Cuba

We received this report on the activities in the Ukraine in support of the Cuban “Miami Five”, which we are making available to our readers. It underlines the hypocrisy and double standards of the US Administration, which in words condemns “terrorism” but in practice keeps five Cubans in prison who were actually combating terrorism.

The bourgeois internationally are hoping that when Castro dies their plans to reintroduce capitalism on the island can be concretised. The imperialists have different opinions about how this is to be achieved, but the real threat to the Cuban Revolution comes from within.

The following resolution in support of the Miami 5 was passed unanimously at the recent World Congress of the International Marxist Tendency.

We publish an article from Morning Star by Ron Ridenour, in which he examines the kind of books being published in today's Cuba and comments on the changing intellectual climate in which the ideas of Trotsky are more and more discussed.

Fidel Castro’s illness has posed what will come once he departs this world. The capitalist are looking at different ways of restoring capitalism. Within the state and party in Cuba there are clearly pro-capitalist elements. It is the duty of the workers and youth of the world to defend the Cuban revolution.

This is the foreword written by Alan Woods for Ariel Dacal and Francisco Brown Infante's book recently published in Cuba by Editorial Ciencias Sociales. Already launched in Havana, their book "Russia: from real socialism to real capitalism" is an interesting analysis of the reasons for and consequences of the fall of the USSR.

Today marks the 53rd anniversary of that day when a handful of courageous young Cuban revolutionaries attempted to overthrow the tyrannical regime by attacking the Moncada barracks. Although they failed, they prepared the ground for victory a few years later. More than ever the Cuban revolution requires the support of the international labour movement.

Now that the Havana Book Fair is over we can give a general overview of the event. Over half a million people attended, and for the second year running we, the Spanish Frederick Engels Foundation, were there with our publications. Again there was keen interest in Trotsky’s works. The Cuban edition of Reason in Revolt is selling very well, and there are plans for a Cuban edition of Alan Woods’ book on Venezuela.

The last leg of Alan Woods’ speaking tour of Cuba was in Santiago de Cuba. He spoke at two meetings at the Universidad de Oriente. There was keen interest and people noted the difference between genuine Marxism and the stale old Soviet manuals. A large part of the discussion was dedicated to the situation in Venezuela. Alan insisted that the revolution in Venezuela “will not be completed until a radical expropriation of the capitalist class takes place”.

More than 65 people gathered on Monday, February 13th at the Casa Don Fernando Ortiz of the Havana University for the second launch of Reason in Revolt in Havana. The launch had been jointly organised by the Spanish Marxist publishing house F. Engels Foundation and the Cuban Ciencias Sociales, which have jointly printed the first Cuban edition of the book.

On February 9th, Alan Woods was invited to speak at the Centre of European Studies (CEE) in Havana. The meeting was attended by researchers from the CEE, journalists and members of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos, ICAP). The main theme of the discussion was the state of the class struggle in Europe.

Alan Woods’ visit to Cuba has had an important echo, in particular in the official news agencies of Cuba and Venezuela, such as Prensa Latina and the Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias (ABN) and Cuban TV. They refer to the book Reason in Revolt written by Alan together with Ted Grant. Significantly, they also quote key elements of Alan’s speech in which he highlights the fact that to guarantee the victory of the revolution in Venezuela it is necessary to expropriate the capitalists and landlords. To view the texts and photos that have been published by these agencies we are providing the links.

Yesterday the Cuban edition of Reason in Revolt was launched at the Havana Book Fair with Alan Woods and Adan Chavez speaking. A common thread in the discussion was that there was an urgent need for such a book, which demonstrates the validity of dialectical materialism and how it can be applied to all spheres of life, in particular scientific study. The publication of the book in Cuba is a tremendous achievement and hopefully more such publications will be forthcoming in the near future.

The Spanish Frederick Engels Foundation, after last year’s successful intervention, is once more at the Havana Book Fair, which opened over the weekend. Last year there was great interest in Trotsky’s works. This year the intervention will have an even higher profile with Alan Woods speaking at the fair, launching the Cuban edition of Reason In Revolt. He will also speak at several other meetings.

The Cuban revolution continues to resist all attempts to undermine it. This recent film shows different aspects of Cuban life today, its positive and negative sides, and although there are problems the overall impression is that a large part of the population understands the need for the revolution to survive.

Celia Hart comments on her experience with the comrades from the Spanish Marxist current El Militante, spreading Trotsky’s ideas at the Havana bookfair.