Cuba, 1982

On 8 October 1967, exactly 13 years ago, revolutionaries and freedom

fighters all over the world learned with both grief and indignation

that Commander Ernesto Che Guevara, the heroic guerrilla, had been

murdered in Bolivia. Today, from this rostrum, where he spoke as a

representative of the Cuban revolution, we should pay him the only

tribute he would accept, that of following faithfully his example and

struggling to achieve true independence for our peoples and to

repulse any attempt to rob us of the rights that we have already won.

May he continue fighting wherever the children of our oppressed

peoples are struggling for freedom and keep working wherever creative

efforts are paving the way to development.

The Arab peoples have waged a long struggle to win recognition of

their right to govern in their own land. As early as 1881 Jose Martel

said The brilliant Arabs should at all costs return to Arabia, as

though avenging their centuries old oriental drift. He was then

referring to the rebellions against European colonial domination and

movingly praising the spirit that the Arab peoples brought to their

fight. Few struggles, however, have attained such heroic heights and

mobilized all the people young and old, women and children as the one

that we have just witnessed in the long days of the Palestinian

people's struggle against the genocidal Zionist imperialist invasion

of Lebanon.

At the meeting of the Co coordinating Bureau of the Non Aligned held

in Nicosia, during the unforgettable moments of the defense of

Beirut, the non aligned movement, that powerful, independent force

grouping nearly 100 States, declared that it was necessary to

recognize the Palestinian people's right to establish their own State

and return to their homeland. The Twelfth Arab Summit Conference

expressed itself in much the same terms, and it also insisted on the

necessity of recognizing the PLO as the sole legitimate

representative of the Palestinian people.

The non aligned countries call for the immediate holding of an

international conference on Palestine, with the participation of the

PLO and all States interested in finding a real, permanent solution

to the situation in the Middle East, where the nub, the first step,

must be recognition of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian

people.

By entering west Beirut, in a gesture of utter disregard for world

public opinion and for Israel's pledges to respect the peace

agreements, Israeli troops created the conditions for Haddad's

murderous gangs to take cowardly advantage of the honorable

withdrawal from Beirut of the heroic Palestinian leaders and fighters

a withdrawal designed precisely for the purpose of avoiding the

indiscriminate slaughter of civilians and fall like bloodthirsty

savages on the defenseless Palestinian camps. In doing so they relied

on the collaboration of Israel, which had responsibility and which

set the scene for them and facilitated the carrying out of the

slaughter. Hitler would have had much to learn from the madness of

Messrs. Begin and Sharon.

HO. The Zionist genocide in Beirut is the direct result of the United

States Government's policy of force, violence and oppression. Nobody

has failed to notice the direct connection and manifest complicity

between the crimes committed in Lebanon and the continual United

States vetoes in the Security Council, which have convinced the

criminal Tel Aviv authorities that they are immune to any political

or moral limitations that the United Nations should have placed upon

them a long time ago.

In his denunciation of this situation to the United Nations contained

in a letter addressed to the Secretary General, Fidel Castro,

President of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba and

Chairman of the non aligned movement, asked:

How long can mankind and all decent and sensible Governments endure

this brutal and merciless genocide? What new horrors will be

necessary before the aggressors are stopped and their bloody hands

stayed? Is not this proof that Israel's rulers are preparing to

continue, in defiance of all, to eliminate the Palestinian people,

annihilate the patriotic Lebanese resistance and extend their

aggression to other Arab States?

In the name of the non aligned movement, whose indignation I voice;

in the name of the Cuban people, whose feelings of grief and staunch

solidarity I represent, I join in the universal demand that the

murderers and those who set the tragic scene for them and facilitated

this abominable action be punished. It is indispensable that there be

at least a political and moral exemplary sanction of all those guilty

of the Beirut crime. For crimes against humanity such as this, for a

murderous and racist philosophy such as that which motivated these

deeds, the criminals at Nuremberg were seated in the dock and sent to

the gallows.

The time has come for the United Nations to act, and only exemplary,

prompt and energetic punishment of those who committed the genocide

and their accomplices will save the honor and respectability of our

institution before the coming generations and the inexorable judgment

of history.

The Palestinian leaders and fighters have withdrawn honorably from

Beirut, but only to continue the fight for the Palestinian people's

inalienable rights until victory is won.

