(Council of State transcript – GI translation)

Dear Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee;

Dear comrades of the historic generation;

Compañero Esteban Lazo, President of the National Assembly of People’s Power and the Council of State; members of the Council of State;

Deputies;

Today is October 10 and we Cubans must congratulate each other. “…the first day of Cuba’s freedom and independence,” as Carlos Manuel de Céspedes said, is by all rights one of the most celebrated on our national calendar, given its powerful resonances, from that minute in 1868 until this one, as we have reaffirmed our oath of unconditional service to the homeland.

Although the nation would later go on to experience legendary episodes, the first inspiration came from that day, when the shackles were broken and the flag made by a woman waved in new hands.

Together embracing an ideal, for the first time, blacks and whites, women and men, almost all young people, and as the protagonists, the youngest Cubans. This was the first October 10, full of transcendental meaning.

They say that a 20-year-old boy named Emilio Tamayo was the first to wave the flag made by Cambula, in the camp erected at La Demajagua. And that the Father of the Homeland said, as he admired it unfolding, “Die before you see her dishonored.” It is also said that the plantation’s bell was rung by another very young man from Bayamo, Manuel García Pavón, who would be the last survivor of the historic uprising.

What do I intend by evoking these memories? In the first place, of course, to pay due tribute to history and its eternal links with the present, challenging and full of threats and risks, like that first day at La Demajagua, and every day in Cuba’s 151 years of struggle to maintain our independence.

I am especially interested today in highlighting the episodes that place Cuban youth at the center of these struggles for something that, almost a century after October 10, 1868, in July 1962, in Santiago de Cuba, Fidel told students and professors at the University of Oriente:

“The Revolution is not a struggle for the present, the Revolution is a struggle for the future; the Revolution always has its sights set on the future and the homeland of which we are thinking, the society we conceive as a just society, worthy of men, the homeland of tomorrow…”

The Revolution is a struggle for the future. It has always been and is now.

For the Council of State, its President, Vice President, and the remaining 19 members who have just been reelected or elected this October 10; for the Vice President of the Republic and for its President, the number one task must be the future. We appreciate your confidence in choosing us for these responsibilities, which, united together, we will perform in the name of this future.

That is why we have put defense and the economy in the first place and at the same level. We have not forgotten, for a second, that a Revolution is worth defending and those who forget this lesson do not live to talk about it. The economy, as the basis and sustenance of the social superstructure, is the great determinant of the future.

Recently on the Presidency’s website, we made the call to “Think as a country,” and after carefully reading the more than 1,200 responses, we found a great deal of optimism and confidence in the future, although also, in some cases, expressions of concern.

Logical and revolutionary concern that we share, facing a world crippled by imbalanced economic relations, without “buffers” in less developed nations, and in which global financial institutions have made a practice of bailing out banks, but never peoples.

A world dominated by disrespect for international legality, led by a hegemonic power and the imposition of its demands through threats and sanctions.

A world manipulated by pernicious media campaigns against a solidary and peaceful nation like Venezuela, while insisting on legitimizing as “President” an imposter without any popular support.

A world in which the podium of the United Nations General Assembly has been used to dismiss, belittle, threaten, and deny social systems and sovereign governments and lie shamelessly in an attempt to promote interventions of all kinds, including military.

A world in which global agreements, cooperation projects, and health programs, that brought hope to excluded majorities, are broken.

A world in which the judiciary is used to imprison progressive leaders and persecute and murder social activists with impunity.
Photo: Jose M. Correa

A world in which those who build walls, separate families, imprison migrant children, prohibit exchanges between peoples, and block access to development of other nations, putting the human species in danger when they ignore climate change and dismiss scientific warnings, while the Amazon and other lungs of the planet burn.

Such a world really alarms us all. At the First Earth Summit, in 1992, Fidel delivered his jarring speech warning of “an endangered species.”

Thus no one should be surprised that a teenager cries in front of those responsible for the disaster. The tears of Greta Thunberg are the tears of the future.

“To govern is to foresee,” Martí said. And the Cuban Revolution owes much to the brilliant foresight of Fidel and Raúl. This is our political school.

Those who doubt it, can just look at 60 years of revolutionary history: beginning with the literacy campaign and education of our people, the basis for forging the valuable human capital that distinguishes us, and promoting the development of science and medicine to international cutting-edge levels, even the early warnings and preparations that have now allowed us to confront the brutal tightening of the blockade by this U.S. administration, with less damage than our adversaries had calculated.

The commitment we make before you today is to maintain and strengthen this practice, take advantage of the invaluable human capital that we have trained and the contributions of academia and science to increase the efficiency of government management, as a result of the foresight generated by knowledge.

The country has the commitment to nurture the talent developed by the Revolution, produce and contribute internally without closing the door to cooperation and learning beyond our borders. The export of Cuban products and services must be expanded and diversified.

When we decide to increase salaries in the budgeted sector, three to five times over; when we promote accelerated computerization of society; when, despite the limitations imposed by the blockade, we defend the strengthening of education and ties between universities and production at all levels, we are working for the future.

