Raul Expresses Confidence in Santiago de Cuba Machado Ventura Delivers Closing Speech of July 26 Rally

HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 26 (acn) With greetings to heroic Santiago de Cuba given by Army General Raul Castro, First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) and President of the councils of State and Ministers, the main rally for National Rebellion Day concluded on Sunday, July 26 in that city.

After the closing speech delivered by Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, Second Secretary of the PCC, Raul approached the platform to express: I will not pass here without saying something, I'm leaving with the faithful hope that Santiago will always continue to be Santiago.
In the closing speech on the occasion of commemorations for the 62nd anniversary of the attacks on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes garrisons in Santiago and Granma, respectively, Machado Ventura also had words of praise for the brave city.
He recalled that, in that land, the rebellion traditions that were received and multiplied by the Liberation Army first, and then by the Rebel Army, began, and that it was the cradle of many people who played a leading role in national history.
Here, he said, lie the remains of Mariana Grajales, mother of the Maceos; of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, the Founder of the Nation; of Jose Marti, mastermind of the Moncada actions; and of many other men and women of different generations who died for Cuba and its sovereignty and contributed to the emancipation of other fraternal nations.
The mainstay of our values, of our ideology and our awareness is in this land, he said, referring to the words of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, whom he referred to at the beginning of his speech.
Let's work so present and future generations keep the example of Santiago de Cuba alive and honorable, he urged, to then highlight the will, energy, readiness and skill of the inhabitants of the territory to confront the ravages of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, with the help of friendly peoples like Ecuador and Venezuela.
He praised the managing of the leaders of the PCC, the government and organizations in the province, especially that of Lazaro Exposito, first secretary of the PCC in the province and member of the Central Committee, of whom he acknowledged his dedication and contribution to results.
Santiago de Cuba has shown that without losing its hospitality it continues to be rebellious and heroic, to which the fact that it can't give up being a city increasingly beautiful, hygienic, orderly and disciplined, as called by Raul, should be added.
The Party leader referred to the most important meetings recently held in the country, such as the 5th ordinary period of sessions of Parliament; the Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party; and the Congress of the Young Communists League, where important aspects of national life were discussed.
Internationally, he recalled the recent reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, the beginning of a complex process in the way of normalization of bonds between the two countries, which shall include the cessation of the U.S. blockade and the return of the territory illegally occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base.
He concluded his remarks with a new reference to what July 26 represented in Cuban history and with a call, with the memories of the heroes and martyrs of that heroic deed in mind, to always be loyal to the homeland and the Revolution.
Present at the mass meeting were also leaders of the state and government and political and mass organizations, Granma yacht expedition members and Moncada attackers, including Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdes, Vice-president of the councils of State and Ministers.
Women combatants of the underground struggle and members of international brigades of friendship with Cuba also attended the meeting.