If They Touch Cuba, They Touch Grenada
[20 December 1980]

Comrade delegates

Comrades

On behalf of the Central Committee of the New Jewel Movement, the vanguard party of the Grenada Revolution, I bring warm, brotherly, revolutionary greetings to this Second Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba.

The report presented to this congress by Comrade Fidel Castro shows beyond doubt that the Cuban people have benefitted tremendously over the last five years by the successes of the program designed by the party and implemented with great revolutionary zeal by the Cuban people.

In this room are gathered the finest sons and daughters of revolutionary Cuba, the vanguard of the Cuban people, and the Cuban revolution, the undoubted inheritors of the mantle of Martí,  Mella, Camilo, and Che.

You have demonstrated, over the past few days, a remarkable amount of discipline, patience, organisation, enthusiasm, militancy, and deep understanding of the problems which continue to face your country and of the solutions for redressing those problems.

But what is remarkable about Cuba is that you, comrades assembled here, are a symbol of the whole people of revolutionary Cuba.

I was honoured to be present at Revolution Square on International Workers’ Day this year and what I saw before me was not just the largest gathering that I had ever seen assembled in one place but in that massive ocean of people, in that extraordinary multitude of one and a half million people, I observed the very same qualities of discipline, enthusiasm, organisation, and militancy.

I observed, too, a sense of deep patriotic combativeness and revolutionary fervour. Who could fail to have been excited by that historic moment and inspired and rejuvenated by that display of enthusiasm?

As Fidel said, such a people do indeed deserve victory and a place in history.

In every corner of our region, the masses joined this unanimous call and demand by the revolutionary people of Cuba for an end to the criminal blockade, an end to the illegal spy flights, an end to the immoral occupation of the Guantánamo naval base.

Imperialism can no longer remain deaf to this thunderous call of the people of the region and must end the violation of the sovereignty of Cuba.

Cuba has been a beacon for us in Grenada. It has both taught and reminded us of many important lessons. It has reminded us of the central role of the party in building the revolution.

It has reminded us of the critical importance of being the genuine vanguard of the people, building and maintaining close links with the people through the mass organisations.

There can obviously be no doubt that without the leadership and guidance of the Communist Party of Cuba, the heroic vanguard of the Cuban people, there would not have been such dramatic improvements in health, education, economic development and diversification, the raising of political and class consciousness, and the development of a genuine spirit of proletarian internationalism.

Because of this, because of the exemplary success of the Cuban Revolution, imperialism has unashamedly dedicated itself to Cuba’s destruction.

Those who have attempted it know that the revolution is indestructible. But the newcomers seem to believe that they can turn back the clock of history and therein lies serious danger.

We hope that we are wrong, but we see the possibility of dangerous adventurism on the horizon. We know there are plans to “teach a lesson,” as these elements say, to Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Grenada.

We know that we are not alone. The people of Cuba unhesitatingly and unselfishly came to our aid in the first weeks of our revolution.

When our revolution was at its most vulnerable stage, when imperialism and its mercenary forces threatened to blockade and invade our revolution, Cuba provided us with the military means necessary to defend and secure our young revolution.

That dealt a decisive blow to the designs and ambitions of imperialism.

Consistent with its internationalist principles, Cuba provided urgently needed assistance in the areas of health, education, communication, and fisheries.

Today, as I speak to you, dear comrades, there are over 250 Cuban internationalist construction workers working side by side with the Grenadian people to build a modern international airport, a project which will create the basis for the expansion of our economy.

This is internationalism in its most profound manifestation.

We have seen internationalism at work thanks in large measure to our steadfast Cuban friends and their allies in the socialist and progressive world.

We too have learned the lessons of internationalism, and all our comrades in struggle should know that they are not alone.

For once again, in the name of the Grenadian revolution, we give our solemn pledge that wherever circumstances require we shall unhesitatingly fulfill our internationalist responsibilities.

Imperialism must know and understand that if they touch Cube, they touch Grenada, and if they touch Nicaragua, they touch Grenada.

From the earliest stages of our revolution, the imperialist powers attempted to dictate with whom we should be friends. They threatened to undermine and destroy our economy, they threatened economic, political and diplomatic blockade.

They encouraged mercenaries to organise invasions of our territory, they launched a vicious propaganda campaign against us.

Over the last twenty months, we have, with internationalist aid and support characteristic of this congress, resisted all efforts to destabilise our revolutionary process.

We stand firmly on the principle of our anti–imperialist democratic revolution and we work consistently to preserve it.

We have practiced the principle of peaceful coexistence and stand in full support of world peace and détente.

We continue to oppose colonialism, racism, Zionism, and apartheid. We stand in solidarity with all peoples fighting for their national sovereignty and independence throughout the world.

We have mobilised our people at all levels to defend our revolution to the last drop of blood. The stronger the revolution, the more determined is imperialism to defeat it.

The geopolitical realities of our region make our task even more challenging. Every four years in the month of November, the USA elects a president and just after that, on January 20, the president is inaugurated.

In 1961, less than three months after John F. Kennedy became president, the CIA launched an attack against Cuba, now known as the Playa Girón fiasco. This led to the first military defeat of imperialism in this region.

With renewed efforts in reactionary circles to restore the dirty work of the CIA, we do not rule out the possibility of a similar development.

It is clear that already plans have been drawn up aimed against the Cuban revolution, the Nicaraguan revolution, the Grenadian revolution and the revolutionary process unfolding in El Salvador.

We do not possess the full details of these plans, but what we do know is that we must learn from history and take the necessary measures to combat aggression, subversion, and counter-revolution.

What we also know is that no revolutionary process can survive, far less do forward, without the building and consolidation of the national economy.

No revolution can survive without the political mobilisation and organisation of the masses, for this teaches them the goals, difficulties, and gains of the revolution.

No revolution can survive without the military capacity which provides the people with the honour of defending what they have built.

These are the fundamental pillars of any revolutionary process. As we say in Grenada, the people without guns spells defeat; guns without people means fascism.

Cuba has the guns and the people, that if revolution.

Long live the Community Party of Cuba!

Long live proletarian internationalism!

Long live the fighting people of El Salvador!

Long live the revolutionary forces of Latin America and the Caribbean!

Long live live Cuba!

Long live Fidel!

Forward ever, backward never!