This year and, in particular, the last few months have tested our ability to resist without foregoing development. And more has been demanded from the people, but also from ministers and state administration cadres. The requirements of the days and months to come will be no less demanding. Under the conditions of a prolonged and total blockade, it is up to us to combine efforts and support each other in existing structures and the new responsibilities we have acquired.

The Council of State, for example, will function more regularly and with greater impact between sessions of the Assembly. There are many laws, essential to improving government efficiency, which require more expedited ways to review, approve, and implement. This is a commitment we made upon approving the new Constitution.

Municipalities must learn to manage available resources with greater authority, but with greater responsibility, as well.

We are already at the gates of 2020, during which we intend to continue consolidating our economy. Without ever giving up our greatest dreams, which by elementary logic require more resources, we will strengthen areas of work and programs that during 2019 we proposed as priorities, including exports, foreign investment, housing construction, food production, tourism, transportation, and renewable energy.

As we have stated on previous occasions, after the fuel shortage, generated by the intransigence of the United States government, the country will return to normal, but it will not be with the same ways of working. If something good has come from these days of tension, it is that Cuba’s enormous potential for greater efficiency was brought to the fore.

That is why we will place greater emphasis on reducing expenses and saving more; on generalizing the useful solutions that emerged during the toughest years of the Special Period, adjusted to our reality, that is, taking into account technological advances and greater knowledge that can make a working principle, such as conservation, an engine of development.

We insist on the need to work for the good of all, on the political and ideological preparation of cadres, on the involvement of young people who always give us so much energy, and in the participation of the people, in the search for the best solutions, with the certainty that collective intelligence is inexhaustible, as well as the potential of resistance and creativity that the hostility of the adversary always awakens in Cubans.

I said, about a year ago, when I assumed the tasks of the Presidency of what was at that time the Councils of State and Ministers: We did not come to make promises. We come to fulfill the mandate of the revolutionary people.

Today a new stage of work begins for those of us who represent the state and government, which will demand from every leader, cadre, and official at all levels, the willingness to set aside the heavy burden of obsolete practices and cumbersome mechanisms, which delay processes and weaken national self-esteem.

The times in which we live are new, in many ways, and demand different thinking. Change everything that needs to be changed, as Fidel told us, as Raúl showed us during his years at the helm of the Presidency and as our first Party secretary.

When I think of them, I am also thinking about the future, because their generation was a generation of the future, leaving home, studies, and comfort to change this land once and for all. Their hands did not tremble when fighting the worst scourges that sucked the blood of the Republic, or challenging the threatening enemy by raising a new nation from the roots, from the scrub, from the Sierra.

Just as they did not tremble when it came to facing a dirty war that lasted for years, with mercenaries destroying and killing practically all over the island, they did not hesitate to give support to sister peoples who fought against hateful Latin American dictatorships, sustained and supported by the same empire that now labels progressive leaders of the region as dictators.

Of course, this is making the empire look bad, old and demoralized, with its troop of mediocre and duplicitous politicians pulled together in the OAS.

Where are those who continue giving advice on the fate of Venezuela and at the same time take no responsibility for the enormous conflicts and social problems that afflict their peoples? How do you intend to cover up their bungling conspiracies with paramilitary mafias, with their hostility against Venezuela?

If something was never lost on the leadership of the Cuban Revolution, it was the role of morality in history. There they are, undefeated, with no other monument than their own work, to which we have the duty to pay the most just tribute: ensure that it grows and prospers, without fear of threats or danger.

The poor of the earth cannot lose their dignity or give in to threats. This is a conviction made evident many times throughout history, from October 10 in La Demajagua until April 1961, when Fidel on mercenary ships fired from a tank.

In these times, when we have returned to join Comandante Almeida in his cry of principles at the toughest moment, we firmly insist that the Cuban Revolution will preserve intact all our convictions, those that cost the blood of the country’s best sons and daughters. (Applause)

When you have a people of such traditions, like the Cuban, you do not doubt for a second to face the future, aware that you will triumph. Today we repeat the expression we have often heard from the Army General, and that we have learned to value in hard times: What a people we have! (Applause)

Those who create and construct have defeated those who hate and destroy.

The blood of our noble indigenous people, our European, African and Asian grandparents, and that of all men and women of immense courage, who over the centuries created our national being, seethes with rebellion in the face of every threat, and with rage upon every aggression.

The more they attack us, the more they try to intimidate us, the more our national will and strength grows: Unity! (Applause)

October 10 will always inspire us! Like the Mambises, an honorable name for our Creole rebels, we will not hesitate to use a machete if there are no guns. And we will always have dignity as our banner and moral shield.

This people, which has more than once, been the capital of world solidarity, welcoming those who offer it to us and offering it around the world to those who need it most, is now awaiting in Havana, for its 500th anniversary, the arrival of a supportive, anti-imperialist wave, like a cannon shot against the blows of the imperial beast.