Mr. President, we should like to say how pleased we are that you, Mr.

Hollai, an outstanding son of the heroic Hungarian people, are

presiding over this thirty seventh session of the General Assembly.

We should also like to express our appreciation for the exemplary

work done by the former President of the General Assembly, our friend

Ismat Kittani. We greet the Secretary General, the first Latin

American to occupy such a high post of responsibility, Mr. Javier

Perez de Cuellar, for his tenacious efforts aimed at strengthening

and reinforcing the Organization. We are living in a world

characterized by a sharpening of tension in international relations,

due to the acts of provocation and the policies of arms buildup and

nuclear blackmail advocated by United States imperialism. The danger

of a nuclear war that would wipe out all the work of mankind grows

constantly and hangs like an ominous cloud over man's right to live

in peace.

All attempts to hide from the peoples the real consequences of a

nuclear conflict and make them believe that such a conflict could be

limited to a specific geographic area or instil in them the idea that

it is feasible to start such a war with the possibility that some

Power may emerge victorious, is exceedingly dangerous and

incompatible with the vital interests of all mankind. Therefore, it

is necessary to continue mobilizing public awareness of the dangers

posed by nuclear war and weapons of mass destruction.

The arms race has continued its upward spiral, and imperialism keeps

on trying to impose policies from positions of strength. In spite of

the fact that negotiations have started on strategic weapons, on

nuclear weapons in Europe and on the reduction of weapons and

military personnel in Central Europe, the United States shows no

willingness to negotiate and tries to hide its militaristic plans

from the world public and impose them upon its Western European

allies.

The second special session of the General Assembly on disarmament,

held midway through this year, was an example of the lack of

political will of a group of States to negotiate seriously and

constructively to find solutions for the problems of disarmament.

The unbridled arms race that some countries are practicing a race

which includes attempts to install 572 medium range missiles in

Europe, the production of neutron bombs and the establishment of

interventionist rapid deployment force constitutes a serious threat

to international peace and security and to mankind's very survival.

The arms buildup policy is closely linked to the imperialists' plans

to impose their dictates in various parts of the world. Thus, on the

one hand, imperialism is obstructing the negotiations on disarmament

and, on the other, is encouraging and providing political and

military support for the reactionary forces all over the world.

Thus, besides the concerted aggression of Israel and the United

States against Lebanon, other trouble spots are present in the

explosive Middle East.

Unfortunately, the war between the peoples of the Islamic Republic of

Iran and Iraq still continues. As chairman of the non aligned

movement, Cuba has made tremendous efforts, together with other

countries, to help find a peaceful, just and honorable solution to

the conflict. We take this opportunity of addressing this important

forum to reiterate our hopes and renew our offer of services to help

bring the war to an end for the benefit of both peoples, of other

peoples in the region and to prevent the spread and worsening of the

conflict.

This is also a good occasion for expressing a most energetic protest

against the direct and indirect aggressions which United States

imperialism has perpetrated against the People's Democratic Republic

of Yemen, the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and other

peoples in the north of Africa engaged in peacefully building their

destinies.

Concerning Namibia, the United States is ignoring Security Council

resolution 435 (1978) as well as General Assembly resolution 36/172

B, proclaiming 1982 the International Year of Mobilization for

Sanctions against South Africa, and is not using the means at its

disposal to pressure South Africa into accepting a negotiated and law

abiding solution based on the relevant resolutions of the Security

Council and the General Assembly. In fact, Washington is playing the

game of Pretoria which seeks to rob the Namibian people of their

victory and true independence.

The racist regime of South Africa and its United States allies are

insisting on linking Namibia's independence to the presence of the

Cuban forces in Angola as an essential prerequisite for arriving at a

negotiated solution. But they will not be able to hide the truth of

the fact that Angola's independence, territorial integrity and

sovereignty have made and are making an important contribution to

Namibia's independence. The Cuban internationalist fighters went to

Angola to help defend Angola's independence and prevent the spread of

the apartheid regime beyond the borders of Namibia; for no other

reason.

If the Yankee imperialists and partners of the Apartheid regime have

been forced to talk about the independence of Namibia, it has been

because of the armed struggle of the heroic sons of the people of

Namibia, because of the actions headed by SWAPO and because they have

failed in their attempts to prevent the independence of Angola.

