02/19/2008
Dear compatriots:
Last Friday, February 15, I promised you that during my next reflection I would deal with a subject of full interest to many compatriots. That subject is now on this statement.
The time to choose the Council of State has arrived, that means to choose its President, Vice-presidents and Secretary.
I carried out the honorable position of President during many years. The 15th of February of 1976 was the date in which the Socialist Constitution was passed with free, direct and secret vote of more than 95% of the citizens allowed to vote. The first National Assembly was constituted December 2, 1976, and the members of the assembly chose the Council of State and the Presidency. Before that, I had been Prime Minister during almost 18 years. I always exercised the essential prerogatives to carry out the revolution with the support of the majority of Cuban citizens.
Taking into account my critical state, many people thought that the provisional resignation as president July 31, 2006, which was left in the hands of the Vice-president, Raúl castro, was definitive. Raúl himself, who additionally, has the position of minister of F.A.R on his own merits, and the other members of the party, were reluctant to consider me out of my position, in spite of my health.
My position versus an adversary who made everything to get rid of me was annoying and I did not like to please him.
Later on, I could reach the full control of my own mind, I had the possibility to read and meditate much, due to my complete rest. I was strong enough to write for many hours, during the long period of rehabilitation. An elemental common sense told me I was able to do that activity. On the other hand, I always tried to avoid hopes, which would have brought traumatic news to my country if a fatal end had happened. Preparing my country for my absence, both psychological and political, was the main obligation after so many years of battle. I kept saying that my recovery "was not without risks."
My wish has always been to discharge my duties to my last breath. That’s all I can offer.
To my dearest compatriots, who have recently honored me so much by electing me a member of the Parliament where so many agreements should be adopted of utmost importance to the destiny of our Revolution, I am saying that I will neither aspire to nor accept, I repeat, I will neither aspire to nor accept the positions of President of the State Council and Commander in Chief.
In brief letters addressed to Randy Alonso, Director of the Round Table National TV Program, --letters which at my request were made public-- I discreetly add elements of the message I am writing today, and not even the addressee of those letters knew my intention. I relied on Randy, because I knew him when he was a student of Journalism, and I met almost every week with the main representatives of the University students at the library of the large house in Kohly where they lived. Today, the entire country is a huge University.
Paragraphs chosen from the letter addressed to Randy on December 17, 2007:
"I strongly believe that the answers to the problems of Cuban society, which has, as an average, a grade 12 of education, almost a million university graduates, and a real possibility for all its citizens to study without being discriminated, require more answers for each problem than those of a chess game. We cannot ignore one single detail, and this is not an easy path, if the intelligence of a human being in a revolutionary society has to prevail over instincts.”
“My elemental obligation is not to cling the positions, not even to stand in the way of younger people, but to contribute experiences and ideas whose modest value comes from the exceptional era that I lived in.”
“Like Niemeyer, I think that we must be consistent until the end.”
Letter from January 8, 2008:
"…I am a firm supporter of the united vote (a principle that preserves the ignored merits). That principle allowed us to avoid the tendency to copy what came to us from countries of the former socialist bloc, including the portrait of a single candidate, who was singular and had a gesture of solidarity towards Cuba. I respect much that first attempt to build socialism, thanks to which we were able to continue along the chosen path".
And I reiterated in that letter that "…I never forget that ‘all of the world’s glory fits in a kernel of corn."
Therefore, I would betray my own conscience if I accept a responsibility that requires more mobility and total dedication than I am not physically able to offer. I explain it without dramatizing.
Fortunately, our process still has cadres from the old guard and other who were very young when it started when the Revolution started. Some were almost children and they joined the fighters on the mountains and later, they gave the glory to the country with heroism and internationalist missions. They have the authority and the experience to guarantee the replacement. Our process also has the intermediate generation which learned together with us the elements of the complex and the almost unattainable art of organizing and leading a revolution.
The path will always be difficult and it will require from everyone’s intelligent effort. I do not trust the seemingly easy path of apologetics, or the self-flagellation as antithesis. We must always be prepared for the worst variable. Being as prudent in success as steady in adversity is a principle we can not forget. The adversary to be defeated is very strong but we have been able to control it for half a century.
This is not a farewell. My only wish is to fight as a soldier in the battle of ideas I will continue writing under the heading of ‘Reflections by comrade Fidel.’ It will be another weapon you can count on. Perhaps my voice will be heard. I shall be careful.
Thank you
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