In the land of Céspedes, Mariana, Gómez, Maceo, Martí, Mella, Guiteras, Rubén, Camilo, Che, Almeida, Ramiro, Guillermo, Vilma, Celia, Haydée, Melba, in the land of Raúl and Fidel, the Bronze Titan’s warning has not changed a millimeter: “Whoever attempts to take Cuba will collect only the dust from its blood-soaked soil, if he does not perish in the fight.” (Applause)

Compañeras and compañeros:

Intense and challenging days await us, but no one is going to take from us the confidence in the future which we owe our children, in the homeland our parents won by standing firm.

Long live free Cuba! (Shouts of: Viva!)

Socialism or death!

Country or Death!

Venceremos!

(Ovation)

With remarks from the President of the Republic, the extraordinary session of the National Assembly of People’s Power concluded.

Today is October 10 and we Cubans should congratulate each other, he said. This was Cuba’s first day of freedom, as Carlos Manuel de Céspedes said in the historic uprising of La Demajagua, “and we have every reason to celebrate.”

Díaz-Canel stated, “The Revolution is a struggle for the future, as it always has been and continues to be.”

For all elected, he said, the fundamental task must be the future. Nonetheless, he reiterated, as fundamental tasks, we have, first of all, defense and the economy.

He recalled that, on the Presidency’s website, he had made the call “to think as a country, and found a great deal of optimism and confidence and also some expressions of concern, logical given the convulsive international panorama.”

The President evoked Martí: “To govern is to foresee”. And the Revolution, he stated, “owes much to the foresight of Fidel and Raul. That is our political school.” For those who have doubts, he suggested, just look at our 60 years of history.

“The Cuban Revolution will preserve intact all of its convictions, those that cost the blood of the country’s children. When you have a people of such traditions, like the Cuban, you do not hesitate to face the future, aware that you will triumph. Today we repeat the expression we have often heard from the Army General: What a people we have!

“The more they attack and intimidate us, the more our willpower, national strength, and unity grows. October 10 will always inspire us, as the mambises did not hesitate to use machetes, when there were no guns, we will always have our dignity as a banner and a moral shield.”

In the land of Céspedes, Mariana, Gómez, Maceo, Martí, Mella, Guiteras, Rubén, Camilo, Che, Almeida, Ramiro, Guillermo, Vilma, Celia, Haydee, Melba … in the land of Raúl and Fidel, the Bronze Titan’s warning has not changed one millimeter: “He who attempts to take Cuba, will collect only the dust of its blood soaked soil, if he does not perish in the fight.”

“Intense, challenging days await us, but no one is going to take from us the confidence in the future which we owe our children,” he concluded

National Assembly and Council of State President Esteban Lazo invitesthe president of the National Electoral Council, Alina Balseiro, to report the results of the vote.

In compliance with articles 222, 223 and 224 Section 1 of the Electoral Law, the vote count was conducted with the following results:

• Of 605 deputy seats, 599 are currently occupied.

• There are 6 vacancies at this time.

• 580 deputies were present, representing 96.83% attendance.

• 19 deputies were absent.

• 580 deputies voted, representing 100% of those present.

• 580 deputies deposited their ballot in the ballot box.

• 580 ballots were ruled valid, 100%

• 568 deputies for all the candidates voted and 12 cast selective votes.

As established in the Constitution of the Republic, in Articles 126 and 129, to be elected for these positions, a favorable vote of the absolute majority is required.

For President of the Republic: Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez obtained 579 votes for 96.76%, which represents the majority of deputies currently members of the National Assembly.

For the Vice President of the Republic: Salvador Antonio Valdés Mesa obtained 569 votes for 94.99%, which represents the majority of deputies currently members of the National Assembly.

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Esteban Lazo asked deputies if, after studying the nominees’ biographies, anyone believed a candidate should be removed or would like to propose a modification. No proposals were presented and the candidature was approved anonymously.

The newly elected secretary of the National Assembly and the Council of State, Homero Acosta, invited Army General Raúl Castro, deputy Miguel Díaz-Canel and other deputies to exercise their right to a free, equal, direct, and secret vote.

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Next, the second point on the day’s agenda was introduced by María Consuelo Baeza Martín, president of the National Candidacy Commission, who announced the proposals for President and Vice President of the Republic.

On behalf of the Candidacy Commission, Baeza congratulated Estaban Lazo and other newly elected members of the Council of State, wishing them “success in this task of great responsibility.”

The President of the Republic must have reached 35 years of age, be in full possession of civil and political rights, and a Cuban citizen by birth without any other citizenship, Baeza explained

“To carry out this responsibility, Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, who has served as President of the Councils of State and Ministers, is proposed, given his political and state experience,” Baeza stated.

The Vice President of the Republic must have reached 35 years of age, be in full possession of civil and political rights, and a Cuban citizen by birth without any other citizenship, she reaffirmed.

To occupy this position, Salvador Antonio Valdés Mesa was proposed, who served as First Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers. He is a member of the Political Bureau and has a long history of service to the Revolution.

