Raul Castro delivers Central Report to the 8th Party Congress

HAVANA, Cuba, Apr 16 (ACN) Army General Raul Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, presented this Friday the Central Report to the 8th Congress, in which he pointed out as missions of the work of the organization the development of the national economy, the struggle for peace and ideological firmness.

The reading of the document took place as part of the first session of the Cuban communist militancy meeting, in which Miguel Díaz-Canel, President of the Republic and member of the Political Bureau; José Ramón Machado Ventura, Second Secretary of the Party, and delegates from all over the country participated.

Army General explained that it was concluded that holding the Congress on the scheduled date was not only possible, but also necessary, so that on this occasion, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was limited to around 300 delegates representing the more than 700 thousand militants from the more than 58 thousand nuclei in the country.

The document presented the results of the analysis on the legislative development in Cuba since the proclamation of the new Constitution, the implementation of the Guidelines of the Economic and Social Policy, the policy of cadres, the ideological work and the confrontation with subversion.
The report recognizes the advances of the last five years and the main deficiencies, pointing out their causes and the need for greater dynamism in the implementation of the solutions.

The First Secretary of the Party condemned the intensification of policies against Cuba by the United States government, even during the COVID-19 confrontation, when more than 240 measures were applied in addition to financial persecution and the activation of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act.

He criticized the immoral campaign unleashed against the international medical cooperation provided by Cuba, which constitutes a crime against universal human rights by sabotaging the only source of access to medical services for millions of people in the world.

Cuba ratifies its willingness to promote respectful dialogue with the United States, without pretending to make concessions inherent to its sovereignty and independence and to yield in the exercise of its foreign policy and ideals, he added.

Raul said that the Cuba's commitment to the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean is unshakable and Cubans will not cease for a moment in the task of making Our America the common homeland of our children.

In his remarks, the First Secretary welcomed the consolidation of relations with the governments and parties of China, Vietnam, Laos and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as well as with the Russian Federation, the European Union and African countries.

The Army General said he is satisfied that he is handing over the leadership of the country to a group of prepared leaders, tanned by decades of experience in their transition from the grassroots to high responsibilities, committed to the ethics of the Revolution, identified with the history and culture of the nation, full of passion and anti-imperialist spirit, and aware that they represent the continuity of the Revolution.

Among those comrades is Miguel Díaz-Canel, member of the Political Bureau and President of the Republic for the last three years, a position he has held with good results and has been able to form teams and promote cohesion with the higher organs of the Party, the State and the government.

I fervently believe in the strength and value of the example and understanding of my compatriots, and as long as I live I will be ready with my foot in the stirrup to defend the Homeland