Translation Of Fidel Castro's
Announcement
NBC
6, Florida, August
1, 2006.
HAVANA -- Translation of Fidel Castro's
announcement temporarily relinquishing power.
Read by Carlos Valenciaga, Fidel Castro's
secretary.
Proclamation by the Commander in Chief
to the people of Cuba:
As a result of the enormous effort [I]
made to visit the Argentine city of Cordoba
to participate in the reunion of Mercosur,
in the closing ceremony of the Summit of
the Peoples at the historic University of
Cordoba, and in the visit to Altagracia,
the city where Che spent his childhood,
and, along with all this, to attend immediately
the commemoration of the 53rd anniversary
of the assault on the barracks at Moncada
and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes on July 26,
1953, in the provinces of Granma and Holguin,
days and nights of continuous work, barely
able to sleep, my health, which has withstood
all trials, was subjected to extreme stress
and broke down.
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This provoked an acute intestinal crisis,
with sustained bleeding, that obliged me
to face a complicated surgical operation.
All details of this health accident are
evident in the X-rays, endoscopies, and
filmed materials. The operation obliges
me to spend several weeks in repose, away
from my responsibilities and duties.
Because our country is threatened in these
circumstances by the government of the United
States, I have made the following decisions:
1. I delegate, on a provisional basis,
my functions as First Secretary of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba
upon the Second Secretary, comrade Raul
Castro Ruz.
2. I delegate, on a provisional basis,
my functions as Commander in Chief of the
Heroic Revolutionary Armed Forces upon the
aforementioned comrade, Army Gen. Raul Castro
Ruz.
3. I delegate, on a provisional basis,
my functions as President of the Council
of State and Government of the Republic
of Cuba on the First Vice President, comrade
Raul Castro Ruz.
4. I delegate, on a provisional basis,
my functions as principal promoter of the
national and international program of public
health upon the member of the Political
Bureau and Minister of Public Health, comrade
Jose Ramon Balaguer Cabrera.
5. I delegate, on a provisional basis,
my functions as principal promoter of the
national and international program of education
upon comrades Jose Ramon Machado Ventura
and Esteban Lazo Hernandez, members of the
Political Bureau.
6. I delegate, on a provisional basis,
my functions as principal promoter of the
national program of the energy revolution
in Cuba, and cooperation with other countries
on this field, upon comrade Carlos Lage
Davila, member of the Political Bureau and
Secretary of the Executive Committee of
the Council of Ministers.
The funds required for these three programs
-- health, education and energy -- must
continue to be managed and prioritized,
as I have been doing it personally, by comrades
Carlos Lage Davila, Secretary of the Executive
Committee of the Council of Ministers; Francisco
Soberon Valdes, Minister-President of the
Central Bank of Cuba; and Felipe Perez Roque,
Minister of Foreign Relations, who accompanied
me in these tasks and who must form a commission
for that purpose.
Our glorious Communist Party, supported
by the mass organizations, and all the people,
has the mission to assume the task recommended
in this proclamation.
The Summit of the Movement of Nonaligned
Nations, to be held between the 11th and
16th of September, must be given the closest
attention by the State and Cuban nation
so it may be held with the greatest brilliance
on the appointed date.
[About] the 80th anniversary of my birth,
which thousands of people so generously
agreed to celebrate next Aug. 13, I beg
all of you to postpone it until Dec. 2 of
this year, the 50th anniversary of the landing
of the Granma.
I ask the Party's Central Committee and
the National Assembly of the People's Power
for the firmest support for this proclamation.
I have not the slightest doubt that our
people and our Revolution will fight to
the last drop of blood to defend this and
other ideas and measures that may be necessary
to safeguard this historic process.
Imperialism will never be able to crush
Cuba. The battle of ideas will go forward.
Long live the motherland!
Long live the Revolution!
Long live socialism!
On to victory, always!
Fidel Castro Ruz
Commander in Chief
First Secretary of the Party and President
of the Councils of State and Ministers of
the Republic of Cuba.
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