE UNTOUCHED: THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE

It was on May 20, 2002, when the then US President George W. Bush, during a meeting in Miami, demanded of Cuba, "with insolence", a new Constitution in which the socialist character of the Revolution was renounced.

The provocative speeches were his strong point, perhaps reflecting a historically interfering stance, which ignores the self-determination of the people to choose how to build their future.

Faced with the demand and disrespect, the Cuban response was also historic: a plebiscitary process that lasted from June 10 to 17, 2002.

In support of the socialist system there were dissimilar popular marches, and more than nine million people backed, with their signatures, the modification of the Magna Carta by the National Assembly of Popular Power (ANPP), which approved the Law of Constitutional Reform, on June 26, 2002, "which expressly stated the irrevocable nature of socialism and the political, social and economic system established therein; as well as the prohibition to negotiate under aggression, threat or coercion of a foreign power ».


WITHOUT MENTS OF ESSENCE

Since the last constitutional reform, 16 years have passed, and during this period, especially in the last stage, the Cuban socio-economic and political scenario has changed considerably, especially with the implementation of the Guidelines approved at the Sixth and Seventh Congresses of the Match.

It has become evident, therefore, the need to temper the Law of Laws to the new circumstances and to adapt some of its articles based on own experiences in the construction of the project of country that, from within, we have designed.

But to reform does not mean renouncing history, everything made, always perfectible.

Once again, according to the General of the Army, at the closing of the Constituent Session of the Ninth Legislature of the ANPP, "we do not intend to modify the irrevocable character of socialism in our political and social system, nor the leading role of the Communist Party of Cuba, as an organized vanguard and superior leadership force of society and the State, as established by article number 5 of the current Constitution, and that in the next we will defend ».

The constitutional project that ultimately transpires will be the result of a broad process of popular consultation and must be approved in referendum by the people, a genuine exercise of citizen participation, always more effective while more conscious.

As has already become common practice, the transcendental decisions must have the "consensus of majorities", but not from the formality that implies being, but from the role that opens space to participate, to say, to be a part; not from the coldness of the hundreds who speak of collective consent, but from the individual contribution.

It is, in the words of the President of the Councils of State and Ministers, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, "to achieve a constitutional norm that reflects the durability of a sovereign, independent, socialist, democratic, prosperous and sustainable nation, at the same time , more inclusive, where the institutionality of the revolutionary State is strengthened and Marti's preaching prevails ».

http://www.granma.cu/cuba/2018-07-22/co ... 8-23-07-08

Google Translator

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An event that changed the course of history
On July 26, 1953, the assault on the Moncada Garrison in Santiago opened a new stage in Cuba’s national liberation struggle, which concluded with the triumph of the Revolution January 1, 1959

Author: Nuria Barbosa León | internet@granma.cu

july 23, 2018 09:07:48


Fidel with Ñico López, Abel Santamaría, and José Luis Tassende at the Santa Elena farm, in Palos, where they conducted target shooting practice, before the Moncada assault. Kneeling from left to right: Ernesto Tizol and Billy Gascón. This historic photo is displayed at the Casa Abel Santamaría Museum in Havana. Photo: Archive

Two rooms, one that served as a living-dining room and the other a bedroom, plus a tiny bathroom and kitchen, comprised apartment 603 in the building at 164 25th Street, between O and Infanta, in the Havana neighborhood of Vedado, where planning began for the armed actions that took place July 26, 1953.

On this date, assaulted by rebels were the Moncada Garrison in Santiago de Cuba and the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, in Bayamo, both in the east of the island, with the goal of capturing weapons to continue the struggle against the dictatorial government of Fulgencio Batista, who had cast the country into political, social, and economic chaos.

Abel Santamaría Cuadrado, one of the youth who joined the cause, lived in this apartment, and worked for a car agency. He rented it in January of 1952, since it was close to his workplace, and invited his sister Haydée to come live with him.

This is the story historian Seriozha Mora Candebat told us, at the Casa Abel Santamaría Museum. She has investigated the revolutionary ideas and conduct of the patriotic young man, born October 20, 1927, in the municipality of Encrucijada, Villa Clara province.

Abel moved to the capital in 1947, planning to become a professional. He won a competition to enroll in a commercial school and at the same time continued his studies to graduate from high school. He found work as an office assistant at Ariguanabo Textiles, and later at the Pontiac dealership, where he was responsible for the cash register and accounting. He joined the Orthodox Party, which could have won the elections, if this possibility had not been eliminated by Batista’s coup on March 10, 1952.

Abel Santamaría, like so many youth of the era, expressed his outrage in the face of such unconstitutional events, and it was enough for him to meet the young lawyer Fidel Castro – in Colon Cemetery - to seal his commitment to action.

It was May 1, 1952, when, after attending a commemoration for the Cuban revolutionary Carlos Rodríguez, who had played an outstanding role in the neocolonial republic’s years, the two met, becoming fast friends committed to social change in Cuba.

Over the following days, Fidel visited the apartment several times and organization of a movement began – later known as the July 26 Movement (M-26-7). On the basis of reflection, analysis, and different proposals during these meetings, it was agreed that it was necessary to take up arms to overthrow Batista, who had come to power using violence.

“Fidel appreciated the building’s privacy. Silence reigned here and the neighbors were quiet. Plus, it was a secure place, with two access doors, one onto 25th Street and another onto O, which facilitated meetings, contacts, and conspiring. Among those who came here frequently were Jesús Montané Oropesa, Melba Hernández, Raúl Martínez Arará, Ñico López, Boris Luis Santacoloma, Raúl Gómez García, and other youth from Pinar del Río and Artemisa, who would later sacrifice their lives in Santiago de Cuba,” the historian relates.

During a trip to Birán, the Castro family home in the eastern province of Holguín, Fidel and Abel discussed plans for the armed action. They decided on taking the military garrison in Santiago de Cuba, where the most important regiment in the eastern part of the country, with 909 armed troops, was housed. The rebel assailants were only 160, among them two women, Melba Hernández and Haydée Santamaría.

“The days prior to the assault, the Havana apartment was very quiet and meetings were reduced. Discretion was paramount, to trick the dictatorship’s intelligence agents. On July 7, Fidel sent Abel to Santiago. It was his responsibility to finalize details with Santiagan Renato Guitar, in the Villa Blanca house on the Siboney farm, from which they would depart to complete their military objectives the night of July 25, during the dawn hours of the 26th,” Seriozha Mora explained.

By this time, other meeting sites had been established in the capital, like Jovellar 107, the home of Melba Hernández; the Mi Tío bar at the intersection of Infanta and 23rd Street; a house in the municipality of Marianao; and most often used, the building at 910 11th Street, where Natalia Revuelta lived, a great collaborator who had instructions to disseminate news of the assault, once victory was won.

The night of July 24, 1953, Fidel locked the apartment on 25th Street and left to write history. After the assault failed, Abel Santamaría was held prisoner in Santiago’s Saturnino Lora Hospital. He was savagely tortured. They killed him, gouged out his eyes, and showed them to his sister Haydée, thinking they could make her talk. Within a few days, the dictatorship’s intelligence services raided the apartment on 25th, looking for evidence, but found nothing.

