Fidel Castro Interview (1985)

[Music] our major focus section tonight is a news maker interview with Cuban President Fidel Castro last month the u.s. and Cuba successfully negotiated an agreement under which Cuba will take back 2,500 undesirables who came in the Mariel boatlift of 1980 and the United States will reopen normal immigration procedures in Havana since then Castro said he'd be willing to talk further about improving relations Washington has reacted coldly saying Castro is saying nothing new and it wants to see Cuban deeds not words how far Castro wishes to push his new effort has not been clear but in Havana a part of his motivation is obvious Havana today expresses the weaknesses of the Cuban Revolution its successes are in the countryside where better nutrition health care and education have changed more lives Havana the symbol of the decadent past was neglected with little new building but with an economy still unable to meet all Fidel's goals and an acute need for hard currency old Havana is getting a facelift to attract tourists buildings and streets from the Spanish colonial period are being refurbished as is the square of the old Cathedral the bulk of the tourists are still people from the Eastern Bloc their presence symbolizing Castro's dependence on the communist world for economic survival in the face of the American trade blockade that's been enforced for a quarter of a century and has been tightened by the Reagan administration Cuba's lifeline is a procession of Soviet merchant ships bringing virtually everything from oil and lumber to light bulbs they return taking Cuban sugar citrus and nickel but recently not enough to meet the planned quotas so Cuban consumers have been asked to tighten their belts again to wait for more attractive consumer goods while a big drive is made to boost exports to the Soviet bloc and the West both to meet Cuba's commitments to her communist partners and who were in hard currency to pay her Western debts this is the context for the growing suggestions that Castro 26 years after his Revolution would like to patch things up with the u.s. there is no slutting of revolutionary zeal the spirit that defeated the Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961 is constantly nourished and the symbols of Cal Stroh's rise to power are a National Shrine the revolution is still young enough to enjoy tweaking Uncle Sam's beard this poster says mr. imperialists we are absolutely not afraid of you it is located close to the US mission now called the u.s. intersection because there are no full-scale diplomatic relations where US officials try to read the signals that Castro is sending on Friday night President Castro sat down with me for the first major American television interview in six years with a Cuban government interpreter we talked for more than four hours first about relations with the United States mr. president every time that you begin to talk about improving relations with the United States Washington says show us deeds not words what what actions or deeds are you prepared to make to improve relations with the United States you said every time I speak of improving relations actually there not many times nothing I have read a few statements in which it is said that they want deeds and not words I believe that that is a yes style of speaking I would say a style of a great power I understand that it is not easy for the United States to change its style we are a small country we cannot speak in those terms but we are also a country with a lot of dignity and no one can suppose that we would beg the United States for the improvement of relations we have never done so and we shall never do it my intention is not that they believe what we say but whether it's simply to analyze our ideas and to go deeper in them to make objective analyses of events it is not a matter of faith of confidence it is a matter of objectivity let's go through some an objective analysis of the State Department and the White House are always say that there are three obstacles to improving relations between Cuba and the United States and and and they are your allegiance to the Soviet Union what they call subversion in this Hemisphere and the large number of your troops in Africa sometimes they also mention human rights in Cuba the White House mentioned human rights in Cuba this week again can we discuss in detail each of these each each of these starting with relations with the Soviet Union is there a formula by which you could keep your ties to the Soviet Union and improve relations with the United States if the United States believe that there are three obstacles actually they're quite a few little I thought they were much more no then if we analyze these three types of obstacles the first is the relations that we have with the Soviet Union with the socialist countries and with any other country are matters of our sovereignty and that cannot be questioned or at least we are not ready to discuss that and this is always this is something that I always say in a very frank way if in order to improve really our relations with the United States we must give up our convictions and our principles then relations will not improve on those grounds if we are going to question our sovereignty then they will not improve either this yearly relations between Cuba and the Soviet Union are based in the most strict respect for independence and sovereignty of our country we have friendly relations very close relations and these relations cannot be affected in order to improve relations with the United States I believe that the United States would not respect a country that would do such a thing the