Vol. 79/No. 27      August 3, 2015

Your Excellency Roberta Jacobson, assistant secretary of state;

Officials of the U.S. government accompanying her;

Honorable members of Congress;

Esteemed representatives of the U.S. organizations, movements, and institutions that have made enormous efforts to change U.S. policy and improve relations between the two countries;

Esteemed representatives of the organizations and movements of the patriotic emigrés;

Distinguished ambassadors;

Compañeros of the Cuban delegation;

José Ramón Cabañas, chargé d’affaires;

Officials and workers of the Cuban Embassy;

Dear friends:

The flag we honor at the entrance of this room is the same one that was lowered here 54 years ago. It was closely guarded by a family of freedom fighters in Florida and later by the museum in our eastern city of Las Tunas, in anticipation that this day would certainly come.

Flying once again here is the lone-star flag. It embodies the generous blood that was shed, the sacrifices made, and the struggle our people waged for more than 100 years for national independence and full self-determination, in face of the most serious challenges and risks.

We pay homage to all those who died in its defense and renew the commitment of the present generations, with full confidence in the future ones, to serve it with honor.

We invoke the memory of José Martí, who dedicated his life to the struggle for Cuba’s freedom. He knew the United States in great depth. His collection North American Scenes presents a vivid description of the great nation to the North and extols its best qualities. He also left us a warning against its boundless appetite for domination, a caution that was confirmed by a long history of differences.

Fidel Castro’s leadership

Many in this room — politicians, journalists, figures in the fields of art or science, students, U.S. social activists — have treasured countless hours of rich discussion with the commander in chief, gaining a better understanding of our motives, goals, and decisions.

This ceremony has been made possible by the free and unshakable determination, unity, sacrifices, selflessness, heroic resistance, and work of our people. And, at the same time, by the strength of the Cuban nation and its culture.

Several generations of our revolutionary diplomatic corps have been part of this effort and provided their martyrs. The example and vibrant words of Raúl Roa [Cuban foreign minister 1959-76], the Ambassador of Dignity, continue to inspire Cuba’s foreign policy and will remain alive in the memory of the younger generations and future diplomats.

I bring greetings from President Raúl Castro, as an expression of our good will and firm political determination to move forward, through a dialogue based on mutual respect and sovereign equality, toward a civilized coexistence, despite the differences that exist between our two governments. This can make it possible to solve bilateral problems, promote cooperation, and develop mutually beneficial relations, which both peoples desire and deserve.

We know this would contribute to peace, development, equity, and stability in the continent. It would help fulfill the purposes and principles enshrined in the U.N. Charter and in the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, which was signed at the Second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, held in Havana.

The re-establishment of diplomatic relations and the reopening of embassies today completes the first stage of the bilateral dialogue. It opens the door to the complex and undoubtedly long process toward the normalization of relations between the two countries.

The challenge is great. The United States and Cuba have never had normal relations, despite a century and a half of intensive and enriching ties between the two peoples.

The Platt Amendment, imposed in 1902 under U.S. military occupation, cut short a fight for freedom that had included the participation or support of more than a few American citizens. It also led to the usurpation of part of Cuba’s territory at Guantánamo. Its devastating consequences left an indelible mark in our common history.

In 1959, the United States refused to accept the existence of a small neighboring island that was fully independent. Much less did it accept, a few years later, a socialist revolution that was forced to defend itself. A revolution that has embodied, ever since, our people’s determination.

I have referred to history to state that today an opportunity has opened to begin working toward establishing new relations between our countries that will be different from everything that existed in the past. This is something the Cuban government is fully committed to.

End embargo, return Guantánamo

Every step forward will be acknowledged and welcomed by our people and our government. It will also most certainly have the encouragement and approval of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the entire world.

We reaffirm Cuba’s willingness to move toward normalization of relations with the United States in a constructive spirit but without harming our independence and without interference in affairs that are exclusively under Cuban sovereignty.

To persist in obsolete and unjust goals, seeking only a change in the way they are achieved, will neither legitimize such goals nor aid the national interests of the United States and its citizens. Should that course be taken, however, we will be ready to confront the challenge.

As President Raúl Castro wrote in his July 1 letter to President Obama, we are engaging in this process “in the spirit of reciprocal intention of developing respectful and cooperative relations between our peoples and governments.”

From this embassy, we will continue to work hard to promote relations in the cultural, economic, scientific, academic fields and in sports, as well to develop the ties of friendship between our peoples.

We would like to convey the Cuban government’s respect and acknowledgement to the president of the United States for calling on the U.S. Congress to lift the blockade and for the change of policy he has announced. In particular, we take note of the willingness he has shown to make use of his executive powers for that purpose.

We are particularly reminded of President Carter’s decision to open the respective Interests Sections in September 1977.

I am pleased to express my gratitude to the Government of the Swiss Confederation for having represented Cuba’s interests for the last 24 years.

Many worked for this day to happen

We would also like to express our acknowledgement to the majority of Cubans living in the United States, who have called for a different kind of relationship between this country and our nation. Deeply moved, many have told us they will step up their efforts, remaining faithful to the tradition of the patriotic emigrés who helped sustain the ideals of our independence.

We express our gratitude to our brothers and sisters in Latin America and the Caribbean who have resolutely supported our country and called for a new chapter in relations between the United States and Cuba. In this they were joined, with extraordinary perseverance, by many friends all over the world.

I reiterate our acknowledgement to the governments represented by the diplomatic corps here. Their voice and vote in the U.N. General Assembly and other international forums has made a decisive contribution.

It was from the United States that José Martí organized the Cuban Revolutionary Party to win freedom, justice, and full human dignity. His ideas, which were heroically championed on the centennial of his birth [the 1953 attack on the Moncada barracks], continue to be the underlying inspiration along the path that our people have freely chosen.

Thank you.
 
 
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