In August, Abel’s mother, Joaquina Cuadrado, and her sister Aida removed the siblings’ belongings from the apartment in Havana, so the owners could rent it to another family. After the triumph of the Revolution in 1959, Haydée Santamaría, by then director of the Casa de las Américas, recalled the days she lived with her brother in the apartment during conversations with artists and intellectuals, and the idea of making it a museum emerged.

On June 9, 1973, the apartment was inaugurated as an institution affiliated with the National Culture Council, later the Ministry of Culture. Given its place in Cuban history, the site was designated a National Monument in 1980, and is visited today by many persons interested in the history of the Moncada assault.


The Moncada Garrison in Santiago de Cuba, during the revolutionary era. Photo: Archive

On July 24, 1953 José Ramón Martínez Álvarez kissed his mother, saying he was going to the beach in Varadero. Like him, many other young men in Artemisa, southwest of Havana, said goodbye to their families and departed for Santiago de Cuba.

Fidel had given José Suárez Blanco (Pepe), a member of the Orthodox Party’s national leadership, the mission of establishing the July 26 Movement in Artemisa, where his years of work allowed him to pull together financial resources, recruit individuals, and begin to think about the program that would be implemented after the victory. It was Fidel himself who explained to this group, during a meeting in 1952, the most significant components of the radical change that was needed in Cuba, which would address issues such as land reform, industrialization, housing, unemployment, education, and healthcare.

As the movement was consolidated, the inevitable need for armed action became clear. Shooting practice on nearby farms was stepped up, meetings became more discreet, and weapons here stored in caves near the houses. Time went by and the work of the Artemisa group became better organized and more disciplined. Thus their participation in the Santiago assault was earned.

Some 28 young men from Artemisa, among them Comandante de la Revolución Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, left their hometown for the Moncada.

“We were just a handful, but we took the spirit of the people with us, inspired by Martí’s call not to look toward the side where one can live better, but toward the side where duty lies,” Ramiro Valdés said in 2014, when the anniversary of the historic assault was celebrated in the province.

The rebels left Havana via several different routes - some by train, others on the bus, and a few in cars. On the 25th, blending in among carnival-goers, they were taken in small groups to the Siboney farm.

Remembering the events of the 26th, Fidel said in an interview with Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, for his book A hundred hours with Fidel, “In the end, a car rescued me. I don’t know how or why, a car was coming in my direction, reached where I was, and picked me up. It was a boy from Artemisa driving a car with several compañeros, me among them, and he rescued me… I’ve always wanted to talk with this man, to know how he got himself into the hellfire that was going on there.”

In the July 26th actions, 14 young men from Artemisa lost their lives. Others continued on the long road, participating in the Granma landing, and the struggle in the Sierra Maestra. They are all honored in Artemisa’s Martyrs Mausoleum.

Inaugurated July 16, 1977 and dedicated to the youth of the Centenary Generation from Artemisa, the memorial today demands an obligatory visit by all who want to understand the heroism offered by this city to the revolutionary cause.

The tombs holding the remains of those who fell, some of their belongings and photographs can be seen at the site, where also buried, since 2000, are rebels from the province who participated in the Moncada and died after the triumph of the Revolution.

Displayed at the entry to the Mausoleum is a heartfelt remark made by Fidel in his celebrated defense statement, known as History will absolve me, “My comrades, moreover, are not forgotten or dead. They are more alive today than ever, and their murderers must be horrified to see how the victorious specter of their ideas rises from their cadavers.”

In the dawn hours of July 26, at the Siboney farm outside Santiago de Cuba, the Moncada Manifesto, written by Raúl Gómez García, was read aloud. The national anthem sung, and the armed rebels departed in small groups to assault the Moncada Garrison, the courthouse, and the Saturnino Lora Hospital in the city of Santiago. At the same time, in Bayamo, another group moved on the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Garrison.

Before the attack, Fidel spoke to his comrades: “Within a few hours, you may win or be defeated, but in any event - listen carefully, compañeros – in any event, the movement will triumph. If we win tomorrow, that to which Marti aspired will be done sooner. If the opposite occurs, the effort will serve as an example to the people of Cuba, to take up the banner and continue forward. The people support us in Oriente and throughout the island. Youth of the Apostle’s Centenary! As in 68 and 95, here in Oriente we give the first shout of “Liberty or Death!” You already know the objectives of the plan. No doubt whatsoever, it is dangerous and everyone who departs with me tonight must do so entirely voluntarily. You still have time to decide. In any event, some will stay behind, because of the lack of weapons. Those who are determined to go, take a step forward. The idea is to not kill, but to do so only as the last resort.”

The 131 combatants, dressed in Batista army uniforms, were organized in three groups. The first directed its efforts toward the main building, the Moncada Garrison. The other two, led by Abel Santamaría and Raúl Castro, would attempt to take the hospital and the courthouse, respectively.

The operation began. Fidel, leading the first group, reached its destination as planned, but the unexpected arrival of a patrol car led to premature gunfire that alerted troops inside the garrison. Abel and Raúl reached their targets, but the enemy, with more men and weapons, was able to repel the attacks.

Something similar occurred in Bayamo. The plan there was that a city resident, who was well known by officers at the garrison, would accompany the head of the assault forces to the site and they would be let in. Once inside, the soldiers on watch would be disarmed and forced to open the gates for the rest of the rebel group. The plan did not go are foreseen, since the guide failed to appear, and an alternative strategy was attempted.

Thus the planned attacks of the day were not victorious, but they did achieve the objective of initiating a new stage in the revolutionary struggle against the pro-U.S. general, Fulgencio Batista.

These actions led by Fidel Castro Ruz showed the Cuban people that the armed struggle was the route to victory. Later came the Granma expeditionaries, who landed December 2, 1956, to open a guerilla front in the Sierra Maestra.

On January 1, 1959, the revolutionary insurrection would culminate with the defeat of the dictatorship, and the taking of political power. The former Moncada Garrison is now a school, the “Ciudad Escolar 26 de Julio”, and part of the building has been remodeled as a museum, to ensure that these feats are never forgotten.

http://en.granma.cu/cuba/2018-07-23/an- ... of-history

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Minute to minute: Cuba celebrates National Rebellion Day
The act is presided by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba. Follow our updates on this national celebration here and on our Facebook page

Author: Digital news staff | informacion@granma.cu

july 26, 2018 06:07:59



SANTIAGO DE CUBA-MOMENTOS ANTES DEL INICIO DEL ACTO CENTRAL

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6:38 a.m. The central act to mark July 26 concludes in Santiago de Cuba



Photo: ACN

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5:46 a.m. Army General Raúl Castro offers the central remarks

As I noted last December, today I will offer the central remarks of this act, the Army General began.

None of those who had the privilege of participating in these actions under the command of Fidel, could imagine that we would still be here today, in a free country. We celebrate this 65th anniversary in Santiago de Cuba not only due to its history, but also in recognition of the work undertaken here to benefit the people, under the leadership of Lázaro Expósito Cantro, Party First Secretary in the Province, alongside Beatriz Jhonson Urrutia, a vice president of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba and president of the government in the territory.