countries that do those things simply are not respected and actually we are not going to change neither our flag nor our ideas in our relations with the Soviet Union in our friendship will be maintained intangible I say this being fully frank and fully sincere and it is necessary that this be understood the director of Cuban Affairs in the State Department Kenneth Skoog he said in in a speech in December what Cuba could not do and still retain Moscow's favor is to alter its fundamental commitment to unswerving support for Soviet policy and so my question is isn't that unswerving support for Soviet policy the price of the Soviet aid that keeps the Cuban economy going we coincide in many things with the Soviet Union because we have a community of political principles it is a socialist country we are a socialist country we do have many things in common with the Soviet Union in many international problems we have had common stance that is that is based on political ideas and principles it is a friendly country of whose friendship we will not reject and of which we do not feel ashamed of because actually we going to fight with our friends to become friends of our adversaries that we shall never and the Soviets have never imposed any conditions on Association on their system and they have never attempted to tell us what we should do what we must do with which countries we are to trade and with which countries should we have relations so I simply can't understand where these theories come from that is that our relations with the Soviets are an obstacle and if someone thinks that we are going to sell out or that we are going to give up our banners or lines or that we are going to change our ideas that is an error Cuba with it is a country that cannot be bought ascended countries that are are simply not respected I think what the what the United States government is saying is that your economic dependence on Moscow makes you automatically a part of the Soviet camp in having to agree to policies like the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan would you Fidel Castro who values the independence and integrity of a small country would you would you alone have approved the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan if you had been free to make your own choice did you privately and personally approve of the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan when it was put for 31 what is the question the issue we said clearly that in that conflict in that attack the tremendous attack against the Soviet unity led by the United States we were not going to be on the side of the United States simply that and we were then in this on the side of the Soviet Union there is we did not deal or delve on the topic and we that is what we did this is our position because of this but but isn't that isn't that the point that your friendship and dependence on the Soviet Union makes you part of the camp and therefore take positions which Washington regards as anti-american positions you establish this dependency as something that is actual in fact and action but in today's world in the economic arena no one is absolutely independent not even the United States you know Japan nor Western Europe they depend on oil raw materials and from many other countries they need markets they need trade that is no country is totally independent economically is it not true that your role in return for all the aid you get from the Soviet Union is to be a thorn in America sod if that were true we would not be talking about improvements in two villages with the United States if our role is to be a thorn then it would not be convenient for us actually it does not bring us great benefits either issue we are based on a conviction and it is the necessity to struggle in our area in Central America throughout the world it is a duty actually a duty that you have in order to lower tensions a a hand to achieve relationship eases well and I say this sincerely although I am a revolutionary I was I am a revolutionary and I shall always be a revulsion I review and I will not change a single of my principles for a thousand relations with a thousand countries like the United States will the Soviet Union continue to provide you with the aid and support it does do you believe if you have good relations with the Soviet with the United States look our relationship with the Soviet Union with the socialist countries are solid things based on your principles and have absolutely nothing to do with our economic and political relations with United States I will say one thing though the Soviet Union and the Soviet people feel great appreciation and great respect toward Cuba but it is they respect a human because they admire as other peoples do the courage of Cuba Cuba staunch Nessen Cuba's capability to resist for over 26 years the aggressions the economic blockade and the brutality of the United States would with the Soviet Union like it if you had better relations with the United States the blockade perhaps were lifted and the economic burden on the Soviet Union were shared or lessened the United States will pay us for a sugar at the price of the Soviet or will they be buying the nickel and they will be maintaining the type of relations and trade that we have with the Socialists but I believe that the idea that we have any needs to trade with the United States should be totally eradicated everything we have done and for the 26 years we have done it without trade with the United States and our future has been conceived without trade with the United States actually we have not asked the Soviet Union we generally we don't ask their opinion on our economic or