In 1976, the Governments of Angola and Cuba decided to begin

withdrawing the Cuban military forces that were in Angola and the

number of Cuban personnel was reduced by more than one third. New

threats against Angola interrupted this process and even made

necessary the return of new forces to replace those which had already

left the noble Angolan soil. Other aggressions; by South Africa

frustrated similar attempts another occasions. Now, when the racist

troops of the Pretoria regime have been occupying a part of the

territory of southern Angola for more than a year and are threatening

to invade other provinces, the United States Government seeks to

present a demand that the Cuban forces should withdrawn from Angola

as a condition, a prerequisite, for the withdrawal of South African

troops from Namibia, as something that would contribute to Namibia's

independence.

That is why the front line States, at their recent meeting in Lusaka,

resolved categorically to reject any attempt to tie the Cuban

presence in Angola to the process of decolonization in Namibia,

reaffirming in their final declaration that that matter concerned

only the Governments of Angola and Cuba.

Cuba and Angola stated in February this year that Cuban military co

operation with Angola constituted an absolutely sovereign and

legitimate act by the two countries and as a result was completely

unrelated to the problem of Namibia. They also pointed out that if

the selfless struggle waged by SWAPO, the sole legitimate

representative of the Namibian people, and the demands of the

international community succeeded in bringing about a real solution

to the problem of Namibia, based on strict compliance with Security

Council resolution 435 (1978), and it resulted in truly independent

rule and to the total withdrawal of the South African occupation

troops to the other side of the Orange River, which would

considerably reduce the danger of aggression against Angola, then the

Angolan and Cuban Governments would consider the renewal of the

implementation of the programme for the gradual withdrawal of the

Cuban force within a period of time determined by the two Governments.

We can consequently reaffirm here, in the General Assembly that when

the Governments of Angola and Cuba so determine, the withdrawal of

the Cuban forces stationed on Angolan territory will be effected by

virtue of the sovereign decision of the Government of the People's

Republic of Angola once all or any possibility of an attack by an

armed invading force has disappeared. In this regard, the Government

of Cuba reiterates that it will unhesitatingly respect any decision

that the sovereign Government of Angola makes concerning the

withdrawal of those forces.

In view of the evident closing of options for negotiation, SWAPO, the

sole and legitimate representative of the Namibian people, has the

right to continue the armed struggle to achieve Namibia's

independence, with full respect for its territorial integrity,

including Walvis Bay, and without the presence of South African

troops on its soil.

The struggle of the African peoples will inexorably bring to an end

the vestiges of colonialism and racism on that continent. The

Pretoria regime knows that historically it is doomed. The growing

rebelliousness of the black South African masses, led by the African

National Congress, shows that the exploited majority is advancing

inexorably towards the liquidation of the power of the exploiting

white minority. We endorse the decisions to support the ANC adopted

by the heads of State at the frontline States at their Maputo meeting

in March this year.

In Latin America, after nearly a century of imperialist domination,

the situation could not be more hopeless for tens of millions of

human beings subjected to the most dreadful poverty. Compulsory

witnesses of the profits of the local oligarchies and of the

transnational corporations, the peoples of Latin America will be

carrying on their shoulders a foreign debt which, by the end of this

year, will reach the astronomical figure of $300 billion, without

counting the $30 billion they will have to pay annually in interest.

The indices that measure the living standards of the popular sectors

in the vast majority of the countries in our region are falling

alarmingly without any restraint. It is precisely this state of

permanent inequality that is the main cause of the social revolt that

is shaking Central America today.

Blinded by stupidity and lack of realism, Mr. Reagan's Administration

has rejected dialogue and a negotiated political solution in this

explosive area and is preparing the conditions for an armed

intervention that would prevent a revolutionary triumph in El

Salvador and drown the Nicaraguan revolution in blood. Such is the

spirit of the Symons Amendment, passed recently by the United States

Senate, preparing public opinion for the United States President's

use of all means, including the use of troops, to oppose an alleged

Cuban threat in Latin America.