Complying with provisions of the Electoral Law, Alina Balseiro, president of the National Electoral Council, submitted to vote the approval of the candidacies for President, Vice President, and Secretary of the National Assembly, as well as for the remaining 18 Council of State members.

The candidacies were approved unanimously and the free, equal, direct and secret vote ballot of deputies will proceed.Cuarta sesión extraordinaria IX Legislatura de la Asamblea Nacional en erl Palacio de Convenciones, Presidido por El Presidente de los Consejos de estado y de Ministros Miguel Díaz Canel Bermúdez, el Primer secretario del PCC General de Ejercito Raul Castro Ruz y Estaban Lazo Hernández, Presidente de la ANPP, elecciones del Consejo de estado y presidencia de la ANPP

Cuarta sesión extraordinaria IX Legislatura de la Asamblea Nacional en erl Palacio de Convenciones, Presidido por El Presidente de los Consejos de estado y de Ministros Miguel Díaz Canel Bermúdez, el Primer secretario del PCC General de Ejercito Raul Castro Ruz y Estaban Lazo Hernández, Presidente de la ANPP, elecciones del Consejo de estado y presidencia de la ANPP

Cuarta sesión extraordinaria IX Legislatura de la Asamblea Nacional en erl Palacio de Convenciones, Presidido por El Presidente de los Consejos de estado y de Ministros Miguel Díaz Canel Bermúdez, el Primer secretario del PCC General de Ejercito Raul Castro Ruz y Estaban Lazo Hernández, Presidente de la ANPP, elecciones del Consejo de estado y presidencia de la ANPP

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Balseiro indicated that the next step established is approval of the proposed candidature list of other members who will be part of the Council of State.The proposed candidature was approved unanimously.Nominations for President, Vice President and Secretary, and other members of the Council of State were approved. Now the election will be conducted by a free and secret vote.

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New members proposed: – Yansi María Bravo O’Farril, Havana Comptroller – José Ángel Fernández Castañeda, president of the Federation of University Students (FEU) – Alexis Lorente Jiménez, president of the Municipal Assembly of People’s Power in Sancti Spíritus – Eduardo Moisés Torres Cuevas, president of the Cuban Academy of History

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The president of the National Candidacy Commission, Consuelo Baeza Martín, also announced nominees to fill the remaining 18 positions of the Council of State Council, based on providing both continuity and renewal. She proposed to reelect the following members: – Teresa Amarelle Boué, member of the Political Bureau of the Party and general secretary of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) – Jorge Berlanga Acosta, senior researcher, PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences – Rosalina Fournier Frómeta, architect – Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento, member of the Political Bureau and general secretary of the federation of Cuban Workers(CTC) – Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, a Council of State vice president – Carlos Alberto Martínez Blanco, director of the capital’s provincial Health Department – Felicia Martínez Suárez, Council of State member – Carlos Rafael Miranda, national coordinator of the Committes for the Defense of the Revolution(CDR) – Yipsi Moreno Gonzáles, Athletics National Commissioner – Susely Morfa González, first secretary of the Young Communist League National Committee of the Union – Miriam Nicado García, member of the Political Bureau and rector of the University of Havana. – Elizabeth Peña Turruellas, national director of the Urban and Suburban Agriculture program. – Yoerky Sánchez, editor of the newspaper Juventud Rebelde – Rafael Santiesteban Pozo, president of the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP)

The president of the National Candidacy Commission, María Consuelo Baeza Martín, stated that the group’s efforts were directed toward ensuring that “those selected, in addition to their merits, have human values and a vocation of service to the people.”

With the entry into effect of the new Electoral Law, July 13, 2019, the number of members of the Council of State was reduced from 31 to 21. With this decision, “an adequate representation of women, youth, Blacks, and Mestizos is maintained,” she reported.

The first candidacy proposals that María Consuelo Baeza reported, were for the positions of President, Vice President, and Secretary of the National Assembly of People’s Power, who will also lead the Council of State.

On behalf of the Commission, Baeza proposed for the position of President of the National Assembly and the Council of State, Juan Esteban Lazo Hernández, “given his outstanding performance as National Assembly President for the Eighth and Ninth Legislatures,” adding that he was a member of the Party Political Bureau and an economist by profession.

As the Commission’s candidate for Vice President of the National Assembly and Council of State, Ana María Mari Machado was proposed, who, Baeza said, has successfully served as Vice President of the National Assembly since 2012. Machado is currently a member of the Party Central Committee, and is woman who, in addition to her personal merits as a revolutionary, has extensive experience in management positions at the municipal, provincial and nation levels, and has a law degree.

As Secretary of the National Assembly and the Council of State, proposed was Homer Acosta Álvarez, who has been Council of State Secretary since 2009, fulfilling his duties efficiently and responsibly. He has a law degree and participated in the drafting of the new Constitution.

