From The Pages Of "Workers World"-After Bay of Pigs U.S. continues failed attempts against Cuban revolution

In Honor of Anniversary Of The July 26^th Movement

From The Pen Of Frank Jackman (2015)

Every leftist, hell, everybody who stands on the democratic principle that each nation has the right to self-determination should cautiously rejoice at the “defrosting” of the long-time diplomatic relations between the American imperial behemoth and the island of Cuba (and the freedom of the remaining Cuban Five in the bargain). Every leftist militant should understand that each non-capitalist like Cuba going back to the establishment of the now defunct Soviet Union has had the right (maybe until we win our socialist future the duty) to make whatever advantageous agreements they can with the capitalist world. That despite whatever disagreements we have with the political regimes ruling those non-capitalist states. That is a question for us to work out not the imperialists.

For those who have defended the Cuban Revolution since its victory in 1959 under whatever political rationale (pro-socialist, right to self-determination, or some other hands off policy) watching on black and white television the rebels entering Havana this day which commemorates the heroic if unsuccessful efforts at Moncada we should affirm our continued defense of the Cuban revolution. Oh yes, and tell the American government to give back Guantanamo while we are at it.   

50 years after Bay of Pigs U.S. continues failed attempts against Cuban revolution

By Teresa Gutierrez
Published Apr 20, 2011 7:55 PM

Fifty years ago, on April 16, 1961, Cuban Commander in Chief Fidel Castro declared the socialist nature of the Cuban Revolution.

Beloved around the world to this day, Fidel stated in 1961: “This is what they cannot forgive us ... that we have made a Socialist Revolution right under the nose of the United States. ... Comrades, workers and farmers, this is the Socialist and democratic Revolution of the people, by the people and for the people. And for this Revolution ... we are willing to give our lives.”

It was a momentous development that shook the world. Revolutionaries everywhere triumphed in the victory, and all those in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America who lived wretchedly under the yoke of imperialism felt tremendous possibilities for their own liberation struggles.

It was a historic step forward for workers and oppressed worldwide — one that resonates today.

Fidel’s proclamation was made as Cubans paid their respects to those who had been killed the day before during the U.S. bombing of a Cuban airbase, an attack that was a prelude to the Playa Girón (Bay of Pigs) incident.

The Bay of Pigs was a military attempt by the U.S. government to destroy the Cuban Revolution so that imperialism could restore its domination over Cuba. The military attack failed and was a major defeat for imperialism.

Counterrevolutionary efforts continue

U.S. imperialism has not and will never reconcile itself to the building of socialism at its doorstep. Since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, the U.S. has never stopped its attempts to sabotage and undermine the Revolution. Overtly and covertly, it has carried out countless acts of aggression — including the longest economic and political blockade in U.S. history as well as numerous assassination attempts against Fidel — all aimed at destabilizing and overturning the Revolution.

On March 22 the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations issued a damning press release, announcing that a series of testimonial documentaries recently shown in Cuba revealed current “direct connections of counterrevolutionary individuals in the Island with the U.S.”

The four documentaries — “The Empire’s Pawns,” “Trues and Principles,” “Cyberwar” and “Well Paid Lies” — are a study in counterrevolutionary subterfuge.

The documentaries revealed U.S. plans to introduce illegal communication and spying systems on the island and how the U.S. Agency for International Development serves as a cover for anti-Cuba CIA activities.

USAID, the documentary demonstrated, sets out to “fabricate social leaders ... who try to influence youth and academics.”

The press release states that “in ‘The Empire’s Pawns,’ Moises Rodríguez and Carlos Serpa, who for a long time lived side by side with factions that operate on the Island under direct orders of terrorists who live in the U.S., revealed evidence of how the so-called dissidents or alleged advocates of the human rights in Cuba received money directly from the U.S.”

The U.S. Interests Section in Havana, which is equivalent to an embassy, was exposed once again as playing a role of sabotage, similar to its role in other countries the U.S. wants to undermine.

For example, Rodríguez explained receiving instructions from U.S. diplomats to plot against the Cuban government. He was also sent to Miami, where he held meetings with infamous terrorists, among them Luis Posada Carriles.

Serpa was instructed by anti-Cuba elements to spread false information about Cuba through Radio Martí and other U.S. media.

In “Trues and Principles,” Dalexis Gonzalez Madruga, a graduate student in telecommunication engineering at the Jose Antonio Echeverria University, showed how he was contacted by U.S. agents to “illegally introduce sophisticated equipment and install a network feasible to transmit directly to the U.S. Interests Section in Havana.”

The documentary showed how equipment was hidden in surfing equipment and how major communication advances are used by the U.S., not to help economic and social development, but for destabilizing Cuba.

In “Cyberwar” the creation of cyber-dissidents or cyber-mercenaries, in an attempt to subvert order and create confusion among the Cuban population, was revealed. A website called “Cyber Dissidents on the Web” was created to organize a media campaign to defame Cuba by distorting Cuban reality, attacking socialism and slandering Cuban leaders. Bloggers at the website have all been linked to the U.S. Interests Section in Havana.

Despite an intense, well-orchestrated, constant, unremitting campaign to undermine the Cuban Revolution, U.S. imperialism has failed. It failed in 1961 and it is failing in 2011. The Cuban Revolution stands firm and steadfast not only because of its dedicated and knowing masses and its solid revolutionary leadership, but because of the overwhelming support the Cuban Revolution has earned worldwide.

The masses of the world who face untold misery and hardship cheer the Cuban Revolution, knowing that Cuba is not perfect, but its free education and health care are leaps and bounds ahead of the starvation and death the majority of the oppressed face. “Long live the Cuban Revolution” was the cry in 1961 heard around the world — and it remains today.
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Markin comment:

Those of us who came of age in the 1960s, especially those of us who cut our political teeth on defending, under one principle or another (right to national self-determination, socialist solidarity, general anti-imperialist agenda, etc.), the Cuban revolution that we were front row television witnesses to, cherish the memory of the heroic Cuban defenders at the Bay of Pigs. No one cried when the American imperial adventure was foiled and President John Kennedy (whatever else we felt about him then), egg on face, had to take responsibility for the fiasco.

Those of us who continue to adhere to the anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, pro-socialist agenda, whatever our differences with the Cuban leadership, today can join in honoring those heroic fighters. Today is also a day to face the hard fact that we have had too few victories against the imperialist behemoth. The imperial defeat at the Bay of Pigs was however our victory. As today’s imperialist activity in Libya, painfully, testifies to those forces, however, have not gotten weaker in the past 50 years. So the lesson for today’s (and future) young militants is to honor our fallen forebears and realize that the beast can be defeated, if you are willing to fight it. Forward! Defend the Cuban Revolution! Defend Libya against the imperialist onslaught!