The United States Government is engaged in using the armed forces of

Honduras as a spearhead against Nicaragua and the Salvadorian

patriots, with the aim of legalizing a probable direct intervention

by United States forces. The entry of Honduran army personnel into El

Salvador and of former Somoza supporters into Nicaragua from camps in

Honduras unquestionably means dangerous and definitive steps towards

the spreading of armed conflict throughout the Central American region

Thus far the Reagan Administration has not contributed to the moves

directed to apolitical solution to the tensions in the region. A few

days ago, President Lopez Portillo of Mexico and President Herrera

Campinas of Venezuela made new proposals which Cuba hopes will

produce positive results.

If the United States intervenes militarily in El Salvador or

Nicaragua, it would lead to the appearance of a new Viet Nam in

Central America, because the peoples of Farabundo Marti and Augusto

Cesar Sandino will defend their national independence and their right

to be Ate until they defeat their enemies.

President Fidel Castro pointed out in the letter he sent to Jose

Lopez Portillo, President of Mexico, in February this year that:

If the Government of the United States the source of all the problems

which affect Latin America and the Caribbean today pledges not to

attack its neighbors, if it ceases its constant threats, if it stops

using its weapons and finances to back genocidal regimes and if it

puts an end to its subversive activities, all these being acts which

have absolutely no legitimacy, Cuba is willing to co operate in the

noble efforts you outlined in Managua to bring about the atmosphere

of peace, mutual respect and necessary change in the region, to which

we also aspire.

Cuba today reiterates its full support for Argentine sovereignty over

the Malvinas Islands. Hard, concrete, stubborn facts have

convincingly shown who is who in our continent. When forced to show

its true colors the United States, the self appointed arch defender

of Latin America and dedicated architect of the Rio Treaty and of the

myth of hemispheric unity against dark extra continental forces,

dropped its so called pan American vocation and shamelessly joined

forces with England to fall, as Marti would say, with so much greater

force on our Latin American lands. At the moment of truth, the

institutions built on hypocrisy went down in the Atlantic without the

dignity of the crew members of the General.

Now, a new awakening of Latin American awareness is the order of the

day; a deepening of anti imperialist feeling is spreading through our

continent; the peoples are learning daily from history in the making,

from the blows they receive and from the experience they acquire; and

no propaganda, however sophisticated or subtle, can change or twist

the historical positions taken on the facts relating to the Malvinas.

Cuba also reiterates its unswerving support for the legitimate

struggle that the fraternal people of Puerto Rico are waging to

attain full independence and sovereignty. Nothing can keep the

peoples from travelling the destined path of their history; like it

or not, one day the free Latin American people of Puerto Rico will

themselves sing the beloved anthem of their homeland and they

themselves will raise their flag with the lone star, free of

hypocritical trusteeships and master of their destiny. There will

remain in our continent tyrannies that every day spill blood on the

road that will lead these peoples to the freedom to which they are

and for which they are waging an exemplary fight.

We reiterate our firm solidarity with heroic Grenada, which, with

unparalleled efforts, is laying the foundations for a new exemplary

resistance against the imperialists' attempts to destabilize its

economy, subvert domestic interest and frustrate the revolutionary

process rooted in that Caribbean island.

Cuba supports the aspirations and desires of the Panamanian

Government and people in their struggle for implementation of the

Canal agreements.

We support the right of Bolivia in its historical and just claim to

recover its outlet to the sea.

Cuba's position is well known on the subject of the negotiated

settlement of disputes. We hope that, in the spirit of the necessary

strengthening of the relations among the peoples of our continent,

the differences over the border limits between Guyana and Venezuela

will be settled peacefully, by means of mutually accepted formulas.

Cuba supports the independence, territorial integrity and non

alignment of Belize.

We must also struggle to guarantee peace and stability in South East

Asia. The Sixth Conference of Indo Chinese Foreign Ministers was held

in July this year; it announced that a summit meeting of those three

countries would be held in December and that the withdrawal of a

number of Vietnamese troops from the territory of the People's

Republic of Kampuchea had been initiated in late July. This shows the

three countries' good will in trying to ease the tension in the

region through political means. A climate of understanding, mutual

respect and security must prevail in South East Asia, and the efforts

to begin a constructive dialogue between the parties in conflict

should continue.

