Maravi

Mesa urges Cubans to forge towards fair, efficient Socialism

Mesa urges Cubans to forge towards fair, efficient Socialism
By Larry Moonze in Havana, Cuba
Saturday May 03, 2008 [04:00]

CONTINUE walking the path towards a fair, more humane and efficient Socialism, Cuban Workers Confederation (CTC) secretary general Salvador Valdes Mesa has urged. And Cuban President Raul Castro Ruz presided over the colourful May Day activities at Havana’s Revolution Square attended by some 1,386 guests from 173 labour and social organisations from 61 countries.

Addressing the workers on Thursday, Valdes who is also member of the Cuban Communist Party political bureau urged Cubans to maintain the achievements made by the 1959 Revolution.

“Let us ratify our determination to continue walking the path opened by the founder of the Revolution Fidel Castro towards a fair, more humane and efficient Socialism,” he said.

"It is fundamental to concentrate efforts on increasing production and productivity above all of food, the quality of construction and services given to the population.”

Valdes used the day which marked the 70th year of the labour movement in Cuba to urge Cubans to increase exports and at the same time reduce imports.

He said that could be achieved through a rational use of material and financial resources.
Valdes also called for implementation of cost-reducing and more efficient economic policies.

“We have to undertake a tenacious fight against all kind of social indiscipline, crimes and corruption undermining our workers' moral and ethical integrity,” he said.

Valdes said the world faced many challenges but he urged workers the world over to continue defending what was right.

He conveyed the CTC’s solidarity to all workers and peoples fighting for a better world.
Valdes said Cuba was aware of its challenges, particularly in the face of harsh US policy against the island.

He said Cuba had recognised what it lacked and what the island needed to go ahead.
Valdes said given the complex time that the world was under, discipline was important in order to build a sustainable society.

He said the wide ideological processes currently taking place within the Cuban working class were oriented toward increasing the country’s economy and productive development.

Valdes expressed confidence in the integration process under the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America and the Caribbean.

He also saluted the Five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters jailed in the United States since September 1998.

Valdes said Rene Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Ramon Labañino were an example of the Cuban people's unbreakable will to resist any hardship.

On his part, President Raul Castro did not utter a single word. He waved to the sea of Cubans who included representatives of the Young Communist League, survivors of the 1953 attacks on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes garrisons, members of the 1956 Granma yacht expedition from Mexico to Cuba, labour heroes and relatives of the Cuban Five.

Immediately after Valdes’ address, the march past led by a bloc of youths and students ensued with banners of the year’s May Day slogan Unity, Strength and Victory.

In an interview, 65-year-old Margarita Solor said she was ever more confident in President Raul Castro steering Cuba to better heights.

Solor, a retired restaurant cashier, said Cubans were better off under the socialist revolution.

She said May Day in Cuba was meaningful because the people were free.
“I am happy that within this week, the government announced the raising of pension,” Solor said. “Social security is important, it is another form of help to the people.”

Solor said earlier in the morning she heard someone saying revolutionary leader Fidel Castro was in attendance.

“We love Fidel,” said Solor. “And we are confident in Raul. There are reforms taking place… it is necessary that these changes continue gradually. We are not in a hurry. It is not like running but focused adjustments.

We have a country and a people to protect.”

Labels: CUBA, SOCIALISM

posted by MrK @ 3:11 AM