Likewise, work is ongoing to meet the demands of the population, making the most of our own resources, which further contributes to the budget. The enthusiasm of the people of Santiago is palpable. However, much remains to be done to ensure that Santiago de Cuba is more beautiful, clean, and disciplined every day, worthy of guarding the remains of the National Hero, the Father and the Mother of the Homeland, and the historic leader of the Revolution.

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC

Some days ago, the National Assembly approved the draft Constitution of the Republic, which will now see a mass popular consultation process, before returning to the Cuban Parliament to approve the final document that will be put to a national referendum, Raúl explained.

The Army General stressed the importance of the updating of the country’s Constitution.

THE NATIONAL ECONOMY

As a consequence of first the devastating drought, then Hurricane Irma, heavy rains and Tropical Storm Alberto, as well as the tightening of the U.S. blockade, the Cuban economy continues to suffer various problems, although it has seen modest growth, Raúl highlighted.

This situation means that exports must be strengthened.

Raúl recalled that the greatest source of resources are savings, which more than a slogan must become a duty.

LATIN AMERICAN INTEGRATION

Another of the issues addressed by the Army General were the positive results of regional integration. He likewise denounced the imperialist strategy to destroy organizations such as CELAC and UNASUR, founded on the basis of unity amidst diversity.

The success of CARICOM, and the participation of all members of CELAC, as well as those of ALBA, have contributed to the advance of regional integration.

In 2014, the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as Zone of Peace was signed by CELAC heads of state and government. The document reiterates the permanent commitment to the peaceful solution of disputes, to ensure an end to the threat and use of force in our region.

The U.S. government has declared the validity of the Monroe Doctrine, summarized as “America for the Americans” (read “the U.S.”), which means that the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are subject to intervention.

The United States government is implementing a racist, xenophobic agenda, and with the complicity of certain governments, has attempted to revive the fledging OAS.

The recently concluded São Paulo Forum in Havana was essential as part of the political coordination of leftist forces of the region. The final declaration of the event is a program for the struggle of leftist parties and social and popular movements.

SOLIDARITY WITH VENEZUELA AND NICARAGUA

The Army General expressed the Cuban people, Party and government’s solidarity with the peoples and revolutionary governments of Venezuela and Nicaragua.

We reiterate the call for freedom for Lula da Silva in Brazil. There is no doubt that if elections were to be held tomorrow, Lula would win the Brazilian presidency in the first round.

RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES

Relations with the United States are maintained through official channels, with collaboration continuing on a limited number of areas.

Since the reestablishment of diplomat relations was announced, clear differences on various issues have been voiced, however, Cuba reiterates the will to work toward improved relations on the basis of equality.

In August 2017, under the pretext of alleged “sonic attacks” which are as of yet to be proven, diplomatic relations between Cuba and the U.S. have been increasingly strained, Raúl noted.

Likewise, the application and extraterritorial nature of the U.S. blockade has been tightened, in particular the persecution of international financial transactions.

The Army General recalled the infamous memorandum of 1960, in which a U.S. official noted that the majority of Cubans supported the revolutionary government and that “The only foreseeable means of alienating internal support is through disenchantment and disaffection based on economic dissatisfaction and hardship (…) to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government.”

“I have never read anything more cynical than those words” Raúl stressed.



The First Secretary of the Party in Santiago de Cuba recalls the events of July 26, 1953, and the heroes of that feat. He calls that the homeland was born in Santiago de Cuba, which is why its residents honor this date with all kinds of tributes and celebrations.

At the same time, important investments are being made. Food production is advancing, while work continues to improve the population’s health.

He stressed that despite Yankee imperialism, hurricanes, blockades, and anything else thrown at the Cuban people, they will never surrender their Revolution, and will remain loyal to Fidel’s ideas.

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Photo: ACN

5:30 a.m. On the 65th anniversary of the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes garrisons, a date that marks the historic continuity of the revolutionary feat that commenced on October 10, 1868, and which consolidated Fidel Castro as the unquestionable leader of the Cuban Revolution, Santiago-based members of the Union of Cuban Journalists, Education sector leaders, and members of Youth Computer Clubs, organized the “En Cuba siempre es 26” (It’s always the 26th in Cuba) twitter campaign, on July 24, higlighting the following ten reasons why Santiago de Cuba is today hosting the National Act to mark the date, and emphasizing the committment to support and defend the continuity of the Revoltuion:

- Santiago de Cuba has the honor of hosting the remains of the historic leader of the Revolution, and the intellectual author of the Moncada assault.

- Fidel Castro is the architect of the July 26 Movement, founded on the Martiana, anti-imperialist and democratic idelogcy that mobilizes the Cuban youth today.

- Because Santiago de Cuba is the crib of the Revolution and many historic leaders, and the eternal resting place of the founders of the Cuban revolutionary process.

- In Santiago de Cuba, the social project that Cubans defend continues, with popular leadership and mobilization.

- In Santiago de Cuba, work is ongoing to ensure a beautiful, clean, ordered and disciplined city for all.

- For the socioeconomic transformations contained with the Santiago Arde project.

- Due to its efficiency in prioritized sectors.

- Because in Santiago de Cuba nothing is impossible with the efforts of all.

- Because Santiago de Cuba, the Herioc City of the Republic of Cuba, rebellious yesterday, is today welcoming and heroic always.

- Because Santiago de Cuba will always await victory.

Today, Cuba is joined in its tributes by its friends both within and beyond the island, social movements, intellectuals, students, youth, professionals, and anyone passionate about the rescueing of national memory, the divulging of the achievvments of the Cuban Revolution, the validity of Fidel’s thought, and unity as an essential factor for the continuity of the Cuban social project.

Hashtags being used to follow the events are: #Cuba #SantiagodeCuba #SantiagoEn26.

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5:27 a.m. Follow our coverage here and on Facebook @GranmaEnglish

A pioneer and young girl speak, recalling the events of the Moncada assault, and calling for eternal glory for the July 26 heroes and matrys.

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5:12 a.m. The act to commemorate Cuba’s National Rebellion Day begins in Santiago de Cuba

The activities begin with the National Athem of Cuba and recorded words of Fidel regarding the herioc events recalled today, July 26.



Photo: ACN

Presiding the tributes are: Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba; Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, member of the Party Central Committee and President of the Councils of State and Ministers of the Republic of Cuba; José Ramón Machado Ventura, Second Secretary of the Party Central Committee; as well as members of the Party Political Bureau, Secretariat and Councils of State and Ministers.

They are accompanied by the people of Santiago, the Party first secretary in the province, Lázaro Expósito Canto, and Beatriz Jhonson Urrutia, a vice president of the Council of State.



http://en.granma.cu/cuba/2018-07-26/min ... ellion-day

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Preparations underway for popular discussion of Constitutional reform
National seminar on consultation process held in Havana

Author: Granma | internet@granma.cu

july 31, 2018 09:07:02


Photo: Tony Hernández
Concluded yesterday, July 30, in Havana was a two-day national seminar on the Constitutional reform consultation process, which included more than 280 provincial representatives of the Party, the Young Communists League, mass organizations, the Union of Jurists, political leaders of the Ministries of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Interior, as well as the commission charged with Implementation and Development of Policy Guidelines, the National Electoral Commission, the Center for Socio-political Studies, and the Ministry of Foreign Relations.