Assembly President Lazo invited Alina Balseiro, president of the National Electoral Council, to conduct the first point on the agenda, the election of the President, Vice President, and Secretary of the body, who will henceforth also head the Council of State.Balseiro presented the proposed candidature and María Consuelo Baeza Martín, president of the National Candidacy Commission, presented the nominees for this election.99.6% of the deputies submitted proposals to the Commission. All selected candidates meet requirements for the positions, she reported.

_____________________________________________

Political Bureau member and current Assembly President Esteban Lazo stated that 151 years after the beginning of Cuba’s wars of independence, we continue working to advance in our single Revolution, united around our fundamental principles, despite the intensification of the blockade and measures taken by the Trump administration to destroy the Cuban Revolution.He recalled that the actions being carried out today are proceeding in compliance with the Constitution, to strengthen the country’s institutional framework.He announced that Zunilda García Garcés, deputy from the Isle of Youth, was sworn in, and that the session’s agenda would include:- Election of the President of the National Assembly of People’s Power- Election of the Vice President of the National Assembly- Election of the Secretary of the National Assembly- Election of other members of the Council of State- Election of the President and Vice President of the Republic

………………………………………………………………………..

10:00 a.m.

Fourth extraordinary session of the National Assembly of People’s Power begins, with 575 deputies present, an attendance of 95.04 %, with the presence of Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee; Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, President of the Councils of State and Ministers; José Ramón Machado Ventura, second Party secretary; and Esteban Lazo Hernández, president of the National Assembly of People’s Power.

………………………………………………………………………..

Today, October 10, will be another memorable day for the homeland. Maintaining the historical continuity of the Cuban Revolution, initiated 151 years ago in La Demajagua, the Republic of Cuba’s Council of State Council will be elected during an extraordinary session of the National Assembly of People’s Power, as stipulated in the second transitory provision of the new Constitution,.

Today the election of the President, Vice President, and Secretary of the National Assembly will also take place, who, beginning today, will also head the Council of State. The remaining 18 members of the Council of State will be elected, as well.

(Granma)

Today the election of the President, Vice President, and Secretary of the National Assembly will also take place, who, beginning today, will also head the Council of State. The remaining 18 members of the Council of State will be elected, as well.

During the preparation of the proposed candidatures, the National Candidacy Commission requested that deputies personally submit, in writing, their proposals for the positions under consideration. The Commission includes deputies, specifically selected for this purpose.During this extraordinary session, after presentation and approval of the candidature, deputies will vote, in a free, equal, direct, secret manner. As established by electoral law, the National Electoral Council is responsible for conducting the election, and its president will announce the results, beginning with the President, Vice President, and Secretary of the National Assembly of People’s Power and the Council of State, followed by other members of the Council of State. Those elected will be sworn-in before the National Assembly.Subsequently, the nomination and election process for President and Vice President of the Republic will be conducted, led by the President of the National Assembly of People’s Power.

All nominees on the candidature list presented by the Commission are deputies, as stipulated in the Constitution.

Once the proposed candidacy is approved, the election is carried out, by free, equal, direct, secret ballot vote. The count is conducted by the National Electoral Council and its president reports the results of the vote, as in the previous process.Next, the President of the National Assembly of People’s Power, based on the results reported, declares the President and Vice President of the Republic elected, as those who obtain the favorable vote of an absolute majority of the deputies in the National Assembly of People’s Power. Once declared elected, they take office.The President of the Republic will be sworn in before the Assembly, as established.

(Granma)

Participating were Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Party Central Committee; Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, President of the Councils of State and Ministers; Second Party Secretary José Ramón Machado Ventura; and Esteban Lazo Hernández, Political Bureau member and president of the Assembly. Deputies approved three new laws of special importance: an Electoral Law, a National Symbols Law, and a Fisheries Law, the first on this subject to be approved at the national level.

The Assembly also elected the National Electoral Council, to be headed by Alina Balseiro, and reviewed issues of central relevance to the country’s development, including the performance of the 2019 Economic Plan during the first half of the year and the close-out report for the 2018 state budget, reaffirming the national priorities identified by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz: defense of the homeland and the economic battle.

Initiating the session, Esteban Lazo recalled the “memorable” session held last April 10, when the country’s new Constitution was proclaimed, demanding “more dynamism, sensibility, patriotism, and intelligence, in order to confront the challenges and keep the homeland free, independent, and sovereign.”

NATIONAL ELECTORAL COUNCIL

In accordance with the Constitution’s mandates, on July 13, the National Electoral Council (CEN), to be chaired by Alina Balseiro Gutiérrez, was elected by the National Assembly of People’s Power.

Photo: Juvenal Balán
According to article 211 of the new Magna Carta, the CEN, composed of 21 members, is the “state body whose main mission is to organize, direct, and supervise elections, popular consultations, plebiscites, and referendums that are convened.”

Similarly, as established by the recently approved Electoral Law, “the President, Vice President, and Secretary are elected by the National Assembly at the proposal of the President of the Republic; other members are elected by the same body or its Council of State, at the proposal of the President of the National Electoral Council, once elected. Both elections are carried out via free, equal, direct, and secret ballot vote.”