My delegation reiterates its support for the legitimate aspiration of

the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to bring about the peaceful

reunification of its homeland for which it is absolutely necessary

that interference in its internal affairs should cease and that the

United States forces of intervention withdraw from the southern part

of the Korean peninsula.

We support the Sahraoui Arab Democratic Republic in its legitimate

rights to live in peace and take its rightful place among independent

States. We support the aspirations of the Comoros to regain their

sovereignty over Mayotte, the restitution of Madagascar's rights over

the Malagasy Islands of Gloheuses, Juande Nova, Europa and Bassas da

India, and the just claim of Mauritius to recover Diego Garcia island.

The United States continues to increase its presence in the Indian

Ocean and to enlarge its military installations in the area, as is

the case with the Diego Garcia base, and to block the holding of a

conference for making the Indian Ocean a zone of peace. This policy

is detrimental to security in the region and exacerbates tensions by

constituting a threat to the Governments that are striving to lend

their national interests.

We support the Cypriot people's sustained efforts to preserve its

independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity in a united and

non aligned republic.

The efforts and actions that various agencies and the international

community are carrying out with regard to the peoples' legitimate

demand for a stable, lasting peace cannot be consolidated if we do

not devote ourselves seriously and frankly to the constitution and

practice of a new system of international relations whose main aspect

is the implementation of a fair and equitable new international

economic order that does away with the abysmal differences between

the poor and the rich countries. This is not a question of alms or

privileges; we demand the help of the developed countries so that, by

combining our efforts, we may eliminate the differences that separate

us.

133. The insistence on dealing from positions of strength, from

positions of military superiority, is leading the present Republican

Administration in the United States to plan increases in its military

budget for l983 that come to the astronomical sum of more than $260

billion. By 1986 military spending will exceed $372 billion, or 35.2

per cent of the total United States budget. This harmful trend of the

United States Government towards increasing its military spending at

an explosive rate will for other States to increase their budgets for

the defense of their territories.

154. The world is sitting on a powder keg, without any guarantees of

security, and the danger increases when the means for exploding it

are in irresponsible hands, as unscrupulous as those that led the

world of the conflagration of the 1940s. Therefore the struggle for

peace is no mere slogan of enlightened forums or Sunday clubs; it is

a pressing necessity for the survival of all mankind. We mean by that

a peace that is equal for all, in whatever part of the globe they may

be. We are constantly striving for those aims, and guided by those

criteria. Cuba has made the struggle for peace a fundamental part of

its Constitution, and the struggle to preserve peace, to contribute

to easing the hotbeds of tension and to prevent the worsening of the

international situation is one of the main elements of our

international action.

The preservation of peace and the struggle for development are

component elements of a single ideal, for what peace can there be without

development? What peace can there be when the people are hungry and

have no pillow to lessen the weariness of their despair? What peace

can there be when their children are hungry, and there is no light in

their eyes and no future before them?

The countries belonging to the non aligned movement and all the other

underdeveloped countries have constantly urged that the preservation

of peace and the pursuit of development should be aims to be sought

simultaneously. We recall that the 1979 Ministerial Meeting of the

Group of 77 in Arusha, in the United Republic of Tanzania, stated its

conviction that real peace was not merely the absence of war but

should also establish the conditions for political freedom, sustained

and accelerated development for the developing countries and the

promotion of the methodical development of the world.

Today the situation is much more serious than it was then.

Imperialism's aggressive, expansionist and exploitative posture has

worsened. The recent events in Lebanon, the conflict in the South

Atlantic and continual threats of aggression and armed intervention

in the Caribbean have been dangerously added to the use of economic

pressures as a weapon of political coercion against the

underdeveloped countries that aspire to an independent, honorable

life and seek the path of development. At the same time, we note with

alarm that never before has the situation of the third world

countries been so desperate as it is today, when inflation, monetary

instability, blatant protectionism on the part of the industrialized

countries, unparalleled indebtedness and the systematic lowering of

the prices the third world countries get for their primary

commodities are not only endangering their real prospects for

advancing towards development within a more or less acceptable time

span but posing an immediate threat to the lives of millions of

people and the very future of dozens of nations.

The United States is maintaining an attitude of clear opposition to

the launching of the global negotiations, which are an important

instrument for enabling the international community to face in an

appropriate manner the serious problems of the world economy.

