CASTRO ASSAILS ATTACK ON HAVANA SHORE AREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000100720012-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 22, 1998
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: November 14, 1965
• Content Type: TRANS

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NOV 14 1965
CPYRGHT
Havana Domestic Television and Radio Services in Spanish 1442 GMT 14 November 1965--F
(S~.ech by Prime Minister Fidel Castro at the graduation exercises for doctors and
stomatologists, relayed live from Turquino Peak in the Sierra Maestra)
(Text) Honored guests, professors, graduates' of medicine and stomatology, students,
and peasants:
It is not easy to deliver these graduation remarks on Turquino Peak without going
into some important detail--these hills'have always been Turquino Peak--for a number
of reasons, and foremost because I know very well all that you who come here have
done. I know well the long hours of the march, the exhaustion, the thirst, worry in
some cases, the desperation, and the considerable heroic will and strength you have
shown to be able to get here. There is something that cannot be told with words;
it is really that moment when one gets to Turquino. Each one has his own way of
expressing this. Some are speechless while others cry with emotion. But I do not
believe there is a single person who at that moment does not experience a unique
feeling of infinite satisfaction because of the accomplishment, the victory won, and
the will power shown, for in some individual cases this is really what could be
called an heroic effort.
Nobody climbs mountains with ease. Nobody climbs mountains with ease and without
effort. Even so,.there are some peasants who climb and descend at almost a run and
with a load on their backs. But they do not climb the mountains without some effort.
They have simply gotten used to this continuous effort, to this sacrifice. Of
course, for some it is greater than for others, but the collective spirit with which
we arrived here is truly admirable. If there is something worth emphasizing, it is
the sense of honor and modesty which prevailed in this contingent of comrades and
women comrades who make this journey. We, who have traveled these mountains on
several occasions, both in the days of war and later, have seen how you have behaved,
and I want to say that truly the level--if this can be measured in percentage or in
any way--of modesty, the sense of obligation and honor that we have seen on this
trip is superior to any we have seen before. (applause)
FOIAb3b
During the war there were many who came to join our forces, but-..of these, many left.
At the school where we trained those who wanted to join our rebel forces and did
not have weapons, it can be said that out of every 100,80 left. Of course, the other
20 were unquestionably good. On many other occasions and excursions, the number of
those who (Castro chuckles) have returned has been much greater.
This universal spirit, this feeling of sacrifice and abnegation which we have observed,
has been very,. very, very much noticed by us. And it is of particular importance
to stress and to admire the effort made by a substantial group of professors from the
Medical School. (applause) It is not, of course, that the professors of the Medical
School are old men (Castro smiles), as some have called them, "the old men." 1. 1
(Castro laughs) Actually we can say that our university faoUlties,arer;quite..ypungi,
(Castro laughs) and these include the Medical. School. ?
Conmueer
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But we must say that the type of activity, in general, of the professors--
even though they are not old, very oldA-their lack of contact with nature, of the
chances of engaging in strong physical activity and exercises (are not conducive
to good conditioning--ed.) although it may be said in passing that I know of
some who, having had this experience--plan on getting in proper shape for any
future eventualities such as this one. Some who were very healthy continued to be
so, of course, but they stumbled here and there and this trip to Turquino has been
like a warning not to let themselves be weakened, actually, by mere intellectual
work.
CPYRGHT
In any case, we have all noticed this very much. And we were highly delighted to
see that this university (graduation--ed.), about which Dr. Dorticos spoke, this
School of Medicine from where,'unfortunately--Itm not going to say solely for
political reasons, because we are going to be fair--because of a mixture of political
reasons and poor work done in the first period of the revolution, many university
professors deserted. What I say about poor work I say as a matter of self
criticism, which is just for us to say and, of course, not as an excuse for anyone
because no subjective factor, no poor work justifies the desertion from duty of
anyone. But it is very satisfactory to know that our-medical and stomatological,
well let's call it medical sciences faculty in a word, iri.?a single concept, can
count on professors of this type, of this spirit.
Actually, at a moment such as today's--a moment marking the triumph of our
.medicine, not only in its scientific aspects--in these it'(the triumph--ed.) is
unquestionably magnificent. (Castro leaves thought incomplete--ed.) And those
who said that our university was improvising doctors, we must remind them that
they who graduate here today began to study at the university and have been taking
their courses for the past seven years of revolution.
What is more, they have studied incomparably better conditions than before, with a
rigor, a discipline, a morale. such as has never been seen in our university--a
morale which permits us to. say with pride that the. student who tries to cheat or to
obtain a grade by fraud does not need the university authorities to punish him because
the students themselves, with a very high sense of duty and 'justice, take care of
expelling them from their midst. (applause)
When did our university experience anything like this in the past? When did your
students'ever acquire this moral conscience to repudiate fraud, lies, to the unearned
grade and diploma? But it's not just the scientific level, but the extraordinary
human quality attained by our students,in general, and most especially, by our medical
sciences students.