However, given the Constitution’s first Transitional Stipulation, on only this occasion, all members were nominated by the President of the Councils of State and Ministers, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, who presented the candidature, which included cadres, experts, and officials linked to state bodies and other institutions with the recognized prestige, training, and experience to perform the duties established in the Constitution.

Díaz-Canel reported that the average age of members is 53. Thirteen have experience in electoral processes and have demonstrated consistent respect for ethical principles, commitment, and dedication to the tasks with which they are charged. Fifteen are cadres, representing 71%; while 14 are jurists, 66% of the total.

He noted that 15 are women (71%) and 11 (52.4%) are Black or mixed race, and10 Caucasian (47.6%). All, he stated, once elected, “will have the responsibility to conduct, along with our people, electoral and democratic participation processes that are convoked, with the transparency, impartiality, and ethics that distinguish us.”

After the vote, Assembly President Esteban Lazo Hernández reported that of the 568 deputies present, 100% exercised their vote, and all candidates received more than 50% of the valid votes cast and were elected by a wide margin.

NATIONAL SYMBOLS: THE MOST PURE EXPRESSION OF CUBAN IDENTITY

To ensure that all citizens venerate and respect our national symbols given what they represent, reflecting the history of the nation, a free, independent, and sovereign homeland, is the supreme objective of this law, said José Luis Toledo Santander, president of the National Assembly’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, when presenting the proposed National Symbols Law

After his comments, in which he outlined the historical presence of our national symbols in all emancipation struggles waged by our people, deputies emphasized the value of discussions held on the issue, that undoubtedly enriched the bill.

Deputy Eusebio Leal Spengler, Havana City Historian, noted that concerns emerged during the debates not only regarding the text itself, but in terms of violations which, perhaps due to ignorance of the law, involve vulgarization and disrespect, thus making clear the need for enforcement to ensure recognition of these symbols as the purest expressions of Cuban identity, he said.

SOVEREIGNTY AND FOOD SECURITY

Deputy Reina de la Caridad Torres Pérez agreed with President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, describing the new Fisheries Law, approved during the plenary session, as an essential piece of legislation.

“This initiative reflects current conditions and international standards, but is also based on our reality and the updating of our economic model. It is the expression of the Cuban state’s will to take into account, not ignore, the people’s ideas. This is evidenced by the consultations conducted in fishing communities, during which elements not only emerged to strengthen the law, but its implementation, as well,” she said.

BOOSTING THE ECONOMY WITH SOLUTIONS, NOT JUSTIFICATIONS

Alejandro Gil Fernández, minister of Economy and Planning, outlined the direction in which the country’s economic strategy must move, during his report to deputies on the performance of the 2019 Economic Plan during the first half of the year and guidelines for the 2020 plan.

“The plan has reserves that can be exploited to address priorities for the Cuban economy, including: defending national production; diversifying and increasing exports; replacing imports; and promoting productive chains; as well as advancing in food sovereignty, local development, implementing approved housing policy, and applying science in the solution of problems,” he said.

The minister stressed that the Cuban economy has faced financial constraints in the first half of 2019, including the tightening of the economic and commercial blockade; shortages, especially in the first months of the year; lower export revenue, mainly in tourism and nickel sales; and limitations on energy sources. Despite this, he said, a set of measures have been taken to boost the economy.

In addressing the Economic Plan for 2020, he cited the adoption of measures that impact socialist state enterprises, providing more autonomy and greater potential for development, and emphasized that the main task is “to find solutions, not give justifications, and implement measures, always with our ears to the ground, to boost the economy despite the conjuncture.”

CUBAN STATE BUDGET SUPPORTS SOCIAL CONQUESTS OF THE REVOLUTION

Once again the humanistic vocation of the state budget was made evident, when the 2018 budget close-out report was presented to deputies by Meisi Bolaños Weiss, minister of Finance and Prices.

She reported that 65.498 billion pesos were spent, 96% of what was planned, and services in education, public health, and social assistance were guaranteed, at a cost of 19 billion pesos, which represented 50% of expenses.

In public health, she said, the operation of more than 1,289 facilities was assured, including national and local hospitals, neighborhood polyclinics, dental clinics, maternity centers, nursing homes, and community centers for older adults.

Regarding funds spent on recovery efforts following extreme weather events, she noted that 264 million pesos were allocated, allowing for the repair or reconstruction of 4,785 homes.

(Granma)

(Council of State transcript – GI translation)

Dear Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Party Central Committee;

Compañero Esteban Lazo Hernández, President of the National Assembly of People’s Power;

Deputies and guests:

Today we close an intense, productive cycle of work.

During this period, the Parliament has not only drafted and approved three new laws – as we proposed for ourselves – but also, through its committees, has evaluated the country’s fundamental activities, identifying with precision, seriousness, and responsibility what is being done, and not done, and how much is possible and necessary to solve our principal problems.

Extensive summaries of the debates in the standing committees have been disseminated through the media. All of these reflect deeper knowledge and a better understanding of the times in which we live. And most importantly, there is a clear identification of the most pressing issues.