Cuba supports the efforts exerted by the Group of 77 to obtain the

launching of global negotiations, which would spur the development of

the backward countries, but would also be an effective means of

enabling the developing economies to emerge from the constant

recession in which they have been for several years.

Everyone knows that Cuba has always held the firm opinion that there

can be no development without peace and no peace without development.

Fidel Castro has reiterated that on several occasions, including here

in this Hall during the thirty fourth session of the General

Assembly. Therefore, we call on the General Assembly to devote itself

to sustained hard work that will contribute to an ever greater extent

to making the United Nations a real participant in the process of

building the future of the peoples, rather than a mere spectator,

watching from the sidelines. Cuba has presided over the non aligned

movement during three years filled with complexities, tension and

conflicts in international relations. In the midst of the stubborn

struggle waged by imperialism and international reaction to paralyze

the action of the international agencies and to prevent the third

world countries from concerting their plans and positions, the non

aligned movement has emerged from those trials as an even more

united, more independent and stronger force.

Ever since the Sixth Conference of Heads of State or Government of

Non Aligned Countries, held at Havana in 1979, our movement has been

engaged in active efforts in the most diverse spheres, developing

various initiatives of special significance; noteworthy among them

are its efforts to mediate in disputes between member countries.

During those three years, the movement consolidated a broad programme

of co operation, extending the scope of co operation and exchanges of

views among our countries.

Many meetings were held in the movement's various branches and

spheres of action. Noteworthy among its activities were the

extraordinary meetings of its Coordinating Bureau at the ministerial

level on Namibia, held in Algiers; on Palestine, held in Kuwait; and

on the situation in Lebanon, held recently in Cyprus; as well as the

Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Non Aligned Countries,

held at New Delhi in February 1981; the Ministerial Meeting of the

Coordinating Bureau held this year in Havana; and the meetings of

Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the non aligned countries

attending the sessions of the General Assembly, for the purpose of

coordinating actions and setting priorities among those countries.

In spite of the obvious efforts to divide the movement and to boycott

the work of its organs especially its Coordinating Bureau and in

spite of the direct pressure brought to bear on many of its members,

the non aligned movement has given proof of its cohesion, maturity

and strength. The tireless struggle for peace, disarmament, an end to

the arms race, a new international economic order, respect for the

principle of non interference in the internal affairs of other

States, renunciation of the use of force in international relations

and solidarity with national liberation movements have been important

battles fought daily by the non aligned movement.

History, as always, has made sure that deceit has been unveiled.

Those who declared that in Cuba in 1979 the movement would be split

are brought face to face with today's reality: that our movement has

increased its dynamism, preserved its original principles and its

unity, and extended its action, its strength and its influence in the

international arena.

Within the framework offered by the present session of the General

Assembly we advanced our preparations for the Seventh Conference of

Heads of State or Government of Non Aligned Countries, which will be

held at New Delhi in March of next year. Fidel Castro, Chairman of

the movement, has had to make special efforts to overcome the

obstacles that arose concerning the holding of that conference,

efforts that brought out the movement's capacities, cohesion and

unity, and the outstanding qualities and wisdom of the heads of State

or Government of our member countries.

The present international situation presents enormous risks for man's

survival. We must tackle that situation with determination and

firmness: the same determination and firmness with which the heroic

Palestinians defended Beirut, the same determination and firmness

with which the Vietnamese people defeated imperialist aggression and

the same determination and firmness with which the courageous

Sahraoui fighters are waging their struggle.

The imperialists must abandon their policy of confrontation, threats

and aggression. They must know that they will not succeed in

intimidating the peoples, which have learned now that firmness is the

position of principle to hold in the face of the imperialists.

On 26 July 1982, President Fidel Castro stated that

We are not in favor of wars. We are in favor of peace, in favor of

solutions. We are well aware of the consequences a war would have for

the world. And the dangers really exist. We are in favor of

solutions, and we have said this repeatedly concerning the various

hotbeds of tension: solutions for the war between Iran and Iraq;

solutions in the Middle East; solutions in Central America, solutions

in Angola and in South Africa. Therefore, our attitude is not that of

promoting conflicts. However, we are not going to step back even half

an inch before the imperialist threats and aggressions not even half

an inch.