This is why I say today is a day of victory for our medicine, for our university,
and'it has necessarliy to be a day of deep satisfaction to all those who have
contributed to this, because today it may be said that it is worthwhile to be a
professor of a school or a faculty producing such men. (applause) It is a source of
pride to come forth with a title from that faculty, and it is a source of pride to :J:
belong to that contingent, to that generation that today we are graduating and
that demonstrates a lesson for us of how men who have faith can do great things,
and seriously of how.the men of poor faith,'the men who do not believe in other men,
those who desert, who abandon their pbligation, are incapable of ever achieving qny-
th(nir enve 43,a ......t aI~ L..
Contfhuei'
Q Nov
14 1965
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On tni.; F-i.p, many of you have had the opportunity to comprehend many things with-
au'
word-, without ;indoctrination, without speeches, in'that familiar but eloquent
language of realities, of the social realities, and human realities, because I
am sure that more than abstract ideas, inclinations, vocation, the natural
conaiti.on of each one of you, which. is unquestionably good, will, contribute so
that you will know how to fulfill your obligation, so that on every occasion you
will know how to carry yourself in the best manner and reflect the attitude of the
peasants of these mountains. (app llause) The class of men and women which you
nave seen, also the kindness, the friendliness, the generosity, the solidarity,
the recognition, the gratitude, of these men and women, of the young and old, who
have worked under such difficult conditions, who have developed and lived in these
mountains, their absolutely spontaneous actions, the flowers with which they
welcomed us, the fruits of their harvests, their coffee and water, their willing-
ness to help us; the cooperation they gave us in the organization of everything;
their affection for the doctors--this is why I spoke about gratitude and
recognition, because they showed (the doctors.-.ed.) how much the people appreciate
their work, how much the people love you, how much this peasantry shows you the
high regard they have for the social role you are going to play.
But .furthermore, they supply us this revolutionary lesson by giving us a better
understanding than any words or argument could provide why we fight and for whom
we fight; why we struggle in the revolution and for whom we struggle in the
revolution, and who is accomplishing and depending the revolution. (One senses
this--ed.) when one comes into these mountains, not because these mountains
were the scene of the struggle, but because these mountains are an expression of
the fruits of that struggle; and when one approaches the Minas del Frio school and
the boys begin to appear, those impressive, revolutionary realizations of our
people, that kind of men and youth who are being formed there, that contingent
of future educators, that meeting of.our university students with those other
forces which surge, that spirit, that level of awareness in our peasants, that
level of education and culture, that human sensibility, that entirely new
attitude before life, that secureness, that confidence, that optimism of an entire
population and not only its confidence, but its optimism, its secureness in the
future, but also its force. Because these peasants not only showed us their
kindness and their solidarity, their sensibility, they also showed us as allies
and stalwarts of the workers, of the revolutionary intellectuals, the force with
which they can defend their cause. (applause)
We have heard many comrades speak with admiration and praise of the mountain
companies., (applause) They have been able to see what organized force of the
peasants i.s-~-?the invincible force, amassed in its entirety, in their knowledge
of these mountains, in their ability to appear day or night, rain or shine,
through any gap or mountain pass with or without light, whether there be roads
or not. This shows that nothing or nobody could defeat such a force.
We know this well and we know what this means. We know what this world represents,
oecause there are two worlds. There are always two worlds, and we must say two,
because the. difference is so outstanding, so radical between one type of people
and another, between one type of men and another; the difference is so
in;;ommensurable in all the orders among that deeply revolutionary people and that
minority, repugnant of weak mind, repugnantly incapable of all sensibility,
repugnantly incapable of all human solidarity.
OOatf'aued
C N
)V 14 1965
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01
NOV
That difference is so big that it can be said that these things of the revolution
will never be understood until one has contacts with these realities, because when
one only has contact with part of the realities, when one only has contact with
one of these worlds, nothing about the revolution is known. It is lived, it is
felt, it is learned when one has contact with this revolutionary world, which is
the world that has surrounded all of us these days.
I was also telling you that it was hard for us to say these things, because these
mountains are naturally very dear for us. These plaurs are for us very sacred.
And for us who were men of faith, who with very little naterial resources, who
against great obstacles had to fight while maintaining our confidence and our
faith steadfast, it is logically moving for us to pass through these places, to
attend this event, to see this graduation, in places such as these. We understand
the great importance that faith has for the people, faith in mankind, faith in
his fellow man.
It is because of this faith, by mobilizing these moral forces, by mobilizing wills
and virtues, which abound in such great amounts in our country, that this project
of the revolution was possible; that this incredible school city which is arising
is possible; that this, even more incredible school'where 9,000 youths will be
admitted next term to get teacher training is possible; and that this degree of
optimism, assurance, confidence, and happiness in our peasants and our people is
possible. It is because of this that we behold with such a sense, with such a
spirit the difficulties that may still lie before us. It is with such a spirit
that we must behold those who presume to destroy this work; those-who , dream of-the
impossible--to go backward, to move uphill, against this implacable creative torrent
of our revolution.