The Sunday session was devoted to an exchange with the committee of deputies charged with drafting the proposal that was debated, modified, and approved by the National Assembly, and will be discussed by the population August 13 through November 15.

On Monday an explanation was presented as to how proposals and comments will be compiled from the more than 135,000 meetings to be held in workplaces, schools, community centers, and abroad - which will be conducted by 7,600 two-person teams who will receive further training.

Some 600,000 copies of the proposed Constitutional reform will be offered for sale at the cost of one CUP, while the draft is also available online.

As Army General Raúl Castro Ruz stated July 26, the success of the popular consultation depends on the active, committed participation of all Cubans, to ensure understanding of the changes proposed, and reaffirm the irrevocable nature of socialism in the country and the continuity of the Revolution.

http://en.granma.cu/cuba/2018-07-31/pre ... nal-reform

One day, when we are socialists, we will have democracy too.

[blindpig]

A new constitution with transformational purpose
Principal elements of proposed constitutional reform outlined by Council of State Secretary Homero Acosta

Author: Homero Acosta | internet@granma.cu

august 2, 2018 12:08:19


Homero Acosta, Council of State Secretary. Photo: Jose M. Correa

Council of State Secretary Homero Acosta outlined the principal elements of a constitutional reform proposal for National Assembly deputies, during the recently concluded period of ordinary sessions:

This proposal is the result of an effort begun by a Work Group led by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, created by the Political Bureau, May 13, 2013, and is based on the relevant Legislative Foundations approved by this body on June 29, 2014.

It is consistent with what was expressed by compañero Raúl Castro Ruz, during the First Party Congress held January 28, 2012, when he called for, “… leaving behind the obstacles of the old mentality and forging a vision of the present and future of the homeland, with transformative intentionality and much political sensitivity, without abandoning for an instant, the legacy of Martí or the Marxist-Leninist doctrine that constitute the principal ideological foundation of our revolutionary process.”

In this sense, obligatory references in this work have been:

- The political thought of the historic leader of the Revolution, compañero Fidel Castro Ruz

- Speeches and directives by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz

- The Conceptualization of Cuba’s Economic and Social Model of Socialist Development

- The National Plan for Economic and Social Development through 2030: Vision of the Nation, Axes, and Strategic Sectors

- The Economic and Social Policy Guidelines of the Party and the Revolution

- The Party Work Objectives, approved by the First Party Congress

Also consulted were several constitutions, first from Latin American countries, among them Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador, which represent the most advanced constitutional works in the region, as well as other constitutional models like those of Vietnam and China, nations which are constructing socialist societies with their own characteristics, as well as constitutional texts from other countries.

In particular, this work required study of our constitutional history, especially the Constitution of 1940, the Fundamental Law of 1959, and the current Constitution of the Republic.

This past June 2, in an extraordinary session, the National Assembly of People’s Power established a Commission charged with preparing a first draft proposal of the Constitution of the Republic.

The Commission has worked intensely throughout this period, taking as a reference the studies done previously, and after a broad debate has produced the text presented here.

July 2 and 3, of this year, the proposed first draft of the Constitution was presented by the Commission to the 7th Plenum of the Party Central Committee.

PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS THAT DISTINGUISH THE DRAFT

The text includes a preamble, 224 articles (87 more than the current Constitution), divided into 11 titles, 24 chapters, and 16 sections. Eleven articles in the current Constitution are maintained, 113 are modified, and 13 eliminated.

The proposal is distinguished by its coherent, systematic structure, achieving a logical rearrangement of the content and avoiding the dispersion of elements. The language used is consistent with terminology that should characterize a constitutional text and fits our economic, political, and social reality. The wording of content in general terms provides for greater flexibility, durability, security, and applicability of the Constitution.The Draft reaffirms the socialist character of our political, economic, and social system, as well as the leading role of the Communist Party of Cuba.The economic system that is reflected in the Draft maintains as essential principles the socialist ownership of the fundamental means of production by the entire people, and planning, to which is added, the recognition of the role of the market and new forms of non-state property, including private property.In a singular fashion, the inclusion of a wide range of rights stands out, in line with international instruments related to this issue which Cuba has signed.

Of special note are those related to the right to a defense, due process, and popular participation, while economic and social rights are re-formulated.

The right to equality’s content is further developed, incorporating, among other elements, the prohibition of discrimination based on gender identity, ethnic origin, and disability.


Every doubt and suggestion was carefully considered by deputies, and many modifications to the proposal were approved. Photo: Jose M. Correa

The possibility is established for persons to appeal to the courts to demand restitution of their rights or compensation for the damages or losses caused by any action or omission on the part of bodies, directors, officials, or employees of the state, in the improper exercise of their functions.

With respect to marriage, modified is the current concept that this is an agreement “between a man and a woman,” now defined as one “between two persons.”

Referring to state bodies, an adequate balance between these is maintained, and added are the figures of President of the Republic, as head of state, and Prime Minister in charge of the Republic’s government. Both are required to be deputies to the National Assembly of People’s Power.

The Council of State maintains its character as the permanent body of the

National Assembly of People’s Power, with greater interaction with the Assembly stipulated, among other aspects, since the President, Vice President, and Secretary of the two bodies will be the same individuals.

An important novelty in terms of state bodies is the establishment of a National Electoral Council, a permanent institution devoted to this area, while the inclusion of the Comptroller General’s Office in the Constitution has been achieved.

In terms of local bodies, Provincial Assemblies of People’s Power are eliminated, and established is a provincial government composed of a governor and a council at this level.

Municipalities acquire a greater role on the basis of recognition of their autonomy, which they exercise in accordance with national interests.

The Municipal Administrative Council is reaffirmed as the body that directs municipal administration, under the leadership of a superintendent, a term proposed to replace those of “president” and “chief” currently used.

In terms of the electoral system, the right to vote for all Cubans who have reached 16 years of age was maintained, with the exceptions established by law.

Defense and national security appear as a title, in which the mission of the National Defense Council is defined, with the authority to carry out tasks in peacetime, the formal recognition of a “disaster situation,” and other situations of an exceptional nature.

Regarding mechanisms for constitutional reform, unlike current stipulations, those who are authorized to do so are identified, as are inalterable clauses.

Special, transitional, and final procedures are stipulated on the effect date of principal questions in the proposal, as well as the period within which complementary regulations are to be established, or current ones modified.

POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS

The wording of the title is new, differentiating political foundations from those of an economic nature.

The definition of the Cuban state as a socialist state of law is intended to reaffirm the principle of constitutional supremacy and the rule of law, and to reinforce socialist institutionality.

The Communist Party of Cuba maintains its role as the leading force in society and the state, while its democratic character and permanent relationship with the people are emphasized.It is specified that the state recognizes and protects the functioning of associations established in accordance with the law.

Current stipulations regarding relations between the state and the church are maintained in their essence.

