Vol. 73/No. 6      February 16, 2009

The Athens publishing house Diethnes Vima released the title on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. The book contains four speeches given in 1988-89 by Fidel Castro in the weeks surrounding the 30th anniversary of the revolution.

Among the 60 people attending the event here were West African and Palestinian immigrants living in Athens.

Hermes Herrera Hernández, Cuban ambassador to Greece, spoke, explaining that in the four speeches Castro underlines that there is no other option for the oppressed and exploited but to follow in the footsteps opened up by the Cuban Revolution, that is, socialism.

Christina Pantzou, a journalist for the Athens daily Eleftherotypia, also spoke. “This book is particularly useful in looking at the internationalist role of the Cuban fighters in Africa and the role of voluntary labor as necessary aspects of changing the very people involved,” she said.

Natasha Terlexis of Diethnes Vima underlined the importance of the book for today’s toilers. “World capitalism has entered its worst crisis since the 1930s,” she said. “We face the consequences of this crisis: imperialist wars, unemployment, and drastic assaults on the social wage, health care, education, culture, housing, and political rights. Twenty years ago in these speeches Castro presented another perspective for the Cuban toilers and for humanity as a whole—a struggle for a society based on human solidarity as the only realistic perspective for the toilers, a fight to take state power from the hands of the capitalist class.”

Nikos Karandreas, president of the Greek-Cuban Friendship Association, closed the meeting by explaining that “in 1989 when there was increasing pressure on Cuba to follow the road of the Soviet Union toward capitalist restoration, Cuba took another road, one of continuing to fight for a socialist perspective based on internationalism, on real involvement by the working people in governance and in the struggle against bureaucracy.

“This book is the record of that decision and, along with The First and Second Declarations of Havana [published in Greek two years ago], is a vital contribution to understanding the Cuban Revolution.” Venezuelan ambassador Rodrigo Chaves Samuveo also spoke at the event.

Fourteen copies of the book were sold at the book launch. The Greek-Cuban Friendship Association also purchased 50 copies.

Another 10 copies, along with 11 other titles on the Cuban Revolution, were sold the next day at the 50th anniversary celebration attended by some 400 people. The Greek-Cuban Friendship Association organized that meeting.

So far 16 bookstores in Athens, Katerini, and Thessaloniki have ordered 75 copies of the new book. Book launches are currently being planned for the latter two cities for later in the winter and spring.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home