The 38 activities that were reviewed by committees are precisely those which have engendered the most complaints from the public and those toward which the government has decided to direct its main actions and solutions.

I know, given the magnitude of the obstacles generated by bureaucracy, insensitivity, indolence, and other ills, that some believe it will not be possible to get ahead and with a certain dose of fatalism, which paralyzes and curbs enthusiasm, they affirm, “There isn’t anyone who can fix this.”

I am also aware of the sincere concern of some who believe that we demand too much of ourselves, or that all the value is in our personal action, and even that we take on tasks that “are not those of a President”.

I ask myself what task is not the President’s in a nation like Cuba, in a Revolution like our own, when we are preceded by the examples of Fidel and Raúl. (Applause)

José Martí said it, you have proven it: “Moving a country, no matter how small it may be, is the work of giants. And no one who doesn’t feel like a giant of love, of courage, of thought, and patience should try.”

In our case, as I have said more than once, we work not only with the guidance and support of the Army General and the historic generation, but also believe deeply in collective work.

And our Council of Ministers is acting, generally speaking, with the intensity and urgency that life dictates, based on constant interaction with the people, with our ears to the ground, as Raúl demands of us.

“Within a century we will be that school story that bores children because it’s over, over … You are not seeing me, you are seeing yourselves,” says Silvio in one of his songs, which helps me to answer those who personalize results.

The satisfaction with which we close this session stems from the level of the debates we have attended these days. And the leap forward evident in projections made by this supreme body of state power is noteworthy.

We are coming to understand that every minute is crucial to sustaining the future, and we have heard supportive, well-informed commentaries, reflecting deep ties with the community and the purposeful orientation of our efforts.

It is likewise satisfying to note that the government and Assembly are working together harmoniously. Together, we are dedicating ourselves today to finding solutions that allow us to face the complex economic situation marked by the resurgence of the blockade, financial persecution, and the criminal policy of the current U.S. administration, which with its return to the Monroe Doctrine persists in the malicious effort to erase from the map what they aggressively describe as the “axis of evil,” that is, the Bolivarian, Sandinista, and Cuban Revolutions.

What our adversaries ignore is that 60 years of sanctions, threats, and aggression of all kinds have only strengthened our resolve. The historic experience of the Revolution is an irreplaceable lesson book, the first of these lessons being direct, living interaction with the people, a permanent source of creativity and encouragement.

From the historical generation, from Fidel and Raúl, we learned to discard useless laments and concentrate on seeking solutions, turning challenges into opportunities and setbacks into victory.

In this school, we are inspired today to promote comprehensive, critical analysis of what is not working right, or not working, to break the internal blockade and to ask of everyone a proactive, intelligent, committed, and collective attitude, all of which has been expressed in this Assembly, in which we have approved three laws, beginning the intense legislative work required for the Constitution to become effective.

After an extensive process of consultation among deputies and non-deputies in another democratic exercise that contributed to the improvement of the texts of each law, and the legal norms that will support its implementation, we now have a new Electoral Law, which legally guarantees the election processes at different levels in the country, complying with the Transitory Provisions of the new Constitution. In addition, we have elected the members of the National Electoral Council, who we congratulate.

This puts us in a position to elect the state’s fundamental leadership positions, in October, within the National Assembly of People’s Power, and later, before the end of the year, to appoint Council of Ministers members.

The Law of National Symbols, for its part, updates all current legal regulations on the subject, specifies, and gives greater precision to the contents.

As has been reiterated, the use of national symbols is now more flexible, within a context of order and respect for the law, and promotes greater use of these emblems as an expression of patriotism and of veneration for what they represent: our long history of struggle for the country’s freedom, independence, and sovereignty, which is constantly attacked in a perverse symbolic war of a colonial and imperialist nature.

No less important is the Fisheries Law, as it provides the necessary regulation, administration, and control of the fishing industry, directed toward conservation and the rational use of hydrobiological resources in the maritime, fluvial, and lacustrine waters of the Republic of Cuba, in order to contribute to the nation’s food sovereignty.

Compañeras and compañeros:

Scholars are expressing caution about the performance of the world economy. Current estimates put average growth at 3.3%, lower than the 3.7% projected in December of last year.

As we know and have experienced in the first half of the year, the Cuban economy is functioning in a context of limitations, mainly in terms of hard currency and fuel, due to the resurgence of the blockade, financial persecution, the application of Title III of the Helms-Burton Law, the prohibition of cruise ship travel, and other measures, fundamentally intended to affect tourism and foreign investment, to asphyxiate us economically, causing greater hardships that irritate and demobilize our people.

In this complex scenario, during the first six months of the year, expected revenue from exports was not achieved, with the main impact seen in tourism, nickel sales – in which prices fell – and sugar. Nonetheless, production levels that are essential to the country have been reached.

Once calculations of activity levels and balancing of accounts that determine the economy’s performance in 2018 were concluded, it was determined that gross domestic product growth of 2.2% was achieved, higher than the 1.2% we reported as an estimate in the month of December.