In terms of constitutional supremacy, established is the duty to abide by the Constitution, and that all dispositions and actions of state institutions, directors, functionaries, and employees must conform to what is stipulated, in accordance with the previous assertion regarding a socialist state of law.

The proposal includes the obligation of state institutions, their leaders, functionaries, and employees to respect and serve the people, maintaining close ties with the population and submitting to their control, via the means established in the Constitution and laws.

Regarding the essential responsibilities of the state, new items include:

- Strengthen national unity;

- Preserve national security;

- Promote sustainable development that assures individual and collective prosperity, and work to reach greater levels of equity and social justice, as well as preserve and expand achievements of the Revolution;

- Consolidate the ideology and ethics intrinsic to our socialist society;

- Protect the nation’s natural, historical, and cultural patrimony;

The principles of our foreign policy were reaffirmed and others were incorporated, among these: the promotion of respect for international law and multi-polarity among states; condemnation of imperialism, fascism, colonialism or neocolonialism in any of its manifestations; defense and protection of human rights and the repudiation of any manifestation of racism or discrimination; promotion of disarmament and the rejection of the proliferation and use of nuclear weapons, mass extermination, and others with similar effects that violate international humanitarian law; repudiation and condemnation of all forms of terrorism, in particular state terrorism; and protection and conservation of the environment and the struggle against climate change.

ECONOMIC FOUNDATIONS

Established as basic principles of the economic model, are the socialist ownership by all the people of the fundamental means of production and the planned direction of the economy, currently cited in the constitutional text, to which is added the recognition of different forms of property, in accordance with the Conceptualization of the Cuban Economic and Social Model of Socialist Development and the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines of the Party and the Revolution.As a novel element, the market is taken into consideration and regulated, within the framework of economic planning, under the principle of avoiding the inequalities it generates and protecting the interests of our society.By defining the different types of property that can coexist in the economy (socialist of all the people; cooperative; mixed; that of political, mass and social organizations; private; and personal) it is recognized that there may be others, and that the state will promote those of a more social nature. In accordance with the Conceptualization of the Cuban Social and Economic Development Model and the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines of the Party and the Revolution, the concentration of property by non-state subjects is proscribed, as a foundation of the Cuban socialist system, and is established as a constitutional precept. Obligatory expropriation is maintained, although only for authorized reasons of public utility or social interest, and with due compensation and guarantees stipulated.

Regarding the socialist property of all the people, the essential assets included are listed, and their inalienable and un-encumberable nature established. The existence of others of this nature is recognized, and defined is the legal regimen for the transfer of property and other rights.

The statement that enterprises only respond to obligations with their financial resources is eliminated. Maintained is the premise that the state is not responsible for obligations assumed by enterprises, while enterprises are not responsible for those of the state.

While diverse forms of property within the economy are recognized, state enterprises are defined as the principal actors, and their autonomy is established as essential to their functioning.

Reaffirmed is the concept that the state directs, regulates, and supervises economic activity, and that planning is the central element in the system guiding economic and social development, with the purpose of facilitating economic activity, reconciling national, provincial, and citizens’ interests.

In line with documents from the Seventh Party Congress, it is established that planning constitutes the central element in the system guiding economic and social development. Likewise emphasized is the participation of workers in the direction, regulation, and supervision of economic activity.

It is recognized that the state guarantees foreign investment and ensures respect for the nation’s sovereignty and the rational use of resources.

Regarding private ownership of land, a special regimen is maintained, stipulating that the sale or transfer of land is only permitted within the limits of the law, and without infringing on the state’s preferential right to purchase it at a fair price.

Maintained are prohibitions on the renting, parceling, mortgaging of land, or any other act that implies a lien or concession of land to private parties.

CITIZENSHIP

The fundamental change is that our non-recognition of dual citizenship is modified, and established instead is the principle of “effective citizenship”, which means that “Cuban citizens, within the national territory, are governed as such and cannot make use of a foreign citizenship.”

RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, & GUARANTEES

In the drafting of this title, rights and responsibilities currently dispersed throughout the Constitution have been grouped together, and others are added to strengthen the regimen of guarantees for citizens and the duty of the state to protect these rights.

The new wording reflects rights recognized in different human rights conventions and protocols which we have signed, given the principles of our political system and without limiting our ability to protect ourselves from counterrevolutionary actions.

It is established that the rights of individuals are only limited by the rights of others, collective security, and precepts set in the country’s legal order.

In terms of public health, the proposal reaffirms this as a right of all persons and that the state guarantees access, free of charge, to treatment, protection and recovery of one’s health, and leaves to the law the specific services to be provided.

Regarding education, this is established as free of charge from pre-school through the undergraduate university level, and defined as secular and a right of all persons, as well as the responsibility of the state, society, and families.

Several new rights are noteworthy, basically in the area of justice and due process, such as habeas corpus (to prevent arbitrary detentions); protection for individuals arrested or imprisoned; the right of citizens to be informed of personal data in public archives and registers; and the reincorporation into society of imprisoned individuals upon their release, etc.

Also included is the right to participate in the nation’s cultural and artistic life.

Established is the right of persons to be compensated for their work based on its quantity, complexity, quality, and results obtained.

The right to receive quality goods and services is incorporated, as well as the right to information about these, and to be attended in an appropriate manner.

Lastly, the civic and political rights and duties of citizens are cited, establishing mechanisms to appeal to the courts of justice to safeguard one’s rights.

PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATONAL, CULTURAL & SCIENTIFIC POLICIES

Given their importance, maintained are the principles that guide educational, cultural and scientific policy, emphasizing the significance of ethical, civic, and revolutionary values for new generations, as well as the protection the state provides to our cultural identity, patrimony, and the nation’s artistic and historic wealth.

STATE STRUCTURE

This section governs issues related to higher bodies and other institutions of the state, as well as a number of questions regarding these.Chapter I: Organization and functioning of state bodies.Reaffirms the current principles of socialist democracy which guide the selection of members of state bodies and the activities they carry out.Chapter II: National Assembly of People’s Power and Council of State.The National Assembly retains its status as the supreme body of the state and the only one with constitutional and legislative power in the country.Its leadership remains the responsibility of a President, Vice President and a Secretary, and maintains, generally speaking, the same authorities recognized in the current Constitution, and introduces a few new ones, including:- Interpret the Constitution; giving the constitutional text greater durability and scope without the need to resort to reform processes to resolve given situations that may arise.- Establish or remove taxes; an authority that given its importance should be the purview of this body, as in other countries.- Approve territorial plans for administrative hierarchies, special regulatory systems for municipalities or other demarcations and districts.The election and designation of the fundamental positions of the state and the government continues as a responsibility of the National Assembly. Added in the proposal are the election of the President and Vice President of the Republic, members of the National Electoral Council, as well as the appointment of a Prime Minister and Provincial Governors, among others.With the proposed concept of the Council of State, under the same leadership as the National Assembly of People’s Power, the goal is to achieve a more effective link between the two bodies and to facilitate continuity in the exercise of their authorities.It is specified that the Council of State will be composed of the President, Vice President and Secretary of the National Assembly of People’s Power, which is empowered to select the rest of the members that comprise it.In search of an adequate balance in the conducting of supervision and a more effective counterweight in the state’s higher bodies, it is established that members of the Council of State may not hold positions on the Council of Ministers or at the leadership level in judicial, electoral, or state control bodies.

