April 16, Cuba reaffirms the socialist character of its Revolution

Fifty four years ago, on April 16, Cuba declared the socialist character of its Revolution, which it ratifies today as its people have embarked in deep transformations to develop a prosperous and sustainable socialism.

The update of the island´s economic model is a process involving all social actors, who boost new production formulas and regulations that allow advancing towards development.

However, the Caribbean nation cannot forget the events that marked the month of April in its history.

On April 15, 1961, enemy aircrafts camouflaged with Cuban military signs bombarded a Havana airport and an air base in the locality of San Antonio de Los Baños, to the southeast of the country, as well as an air field in eastern Santiago de Cuba.

These air raids marked an escalation of the many US hostile actions against Cuba to defeat the Cuban Revolution. These and other actions, designed and financed in the United States included the bombing of a ship named La Coubre, the burning of sugar cane plantations, armed raids by speedboats against coastal settlements, bomb attempts against government and social facilities, all with a large number of victims.

Up to that point in time, the Cuban government had passed important legislations, such as the land reform, while a large contingent of young people were carrying out the Literacy Campaign throughout the island.

And on April 16, during the burial of the victims of the air raids on the previous day, the Cuban people flocked to the areas near Havana´s Colon Cemetery, where many Cuban flags were flown from building balconies and flowers thrown to the urban space.

Cuban Revolution leader, Fidel Castro addressed the massive demonstration right at the centrally located corner to ones of the flanks of the cemetery. He said "this is the socialist and democratic revolution of the humble, with the humble and for the Humble....and for this revolution of the humble, by the humble and for the humble we are determined to give our lives."

Referring to the US administration, Fidel said what Washington could not withstand was the fact that Cubans made a socialist revolution right in the eyes of the United States.

With his statements, the Cuban leader was declaring the socialist character of the revolution, just hours before a US-organized mercenary invasion took place in Bay of Pigs, on the southern-western coast of Cuba.

Fidel accused the US administration of blocking the peaceful development of Cuba, of destroying the people´s economic resources and killing Cuban citizens. He also demanded that the United States assumed responsibility for such aggressions.

"These events will teach us; these painful events will illustrate and show, perhaps more clearly than any previous one, what Imperialism really means," said Fidel.

The images taken by photographer of the people raising guns froze such an action of support of the road to be taken from that moment on by the revolutionary process that is still unfolding on this Caribbean island nation.

English version of PL Spanish original