"The feeling of complying with the most sacred duty, to fight imperialism wherever you are"
Che

It could be said that very few American journalists were in Cuba in December 1958. One of them was called Lee Lockwood, who left a record of his experiences in the book he wrote, titled "CASTRO'S CUBA, CUBA´S FIDEL”.

The book to which I refer not only collects impressions of Lockwood on his first trip to the island, but also other trips that he made during the years 1965 and 1966.

I considered it appropriate to select some paragraphs of the book that can give us an idea of its content and the situation that the journalist found.

"In this process, the United States has played a significant and shameful role. Almost from the moment when Castro took power, the US government has made every effort to overthrow the government and replace it with a reactionary one representing the status quo ante. With the exception of slight differences the US policy toward Cuba has had almost no changes during the administrations of Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson."

What Lockwood expressed in this book, which was published in 1969, more than 45 years ago, it is in full force right now. The US policy towards Cuba remains shameful, especially as developed in recent years by Mr. Obama, typical of what they call "soft diplomacy" that is simply using ideological and political subversion to try to achieve same goal pursued by all previous Democratic and Republican administrations: the overthrow of the Cuban Revolution. I would dare to that say, as well as shameful, was arrogant and erroneous.

"Castro continually minimized his own role in the revolutionary process, both before and after 1959. Here too, I think what motivates him is not false modesty, but placing himself at the service of the Marxist theory. "An individual cannot make history. The masses are what make history, it is the people who are doing it," Castro said, referring to the thought of Marx. But it is undeniable that Fidel has been the creator, driving force, guide and spokesman for the Revolution since the 1953 attack was carried out, to the present."

This approach confirms what Fidel has always had as a motto, trust and relationship with the people about their concerns, problems, suggestions and opinions, which have been very useful to him to carry on the work of the Revolution. First politicization and education of the masses, their preparation to confront the enemies of the revolution in the military field and especially in the field of ideas. The political, cultural and scientific development of our nation so that it occupies a major place in the world community.

"Ten years after leaving the mountains, Fidel tries to make Cuba the Sierra Maestra of the world and the Cuban Revolution its guerrilla core.  The little engine that will run the big engine. Once again Castro is leading a guerrilla war against impossible goals, isolated but with a firm conviction, striving to ignite the spark that will ignite the world into another, larger and definitive revolution. The process is not over, only entering a new phase."

Fidel has always been a tireless fighter. In addition, a master of dialectics who has managed to use ideas and resources for the fight against the empire. It could be said that he has managed to have thousands of guerrillas in countries around the world. These guerrillas have as their weapons their ideas, culture, science and technology, scientific development, transmitting the example of Cuba via international solidarity.

That is the new phase in which Fidel and the Cuban Revolution continues its efforts to ignite the spark.

August 12, 2016

PUBLISHED BY AFRICA ON THE MOVE

(revised by ALAI)

THE HERALD GROUP sarahnes@cubarte.cult.cu

(Note: the quotes from the book are translated from the Spanish version).