The Council of State’s current authorities remain essentially the same, and others have been conferred.

The document indicates that decree-laws enacted and agreements reached by the Council of State are subject to ratification by the National Assembly of People’s Power, in its next session.

Chapter III. President and Vice President of the Republic.The President of the Republic is the head of state, elected by the National Assembly of People’s Power from among its deputies, for a period of five years.

This person may hold the position for two consecutive terms, following which he or she may not serve in this role again.

The President of the Republic must obtain the favorable vote of the absolute majority of deputies, and requirements to assume this responsibility include having reached 35 years of age, to be in full possession of civil and political rights, to be a Cuban citizen by birth, and not hold any other citizenship.

Additionally it is stipulated that an individual may have reached no more than 60 years of age prior to a first term as President.

Among authorities granted are those currently attributed to the President of the Councils of State and Ministers, plus others, including:

- Grant decorations and honorary titles, in representation of the Republic of Cuba; approve the appointments of diplomatic representatives of other states; and grant pardons.- Decide the granting of Cuban citizenship, accept renunciations, and rule on the withdrawal of citizenship.- Lead the National Defense Council; decree general mobilizations and Disaster Situations; as well as propose to the National Assembly or the Council of State, as appropriate, the declaration of war or a state of war in case of military aggression.- Raise the rank or position of the highest ranking officers in the nation’s armed institutions and provide for their cessation.- Ratify laws and decree-laws approved by the National Assembly of People’s Power or the Council of State, and order their publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic.- Convene meetings of the Council of State.- Participate in meetings of the Council of State and preside during those of the Council of Ministers and its Executive Committee.The Vice President of the Republic is elected in the same manner and for the same term as the President, and substitutes the President in the event of his or her absence, illness, or death. If this office is vacated, the National Assembly of People’s Power elects a substitute.In the event of the definitive absence of both the President and the Vice President of the Republic, the National Assembly elects substitutes, and in the interim before this election is held, the President of the National Assembly assumes the office of President of the Republic temporarily.Chapter IV. Government of the Republic.The Council of Ministers maintains its status as the highest executive and administrative body, constituting the Government of the Republic.It will include a Prime Minister, who leads the Council, deputy prime ministers, ministers, a secretary, and other members determined by law.Between meetings, the Council’s Executive Committee may make decisions on issues within the authority of the Council of Ministers.

The Council of Ministers’ authorities, as is the case with bodies previously mentioned, remain essentially the same.

The new Constitution establishes that the Prime Minister is designated by the National Assembly of People’s Power, at the proposal of the President of the Republic, for a period of five years, and with the favorable vote of the absolute majority of the deputies. Established among the Prime Minister’s main duties:- Convene and direct sessions of the Council of Ministers or its Executive Committee.- Review work done by heads of Central State Administration agencies.- Instruct Provincial Governors.- Request that the President of the Republic direct relevant bodies to replace members of the Council of Ministers and, in each case, propose a substitute.- Adopt exceptional decisions on executive-administrative matters within the competence of the Council of Ministers, when the situation or the issue to be resolved requires it, subsequently informing the Council or its Executive Committee for their consideration.Chapter V: Laws.Added to those who currently have legislative initiative are the President of the Republic; the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic; and the National Electoral Council, in areas of their authority.This title also governs issues related to the effect date and publication of legal norms.Chapter VI: Courts of Justice.The new wording reinforces the operational independence of courts and judges in their work to impart justice.Maintained is the requirement that the Supreme People’s Court renders an account of its work to the National Assembly of People’s Power, in the established manner and frequency.It is maintained that magistrates and lay judges of the Supreme People’s Court are elected by the National Assembly of People’s Power or the Council of State. The law regarding the election of other judges is left to the law.Chapter VII: Attorney General of the Republic Office.One of the most significant changes concerns the fundamental mission of the Attorney General’s Office, which prioritizes “the management of criminal investigations and taking public criminal action on behalf of the State,” without ignoring its role in ensuring compliance with the Constitution, laws, and other legal provisions.

Also specified as a novel element is that the Attorney General is directly subordinate to the President of the Republic.

Chapter VIII: Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic.The main mission of this office is that of superior evaluation of administrative management, and ensuring the correct, transparent administration of public funds.The Office of the Comptroller General is also subordinated to the President of the Republic.

TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE STATE

Maintained are current regulations on the country’s political-administrative divisions, and added is the possibility of approving subordinate administrative regimes and special regulatory systems for municipalities or other territorial demarcations, as well as administrative districts.The Municipality is defined as the primary, fundamental political unit of national organization, and its autonomy is recognized, which includes the election of its own authorities, the ability to make decisions regarding the use of resources, and the exercise of its competencies in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

LOCAL BODIES OF PEOPLE’S POWER

The main modification is the elimination of Provincial Assemblies of People’s Power and the establishment of a provincial government consisting of a Governor and a Council.

The provincial government has as its fundamental mission working to promote the economic and social development of its territory, serving as coordinator between the central government and municipalities, which involves the direction, supervision, orientation, and a contribution to reconciling the interests of the province and its municipalities, along with exercising the authorities it is granted in the Constitution and by law.

The Provincial Council is defined as a collegial, deliberative body, presided by the Governor, with presidents of Municipal Assemblies of People’s Power as members, plus the superintendents of Municipal Administrative Councils, and others as determined by law.

The Governor is the highest executive administrative leader of the province, named by the National Assembly of People’s Power, for a five year term, in accordance with principles established by the Council of Ministers, to organize and direct the provincial administration which has its own administrative structure.

The proposal includes the figure of a Deputy Governor, designated by the Council of Ministers, for the same term as the provincial governor.

It is proposed that elections for Municipal Assemblies take place every five years.

Likewise stated is that Municipal Assemblies have the responsibility of guaranteeing the right to petition and to participate of citizens in the locality.

Regarding Municipal Administrative Councils, the proposal specifies that its members are designated by the Municipal Assembly of People’s Power to which it is subordinated. It is collegial in nature and is charged with directing the administration at this level. Noteworthy is the new figure of Superintendent, who is responsible for leading the Council.

ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Voting is defined as a right and responsibility of all citizens, and reaffirms its nature as free, equal, direct, and secret. Eligibility is maintained at 16 years of age.

The National Electoral Council is established as the permanent state body charged with the fundamental mission of organizing, directing, and supervising elections, popular consultations, plebiscites, and referendums that may be convoked, as well as resolving any complaints in this arena.

The National Electoral Council will have autonomy and only respond to the National Assembly of People’s Power. Once an electoral process is concluded, the Council reports the results to the nation.

NATIONAL DEFENSE & SECURITY

Defined here are the principles guiding the country’s defense and security policies, and the strategic concept of war of the entire people as the nation’s defense doctrine.

The National Defense Council is defined as the highest state body charged with the fundamental mission of organizing, directing, and preparing – in peacetime – the country’s defense, and added is the responsibility to ensure adherence to approved laws related to the defense and security of the nation, which implies the authority to maintain its activity at all times.

