Che Guevara about Cuban Revolution (1960)

On December 10, 1960, a large audience greeted Che in the Column Hall of the House of Trade Unions in Moscow. Che gave a major speech. He lauded the documents of the 1960 Moscow Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties, in which, as he noted, Cuba was mentioned four times and cited as an example for other nations finding themselves in a similar situation. "We were not participants in drawing up this declaration, but we support it with all our heart."

Che gave a brief description of the basic stages of the Cuban Revolution:

"We began our fight in very difficult conditions, when the ideological balance of forces was quite different from the present. We learned and gained experience in the course of struggle; we became revolutionaries in the course of revolution. We became conscious of the truth through our experience, and this truth was that the poor masses of the peasantry must become the core of our Rebel Army. We understood that in Cuban conditiohs there could be no way other than that of a popular armed uprising against the armed oppression of the puppets of the imperialist Yankees. Taking weapons in hand and joining up with the peasants, we gave battle to the army fielded by the US-allied oligarchy, and we defeated it. We have shown that the people can arm themselves, fight the oppressors and crush them....

"At present we are in the situation when on the one hand our island is under constant threat from the ships, bases and marines of the imperialists; on the other hand, we have the priceless support of the Soviet Union, which serves as a defensive shield protecting our integrity and sovereignty.

"Unfortunately Cuba is one of the hot spots on our planet. We do not share the desire of the imperialists to play with fire. We know the possible consequences of a conflict if it erupts on our shores and we are making every effort to avoid it. But the outcome does not depend on us alone. The strength of the peoples throughout the world who support Cuba and the might of the socialist camp headed by the Soviet Union-this is the weapon upon which we rest our faith and which will prevent the US from committing a fatal mistake by attacking us.

"But we must be on our guard, we must vigilantly protect our shores, our sky, our land, be ever ready to strike back.... The Cuban nation, caught up in the enthusiasm of creation, is looking confidently to the future. The people know that they will emerge victorious from all their trials. They are preparing to build a new and better world although, unfortunately, this world must be built while holding a weapon firmly in one's hand. Such is the nation whose representatives you have greeted with enthusiasm, joy and revolutionary inspiration here and in all cities of the Soviet Union and throughout the socialist countries."

Che went on to say: "Cuba accepts the responsibilities accompanying the place allotted her in the struggle against world imperialism and she is ready to stand firm as a militant and living example as long as imperialism rattles its weapons at her.

"But Cuba is prepared to respond to the slightest opportunity for a peaceful settlement of all questions. Cuba wholeheartedly supports the Soviet proposal in the UN for universal disarmament. Let some of the money now spent on weapons be distributed to those nations needing capital for their development. Cuba is a firm advocate of the peaceful coexistence of countries with differing social systems and offers peace to whomever will accept it. But for the time being we shall not put down our rifles and it is with rifle in hand that we shall defend our borders if they are violated by the enemy. And let it be known that counter-revolutionary terror will be met by revolutionary terror, and those who will raise their weapons against us in order to put chains on our island again will be wiped out."


From Che's article "A Few Comments on the Revolution".

Che wrote that the "victory of the Cuban people demonstrates how the scales are tipping in favour of the socialist system in the correlation of the economic, political and military forces of the two opposing camps-that of peace and of war. Cuba exists as a sovereign state because her people are united around great slogans, her leaders are one with the people and are leading them ably along the path of victory. This is the truth but not the whole truth. Cuba also exists because in the world today there exists an alliance of nations which always take the side of justice and dispose of sufficient force to act accordingly. Enemies wanted to bring Cuba to her knees, depriving her of oil, but Soviet ships carried oil from Soviet ports in sufficient quantities. They wanted to bring Cuba to her knees, turning down her sugar, but the Soviet Union bought it. Finally, they again tried recently to strangle her with an economic blockade but again failed. True, but still not the whole truth. Cuba exists as a sovereign state because the military aggression prepared on US territory is now blocked by the historic warning given by the Soviet Union.

"So the Cuban example served to demonstrate the decisive superiority of the peace forces over the forces of war. Located in the heart of the North American empire Cuba is living testimony to the fact that today the peoples with sufficient determination to carry through the fight for independence will find in the Soviet Union and other socialist countries the necessary support and will be able to defend their independence."