political relations in an international arena but I know the Soviet Union very well and I know the policy of the civilian and the Soviet Union would never be against Cuba's developing its economic relationship with the other countries including United States sir to move on to the second point that Washington says is an obstacle to in better relations what the White House spokesman Larry speaks called this week your subversion in the hemisphere let me quote you again mr. Skoog of the State Department it is Cuba's striving with Soviet support to introduce Marxist Leninist regimes throughout the hemisphere which still lies at the heart of our differences would you comment on that well I could also accuse the Pope of practicing subversion in Latin America and preaching Christianity and Catholicism he has visited many countries even recently he met with natives and said that the land had to be given to the natives and the land properties and we declared that schools were necessary for the children jobs for the workers and for the family medicine and doctors for the ill and also foodstuffs or housing what we preach is more or less that yes and besides it is what we have done in our case so then we will continue being marches and will continue being socialists and we will always say that our social system is more just what we have said also because we are convinced about about it we have said the following and which is my answer to that neither can Cuba export revolution because we're illusions can not be exported and the economic social factors the cultural historical the factors that determine the the boom of revolution cannot be exported they the external of the huge external debt of mass America cannot be exported the formula applied by the International Monetary cannot be exported by this country on equal trade cannot be exported by Cuba under development and poverty cannot be exported by tourism and that is why humor and not export revolution it is absurd it is ridiculous to say that the revolutions can be exported the United States cannot the event avoid them either United States accuses maybe of wanting to promote changing well then we would like to see changes of birth but changes will come whether the United States likes it or not whether or not Cuba like I could answer by saying that the United States wants to maintain an unjust social order that has meant for the peoples of this hemisphere poverty under under development diseases ignorance the United States wants to maintain that and we could also say that the United States wants to avoid if we are accused of wanting to promote change we can also accuse United States of wanting to avoid change and wanting to have to maintain an unjust social regime but actually neither can we exported nor can the revolution avoided nor can the United States avoided in supporting militarily the Sandinistas regime in Nicaragua our is Cuba not helping to sustain and introduce a Marxist Leninist regime in helping Nicaragua by offering military cooperation well we are helping an independent country we are helping a just revolution to defend itself that's simply what we're doing in the same way that versions of the United States has also sent their weapons to this in this hemisphere to other people's it sent weapons to Somoza it sent weapons to true he here when Thalia was there it sent weapons to peanut-shaped it sent weapons to all of the repressive governments of Latin America governments that murdered tortured dozens of thousands of people governments which disappeared tens of thousands of people they had no moral obstacle in giving any economic financial and military assistance to these governments so with what moral grounds can it be questioned that is can they are right the question to help Nicaragua and Nikolai was right to receive that aid I asked can the United States help the country revolutionary bands supply weapons to them explosives to fight inside Nicaragua something that has meant the lives of thousands and thousands of people and on the other hand question little Cuba's right technically I was right there's for us to give me aid economic technical aid and even some cooperation in the military field so you would not stop giving such aid as a condition of improved relations with the United States we shall not make any unilateral decision in our relations and cooperation with Nicaragua what we have said is that in Central America a political negotiated solution is possible what we say is that we support the effort of Contador to seek solutions of peace in Central America that we supported staunchly sincerely and that we believe that political solutions exist and peace solutions exist that are convenient for the Nicaraguans for Central America and for the United States itself and that we are ready to struggle for that and also fancy the agreements that are reached they shall be complied by us in a determined way that is any agreements reached between Nicaragua in the Contra Dora framework shall be complied by us to the very letter how hopeful are you that now that some political settlement can be reached in Central America I am absolutely convinced I have a lot of information about the work of Contador effort all the discussions all the burning issues there the positions of the United States nicaragua's positions and I am convinced fully convinced that it is possible to find formulas that would be acceptable by all parties or to all parties which I have that conviction I'm convinced about that know that for it it is necessary for the United States to want to really cooperate in finding a political solution I believe that as long as the United States is convinced that it