During exceptional and disaster situations, this Council directs the country and assumes the authorities that are conferred on state and government bodies, with the exception of the National Assembly’s constituent authority.

This body will be headed by the President of the Republic, who will in turn designate a vice president and other members as determined by law.

This title also establishes that the state’s armed forces are the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the armed formations of the Ministry of the Interior, which, in order to to fulfill their duties, have the participation of military and civilian personnel.

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

Reiterated is the stipulation that the Constitution can only be reformed by the National Assembly of People’s Power via approval expressed in a roll call vote, by a two thirds majority of its member deputies.

Those with the authority to initiate a proposal for constitutional reform are designated as: the President of the Republic; the Council of State; the Council of Ministers; National Assembly deputies, via a proposal signed by no less than two thirds of its members; and citizens by way of a petition directed to the National Assembly of People’s Power, signed before the National Electoral Council by at least 50,000 eligible voters.

When the proposed reform refers to the membership or authorities of the National Assembly of People’s Power or the Council of State; to the authorities or term in office of the President of the Republic; or rights, duties, and guarantees established in the Constitution, additionally required is approval by the majority of the nation’s eligible voters in a referendum called for this purpose.

Maintained in the text is the stipulation that the irrevocability of the country’s socialism and our political, social, and economic system is not subject to reform, and neither is the prohibition on negotiating under force, threat, or coercion on the part of a foreign power.

http://en.granma.cu/cuba/2018-08-02/a-n ... al-purpose

[blindpig]

Socialism in Cuba is deeply rooted

Our socialism is not an arbitrary imposition, accepted by a docile people, but rather the result of a conscious, popular decision, upheld for generations, and reaffirmed forcefully in 2002 when more than nine million people signed a petition to include its irrevocable nature in the Constitution

Author: Yudy Castro Morales | internet@granma.cu

august 7, 2018 09:08:32


Cuban socialism is rooted in a fully democratic, popular decision. Photo: Jose M. Correa

Constitutions can also tell the story of a country - a history that takes into account every right won, and the struggles waged to gain them. The letter and spirit of all such texts are a clear reflection of the society they govern, through what is included in their articles and what is not.

The evolution of Cuban constitutional history is an inseparable part of our revolutionary tradition, of the legacy of our independence struggles that have brought us thus far, and that in a January almost sixty years ago, opened the way to take the socialist route with a Revolution “with all and for the good of all,” deeply tied to the thought of Martí and Fidel.

As Army General Raúl Castro Ruz said during the proclamation of our 1976 Constitution, “…the character and content of the Constitution are a reflection of the existing social order, and of the position occupied by one and other classes ….”

In a socialist country, he said at the time, “The Constitution must legally reaffirm the political power of the working class in alliance with the rest of the working masses of the people.

“It will consolidate the socio-economic system based on the ownership of the means of production, on the elimination of exploitation, and the gradual disappearance of class differences. It must guarantee the conquests and rights of workers, the freedom of individuals, and offer real guarantees to ensure their practical exercise.

“… The Constitution we put into effect today legally consolidates what the Revolution has accomplished and legalizes… the objectives proposed for the construction of socialism and communism… every right proclaimed is a right guaranteed by the country’s economic, political, and social reality.”

This Carta Magna, that of 1976, totally socialist and honoring Martí’s belief in Cubans’ devotion to the full dignity of humanity, was approved in a referendum by 97.7% of eligible voters - five and a half million men and women.

Beyond reflecting the political and social order existing in any nation, as is to be expected of a constitution, why is socialism established as irrevocable in the text?

Cuban socialism is not an arbitrary imposition, accepted by a docile people with no voice or vote, as some uninformed or malicious persons proclaim. Its roots lie in a popular decision, of a democratic essence like the Revolution itself, and are reinforced in the consistent efforts of generations of Cubans who have ensured its continuity.

It was May 20, 2002, when then U.S. President George W. Bush, during a meeting in Miami, insolently demanded that Cuba renounce the socialist character of the Revolution in a new Constitution.

Provocative speeches were his strength, perhaps a reflection of a historically interventionist position, ignoring the right to self-determination of peoples to decide how to construct their futures.

Faced with the demand and the disrespect, Cuba’s response was historic: a plebiscite held over a seven-day period, June10-17, 2002.

Support for the socialist system was made clear in several massive marches and more than nine million people expressed their position signing a petition to the National Assembly of People’s Power to modify the Constitution in this regard. Thus the Law of Constitutional Reform was approved June 26, 2002, “which made expressly clear the irrevocable nature of socialism and the political, social, economic system established within it, as well as the prohibition on negotiating with a foreign power under force, threat, or coercion.”

More than 16 years have passed since the last constitutional reform, and in this period, especially the last few years, Cuba’s socio-economic panorama has changed significantly, with the implementation of the Policy Guidelines approved by the Sixth and Seventh Party Congresses.

Thus, increasingly evident was the need to align the Constitution with these new circumstances and adjust some articles to reflect recent experiences in the construction of the national project which we ourselves have designed.

But reforming does not mean renouncing our history, or all that has been done, which is always perfectible.

Once again, in Raúl’s words, expressed during the final session of the constituent session of the Ninth Legislature of the National Assembly of People’s Power, “We do not intend to modify the irrevocable nature of socialism in our political and social system, or the role of the Communist Party of Cuba, as the organized vanguard and leading force in society and the state, as established in Article 5 of the current Constitution, and which we will defend in the next.”

The final constitutional proposal will be the result of a process of broad popular discussion, and will ultimately be submitted to a referendum vote, in a genuine exercise of the people’s right to participate, always as effective as it is conscious.

As has now become common, important decisions must be based on majority consensus, but not as a simple formality expressed with one’s presence, but rather playing a leading role, taking advantage of the opportunity to be part of the decision, not as a percentage number but making an individual contribution.

The goal, as President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez said, is “to achieve a constitutional law that reflects the enduring nature of a sovereign, independent, socialist, democratic, prosperous, and sustainable nation, at the same time inclusive, in which the institutionality of the state in strengthened and Martí’s thought prevails.”

http://en.granma.cu/cuba/2018-08-07/soc ... ply-rooted

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Why is there a unique party in Cuba?
Excerpt from the speech delivered by Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz during the closing of the X Ordinary Period of Sessions of the Third Legislature of the National Assembly of People's Power

Author: Fidel Castro Ruz | internet@granma.cu

August 16, 2018 21:08:04


Act in the Closing of the 2nd. Congress of the PCC Photo: Archive of Granma

The multi-party system is the great instrument of imperialism to keep societies fragmented, divided into a thousand pieces; It turns societies into impotent societies to solve problems and defend their interests.

A country fragmented into ten pieces is the perfect country to dominate it, to subjugate it, because there is no will of the nation, since the will of the nation is divided into many fragments, the effort of the nation is divided into many fragments, the All intelligences are divided, and what they have is a constant and endless struggle between the fragments of society.

A Third World country can not afford that luxury. They really give it to many, of course they have been giving it for a while, and for a long time a large part of them have been subjugated and dominated.