We must look with contempt on those who want to destroy this; those who want to
replace this with yesterday, with the past; who want to replace all the beauty
which the revolution creates with all the putridness which the revolution swept
out. (applause) It is logical for our enemies to be hurt by this victory. It
is logical for our enemies to be pained by this graduation. How can it not but
pain them? And they show it. It is logical for our enemies'to be extraordinarily
displeased by all the prospects of progress implied by this in every field;
(displeased about--ed.) our organization not just about our educational institutions
which train professionals and technicians, but about our Ministry of Public Health,
about our television, about our technicians who were capable of doing this which
for the first time happens in our country (applause), the unimaginable (feat--ed.)
of transmitting by television the graduation from Turquino Peak. The oath taken
by the graduating students has been a success, a step forward, a deed accomplished.
Its revolutionary content is internationalist. All this must pain them considerably.
Perhaps they tried'to counteract this in some manner yesterday or last night,
according to reports arriving this morning, and which I am going to read to you:
"At 0245 in the morning, approximately, a pirate launch opened fire toward land
at Laguna Street in Havana. Three or four minutes later, another pirate launch,
apparently looking for the President's house, opened fire hitting the National
Aquarium many times with madhinegun fire."
And that this should happen today of all days. What a magnificent opportunity
to draw a contrast;'what a splendid opportunity to compare the work of the
revolution and the work of the counterrevolution; to compare the symbolism of
400 doctors and stomatologiats graduating on Turquino peak to, bring' health, to
bring life (Castro highly agitated at this point--ed.) to bring happiness to the
people. (applause)
14 1965
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And the miserable ones, the miserable ones at the service of imperialism, of
reaction, the most bastard selfishness, fire machineguns, against any house--
they do not care if they kill a mother, if they kill a child. It is obvious that
his incident is the result of desperation. It is a result of the irritation
of our enemies who suffer defeat after defeat in all fields such as the defeat
they suffered as a result of the proposals of the Revolutionary Government on
28 September, because we must say, we must say that it was not the imperialists
who opened the doors, it was we who opened them with a handful of truths uttered
opportunely. (applause). It was the :revolution with its ethics, with its truth
which-??giva..g a push to the doors that imperialism closed with lies and with
hypocrisies-'opened the door to the counterrevolutionary worms or' those similar
to the imperialist monster.
And this, it appears, pains them. Who must we blamed for these villainies if
not the Government of the United States? Whom must we blame if not the CIA, who
are the ones who have perpetrated all types of misdeeds and crimes against this
country?
And when we were presenting diplomas to that mother dressed in mourning clothes,
and to that father whose son could not be graduated here today, it hurts our soul
to remember that other strike, that other crime of Giron, by virtue of which,
on a day like today, a mother had, to come dressed in mourning clothes to receive
the diploma of a young Cuban, of a young man who was preparing himself to become
a physician, This reminded us of all the depravities which they have committed
against us.
But I am going to say straight from ;the'heart that' it is not bad that they harass
us! That it is good that they do harass ust It is not had thn~ cney, our
enemies, behave as they are, because we will know hew to carry ourselves as we
are, as their irreconcilable enemies. (applause). Because we in reality do not
want peace of any kind with Imperialism. While there is imperialism and while there
nations that are victims of imperialist aggression, and while there are nations that
fight against imperialism, their cause will be our cause, no'matter in what corner
of the world. (applause)
It is for that reason that we will continue to prepare-ourselves, even if it
costs resources and energy. We will continue to arm ourselves to the teeth.
(applause) We will continue to prepare the people, we will continue to organize
mountain militia units, in the fields, in the cities,and everywhere. (applause)
Each one of you knows that this nation which you have seen here has the conditions
and the capacity to go into combat and to fight, and to struggle to the last drop
of blood. (applause) It is not because we are war-like, but because we have
d f - ''ecause we have a navion an; pa tr iotis=, because we have se.. -rest'pe^.tv
and because we do not consider life as ignominious or as indecent, that we can do
nothing more but to react against all that filth, against all that dirt, against
all that poverty, against all that banditry, against all that insolent shamelessness
of the imperialists.
It is good to proclaim.it here from Turquino peak, because the triumph of the
revoution has not made'us weaker. The successes of the revolution have not made us
less revolutionary, but they have made us more revolutionary. This climb of
Turquino by our students, by our professors,. by all of us, symbolizes that spirit
which brought us to these mountains--this spirit is today like yesterday and will
always be our }spirit, the spirit of iur..revolution. (applause)
Fatherland or death, we will winl (prolonged applause)
~OV 14 1965
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