Translated "Avante!"article by Ângelo Alves, Member of the PCP Political Committee

The Cuban Revolution triumph 60th anniversary was due, on January 1st, last Tuesday.

“Finally we arrived in Santiago, a hard and long way, but we were able to make it”. How Fidel begun his famous speech in Santiago of Cuba was full of significance and symbolism. Fidel referred to the path begun with the Moncada barracks’ assault, that although military defeated, opened the way and affirmed the Revolution outline; he reminded prison, the exile in Mexico and the return in the Granma yacht; along with the fighters heroic and hard struggle in the Sierra Maestra that finally defeated Batista’s military forces and dictatorship.

But Fidel’s expression held a greater deeper nature. As he later affirmed and wrote, the Cuban Revolution was and still is, inseparable from the liberating struggles for independence, the ending of the colonial regime and liberation from slavery, that occurred since October 1868, Jose Marti having been an important figure.

The long and hard path Fidel recalls, on January 1st 1959, carried on till our days, with the very same demand. During these 60 years, the Cuban Revolution was and is an imperialism target with a great number and criminal attacks, conspirators and blockades. But nevertheless along with history difficulties and tight curbs it had to be confronted with; the Cuban Revolution resisted, advanced, and achieved very important conquests, consolidating its patriotic, socialist and internationalist nature.

For the people of Cuba, the great builder of the Socialist Revolution is synonymous of independence, sovereignty, dignity, justice and freedom, and makes the Cuban Revolution an example and source of inspiration. For the last years, Cuba has answered new development challenges and international framing, with courage and determination. With the people’s participation in the building of the country and decision on its direction, as always has been.

Whilst it renovated the country’s political administration, and confronted with one of its major battles – the economic – holding signals that point out unto positive expectations regarding production and economic growth, by developing its own technological development and administrative modernization. Currently, Cuba discusses, in a deep and participated manner, its fundamental law. The Popular Power Assembly approved the new constitution proposal final text, December 22nd last. The text was object of a notable democratic participation exercise of 133.681 meetings and a million interventions. The almost 800.000 proposals represented the change of 60% of the articles, in a project that reaffirms the Cuban Revolution socialist direction.

In a moment when the denouncements condense, of an imperialist war preparations within Latin America against countries such as Venezuela, Nicaragua or even Cuba; in a time when Brazil lives dark pages in its history, Cuba celebrates 60 years of its Revolution affirming its patriotic, socialist, internationalist and genuine revolutionary character. And therefore, as always, an encouragement factor for peoples’ struggle amid Latin America and throughout the world. Long live Cuba!