Of course, in a society that has to face the problems of underdevelopment and has to develop under the difficult conditions that are developing in today's world, unity is essential. (...)

(...) So I have the deepest conviction that the existence of a party is and should be, in a very long historical period that no one can predict until when, the form of political organization of our society. (...)


(Taken from the speech at the closing of the X Ordinary Period of Sessions of the Third Legislature of the National Assembly of Popular Power)

http://www.granma.cu/cuba/2018-08-16/po ... 8-21-08-04

Google Translator

[blindpig]

They claim that EE. UU feeds the counterrevolution in Cuba through Facebook
While the United States is creating a scandal for the supposed Russian intervention in social networks to influence the 2016 elections that Donald Trump won, the evidence has been uncovered that the US government uses Facebook to spread fake news from Cuba and to promote clandestinely the dissidence on the Island

Author: Rosa Miriam Elizalde | internet@granma.cu

August 22, 2018 09:08:13


This plan fits into a long history of trying to use technology to match propaganda against Cuba. Photo: Taken from Cubadebate

While the United States is creating a scandal for the supposed Russian intervention in social networks to influence the 2016 elections that Donald Trump won, today evidence has been uncovered that the US government uses Facebook to spread fake news from Cuba and encourage clandestinely the dissidence on the Island.

The Florida weekly Miami New Times revealed on Wednesday that it has had access to documents from the government Office of Transmissions to Cuba (OCB), by Radio and TV Martí, where it is revealed that the Trump administration has been using accounts for two years. of Facebook that seem "native" (of real people on the Island) to spread propaganda without informing Cuban users of Facebook that it is US government advertising.

According to the report obtained by the weekly, due to the failure of Radio and TV Martí, "the OCB's strategy has focused on an offensive through social networks, based on metrics that place YouTube, Google and Facebook among the Most visited sites in Cuba. With the use of AVRA technology (Audio and Video for Radio), Radio Martí programs began to be transmitted through Facebook Live along with TV Marti programming. This provides the OCB with an efficient and cost-effective additional distribution output both for its radio (now visual radio) and for the TV content.

"In fiscal year 2018, the OCB has been establishing with island digital equipment (read" dissidents "paid by the US) that create native and" unbranded "Facebook accounts to disseminate information. The "native" pages increase the chances of appearing in the news of Cuban users of Facebook. The same strategy will be replicated in other preferred social networks ».

Miami New Times assures that the documents do not explain what federal agents mean by "unmarked" or "native" Facebook pages, but it is clear that they should look like the pages of regular users of social networks to persuade Cubans to read the propaganda of Radio and TV Martí.

According to the weekly, both government radio stations have spent more than 800 million dollars for years on the part of the US taxpayer, in their unsuccessful effort to influence Cuban public opinion.

This plan fits into a long history of trying to use technology to match propaganda against Cuba, says University of Pennsylvania professor John S. Nichols.

"There are certainly warning signs here," says Nichols, co-author of the book Clandestine Radio Broadcasting: A Study of Revolutionary and Counterrevolutionary Electronic Communication ( A Study of Revolutionary and Counterrevolutionary Electronic Communication ) (1987), on the efforts of the OCB. "It is the latest plan in a long list of efforts of Radio and TV Martí and their predecessors to try to overcome the laws of physics ... Every time they fail to get their message to Cuba, they say that there must be some technological solution »

Instead, he adds, Congress "does not seem to recognize that both seasons are a colossal failure. It's sad because they're spending taxpayers' money. But what is really wasted is our credibility as a great nation in doing this kind of stupid and stupid things. "

Prominent figures from both sides of the American political spectrum, including Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake, have described these OCB programs as counterproductive and a waste of money. The Democratic representative Betty McCollum liquidated the AeroMartí platform in 2015 (to broadcast the Radio and TV Martí broadcasts to Cuba from an airplane) and assured that the OCB was an "unnecessary" office.

"Marti radio and television are outdated Cold War artifacts," McCollum said in a 2015 statement. "Our taxpayers should not be funding propaganda transmissions."

But the programs continue to exist thanks to a handful of anti-Cuban lawmakers, including Miami representative Mario Diaz-Balart, a long-time promoter of Radio and TV Marti, the Miami New Times says.

Earlier this year, Senator Marco Rubio helped install Tomás Regalado, an old friend, as head of the Radio and TV Martí programs. Since then, Regalado has made great promises about how both stations have new plans to reach "5 million" of Cuban citizens in the coming years.

Regalado appeared last week on the Spanish-language network MegaTV to brag about the use of new mysterious technologies that the Cuban government is supposedly unable to block. He said that 200 Cubans had received receivers that would help in this new attempt.

"It is a technology that did not exist, and since the government does not know it, it will be almost impossible to block it," said Regalado before the cameras.

Nichols argued to the Florida weekly that this type of propaganda through social networks is damaging the position of the United States before the world.

"Third countries see what we are doing and say:" Here goes the United States again doing that nonsense "», and adds: «He is short, petty and not worthy of great power. Other countries will say: "If EE. UU is willing to violate international law, why should we obey our contractual obligations? "I think it has a long-term negative effect. And given what Radio and TV Martí could be doing at the moment, it's hard for us to complain about what other countries might be doing against us. "

The report accessed by the Miami New Times is the budget request of the OCB for fiscal years 2018 and 2019. It does not reveal the identities of the "native" and "unbranded" false accounts created in the social network, but the administrators of Facebook if you know what they are. For those extravagant coincidences of life, this information coincides with the decision of the social network founded by Marc Zuckerberg to eliminate hundreds of alleged false accounts of Russians and Iranians allegedly involved in several campaigns of misinformation.

Will Facebook also eliminate false accounts created by the US government for regime change in Cuba? Will the US Attorney designate Robert Mueller or another of his lineage to investigate these abuses, as he has done to determine the alleged Russian interference through Facebook in the 2016 elections?

SAGA FAILED RADIO AND TV MARTÍ

1985 : Radio Martí began broadcasting, and five years later, television aggression began when a television transmitter was put into service aboard a captive aerostat at 3,000 meters high in one of the keys in the south of the state of Florida. .

2005 : Hurricane Dennis disappeared the captive balloon located at 10 thousand feet of height in Cudjoe Key, from where Television Martí was transmitted. The OCB replaced it with the "AeroMartí" platform.

2014 : the OCB created the Piramideo unwanted text message service, which failed. He then tried to smuggle small satellite devices into the island, but the project was aborted because, in addition to being expensive, the "dissidents" used the terminals to watch pornography.

2015 : Deactivate «AeroMartí».

2018 : President Trump created the Internet Task Force for Cuba, which according to the Department of State "will examine the technological challenges and opportunities to expand Internet access and independent media in Cuba." It is clear that this Task Force has encouraged the digital fantasy of the OCB.

Several investigations of the Office of Government Oversight (GAO), have acknowledged that there is solid evidence that Radio and Television Marti are not heard or seen in Cuba. According to Miami New Times, this saga has cost the US taxpayer more than 800 million dollars. (Taken from Unblocking Cuba )

http://www.granma.cu/mundo/2018-08-22/a ... 8-09-08-13

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