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Cuba conference hits U.S. gov’t terror

Published Jun 7, 2005 10:11 PM

The U.S. capitalist class has a tremendous ability to turn everything into its opposite: night into day, up into down. It is allowing right-wing terrorists to walk freely on the streets of Miami. It has jailed those fighting this terror.

But now Cuba has put the issue of "Who are the REAL terrorists?" squarely on the agenda of the revolutionary and working class movement.

In less than a week's time, the Cuban government organized the "International Encounter against Terrorism, for Truth and Justice," that took place in Havana from June 2-4.

It was a phenomenal feat in such a short period of time. As several Cuban leaders pointed out, an event of this magnitude would often require a year to organize. But in just six days and five nights, more than 1,500 Cubans and international guests were brought together to discuss this critical topic.

Representatives from 63 countries took part. A prestigious group of scholars and journalists, who had just been invited days before, led seven panels on various aspects about terrorism.

Presenters and delegates delved into the theme of U.S.-sponsored terrorism in Latin America and the Caribbean. Of course, high on the agenda was the role of counter-revolutionary Cuban commandos operating out of the U.S., particularly the group led by Luis Posada Carriles.

From "Operation Condor" to the bombing of a Cubana airliner in 1976 that killed 73 people, all roads lead back to this neo-fascist group--trained, aided and abetted by the U.S. government.

Developments around the case of Luis Posada Carriles led to the organizing of this emergency conference. Posada Carriles entered the U.S. in March. U.S. government officials hinted they would grant him political asylum.

This created a political uproar. The Bush administration announcement led to a worldwide condemnation of the U.S. government and exposed the incredible hypocrisy of imperialism.

Posada Carriles is an avowed terrorist. He has boasted about his actions to several Miami news agencies and to the New York Times. Since 1959, his entire life has been dedicated to carrying out acts of sabotage against the Cuban Revolution, including assassination attempts against the life of Cuban President Fidel Castro.

Posada Carriles, along with co-conspirators like Orlando Bosch, has masterminded or known about and supported acts such as the bombing of tourist hotels in Cuba. An Italian tourist was killed in Havana in 1997 as a result. Several Cuban missions have been bombed--from Mexico to Spain to the U.S.--resulting in the deaths of distinguished diplomats.

A breadth of well-researched and documented information about these acts of terror was provided to participants at the Havana conference. A dispassionate and objective analysis presented a wealth of information. It was a thoroughly historical view; not a single participant could have left the event without grasping the full significance of the actions of Posada Carriles and his ilk.

Bloody hands of CIA

Journalists and victims of U.S.-sponsored terrorist actions gave poignant and heart-rending testimony. Manuel Guerrero from Chile talked about the bloody events of the CIA-led 1973 coup against the Socialist Party leader and president of Chile, Salvador Allende. Guerrero’s father was killed as a result of this massacre.

Hebe Bonafini brought the crowd to their feet when she talked about her Argentine movement, "Mothers of the Revolution." Her organization is made up of a group of women whose children were "disappeared" as a result of CIA-backed atrocities during the "dirty war" by the military regime in Argentina during the 1970s. She gave a stirring talk, inspiring the crowd with the spirit of the revolutionary period of the 1960s and 1970s.

Irma González, the daughter of René González, one of the Cuban Five heroes, made a moving presentation that left few with dry eyes. Irma read a statement to the conference from the Cuban Five, now behind bars in the United States serving long, long sentences. Their crime? They tried to monitor and stop anti-Cuba terror attacks being plotted from U.S. soil. The case of the Five was a running theme throughout the conference as an example of how those who fight terrorism are incarcerated by the empire while the real terrorists are allowed to carry out their venomous operations.

Other speakers included such notables as authors Alicia Herrera and Eva Golinger of Venezuela, Martín Almada of Paraguay and Pascual Serrano of Spain. Special guest speakers included Commandantes Shafik Handal of El Salvador and Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, revolutionary leaders of struggles for national liberation.

U.S. plan to assassinate Chávez exposed

One of the most important and inspiring panels was from Venezuela and included the president of the National Assembly, Nicolás Maduro, and the vice-president of the country, José Vicente Rangel.

Vice President Rangel brought testimony about well-documented plans of U.S. sabotage against the Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela, including a plot to assassinate President Hugo Chávez. But Vice President Rangel made it clear that Venezuela would defend itself from all forms of U.S. intervention--and would succeed. He stated that the people of Venezuela would respond with the same kind of anger and dignity that the people of Iraq, Cuba and elsewhere are responding to U.S. aggression.

The event was closed by remarks from Cuba’s beloved president, Fidel Castro. The fact that over 500 international delegates dropped their own plans on just a few days' notice to travel to Cuba is a small example of the kind of support and love Cuba has earned around the world. Much of that support is attributed to the leadership of Fidel Castro. He continues to inspire the world in a show of defiance against the monstrous U.S. imperialism.

The international guests were treated to a magnificent concert late Saturday night at the end of the conference. World-renowned musician and revolutionary Silvio Rodríguez was joined by Sara Gonzáles and younger Cuban artists, such as Amaury Pérez. Revolutionary artists from Puerto Rico--such as Roy Brown--and from Mexico, Argentina, Chile and elsewhere also dropped their plans on short notice in order to join the guests at the encounter.

The concert paid tribute to Victor Jara, a Chilean revolutionary killed at the hands of the CIA-backed fascist coup in 1973. The revolutionary sentiments of Victor’s music live on, revived anew in the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela and throughout the continent.

The revolutionary class struggle in Latin America and the Caribbean is rising on the horizon in glorious splendor. And the sun of history is setting on the empire of U.S. imperialism.