can destroy this underneath the revolution from within by combining the effect of the economic measures against Nicaragua with the economic difficulty inside Nicaragua and the actions of the counter revolutionary bands as long as they're convinced that they can't destroy the revolution from within it will not be seriously ready to seek a political solution to the problems of Central America because if it believes that it will destroy the revolution why negotiate them why reach agreements now that now when the United States becomes persuaded that it shall not achieve that goal that's the that I want revolution it cannot be destroyed from within because of the questions I mentioned the promise I mentioned I believe that they can face the economic problems with what they produce and with the aid they are receiving the economic aid are receiving them if they handle it correctly efficiently they can face the economic problems I'm convinced of that because I am also convinced that they can defeat the bands and that's the bands will never be able to defeat by the excuse me by the bands you mean what are called in the United States the contrasts yes the counter-revolution events that will be defeated they will be defeated so then a situation will come up before the other states that is the United States will have no other alternative but to negotiate seriously to seek the solution or invade Nicaragua and since in my view my criteria a US invasion in Nicaragua is unconceivable since it would be such a serious mistake a terrible mistake that I do not simply think that the United States would really get to the point of making that mistake I cannot assure you that it might not do it but I say that it is unconceivable that's under the present circumstances in Latin America under the present circumstances of crisis with the present feeling on the part of the Latin American people at the times were living in the aggression and Malaysia against the Latin American country would be that's catastrophic in political terms it would mean such a political cost not only the political vote but also in terms of us lives let me turn to Africa the the third of those obstacles that Washington sees to improving relations with you your troops in Angola you've talked recently about circumstances arising which would cause you to bring them home what would happen what would have to happen to start bringing the Cuban troops out of Angola what is needed there well discussions have taken place with the participation of the United States the United States has had dialog box with angola's leadership we are informed through the end öhlins about these negotiations or talks that have been held with our support and with our full cooperation that is they have carried out these negotiations and close contact with Cuba could you withdraw any of your troops before there is agreement no no the Angolans would not agree with that and from our point of view it would be a mistake the Angolan proposal that is if those circumstances come up then I'm gonna commit itself and Cuba of course would support it to withdraw in a period of three years what is called the grouping of troops in the south we just made up by approximately 20,000 men and even the figure was given this is the bulk of our troops actually but there are still troops in the center and to the North including cabinda the Angolans have not included these troops in the negotiations these present negotiations and their position is that the to withdraw those troops it would be something that would have to be discussed between I'm gonna thank you whenever it is considered that they can dispense of these tubes do you think that this projected settlement of the Angola situation does that erase cuban troops in angola as an issue between you and the united states and they're gonna be a pro Pahang angola before there were no troops in angola and relations were very bad with the united states the day where there are no troops in angola or in some other place or there are no advisers in Central America maybe the United States might invent something else just to sum up our conversation about improving relations with the United States why is this the right time to raise this and realistically speaking how hopeful are you that it can happen whether this is the right best moment I believe that if the United States is objective if it is realistic I would say that it is the best moment for the United States not for us actually we can go on for 5 10 15 20 more years the only obligation of our own our population is toward peace if there's peace here and in other areas we will feel more pleased relations are normalized even more pleased because it would be then a progressive progress peace is convenient for all but from the political point of view I'm convinced and I'm saying this fully frankly I think that the United States benefits most tennis we can sit here and wait calmly and see what happens in the coming years tomorrow night Fidel Castro talks candidly about human rights in Cuba political prisoners dissent the controlled press and the mistakes of his Revolution he also discusses what he sees as an explosive economic situation in Latin America [Music]

Channel: AfroMarxist

Views: 135,872

Rating: 4.7365718 out of 5

Keywords: Fidel Castro, Cuba, Raul Castro, Socialism, Marxism, Marxism Leninism, Communism, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Che Guevara, Hugo Chavez, Salvador Allende, Nicolás Maduro

Id: OwN3i56Wzas

Length: 33min 42sec (2022 seconds)

Published: Sat Oct 06 2018

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[u/sungod003]

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