This implies that, in order to reach planned growth in 2019, the economy must grow more than initially planned.

In the present year, even in the eye of the hurricane of adversity that the enemy has conceived to strangle us, the Cuban economy can grow modestly, thanks to the fact that we have the potential to resist and continue advancing in our development.

But in terms of challenges, we are not yet over the top. The scenario which Cuban tourism will face in the second half of the year will be more difficult. The greatest decrease will be in maritime arrivals, due to the cancellation of cruise operations, which mainly impacts the U.S. market.

In this period, the hard currency balance will be maintained as planned. Likewise, the directive that debt payments must exceed the assumption of new credits is being implemented – another fundamental measures taken to avoid increasing external debt.

The result achieved is due to the supervision that is being exercised in keeping with the plan, in terms of the country’s indebtedness, based on the premise of not taking on more debt than we can pay.

There has been a deficit in fuel imports, which has forced us to establish internal restrictions on consumption, avoiding as far as possible effects on the population, and the economy’s main producers and service providers. In this context, savings and control become more important, to send every liter where it is most needed.

Despite fuel tensions, the generation of electric power has been supported, and as has been reported to our people, work is being done to guarantee this throughout the summer.

Logistical difficulties during the first months of the year caused extensive defaults in ship deliveries and arrivals, a situation that has been stabilized.

Over the course of the year, the need to recover production of pork has been emphasized, and its use in the elaboration of cold cuts is prioritized in the industry, in order to increase yields and the supply of meat products to the population.

Total production of fresh milk is surpassing projections.

A series of investment projects have been completed to increase the operative capacity of fuel distribution and storage, passenger transportation, tourism, production in the chemical industry, and to support water services and electric power generation through the use of renewable energy resources.

During the first half of 2019, 10 new businesses with foreign capital were approved, for total committed investment of 1.395 billion dollars.

The completion of 15,748 homes was projected by the end of the first half of the year.
Retail commerce plans were 95.1% met. In analyzes conducted, it is evident that actual sales do not reflect supplies available, confirming that the potential and conditions exist to reach anticipated levels.

The unemployment rate is 1.6%, similar to the previous period, with the expected 2% growth in the number of workers in the non-state sector, fundamentally self-employed.

The 2018 state budget’s closing balance showed that the fiscal deficit was lower than projected.

The execution of this year’s budget, in the first half of the year, has been characterized by the meeting of revenue goals, and a deficit below that planned.

What does this data basically tell us? That the country is advancing and that no imperialist policy can defeat our will to go for more. The aspiring executioners of the Cuban people will not be able to achieve anything in the face of our determination to work to overcome and defeat genocidal, anti-Cuban policies, with the efforts of all.

As Fidel wrote: “No one should have any illusions that this noble, self-sacrificing country will renounce the glory and the rights – the spiritual richness – won with the development of education, science, and culture.

“I inform them, as well, that we are capable of producing the food and the material wealth that we need, with the efforts and intelligence of our own people.”

I have retaken this phrase of Fidel’s because it serves as a lesson, more than a prediction, the product of his legendary capacity to travel to the future and return to tell about it, as an Algerian friend noted.

During analyzes in the Assembly’s committees, more than once we discussed errors and deficiencies that caused the rash of shortages that affected us in recent months. First of all, because of the lack of liquidity, but also, and this is only our responsibility, because of an import mentality. Importing is accommodating and becomes a vice that kills initiative.

In Cuba we produce eggs, but we import almost all the chicken. And there were no foreign investment projects in this area. Today there are eight projects identified for state production of pork and chicken that include the manufacture of feed, not only with imported raw material, but also using nationally produced grains and incorporating the results of the Comandante en Jefe’s animal feed program.

This issue leads to others: poor export management and limited foreign investment; little linking of national production with foreign investment, or with activities such as tourism, called upon to become a locomotive of the national economy; lack of vision about the contributions that the computerization of society can make in absolutely all areas; or underestimation of the economy’s non-state sector in such productive chains.

Today we are carrying out periodic analyzes to evaluate the implementation of measures related to the economy, and provide information on new decisions regarding domestic commerce and others that must mobilize all the country’s productive reserves.

I do not want to bore you with these topics that have been reiterated so often. We just want you to be aware of how much the government tours of the country and collective thinking have contributed to the economic battle. And how much, and how, we are working to promote the enormous potential and reserves, we still have, to move forward.

I must additionally devote a few words to the international situation and the role and place of Cuba in this new “Hour of the Furnaces” that Washington’s policies have imposed on the world.

Our foreign policy, which with the Revolution celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, has continued to expand the nation’s ties in all regions of the planet. As a result of the sustained effort led by Fidel since the triumph of the Revolution, our foreign policy continues to be inspired by solidarity and internationalism, respect for international law, and the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter.

Cuba today maintains relations of friendship, and in many cases of cooperation, with almost every country in the world. We enjoy respect and confidence, given our contribution to peace, our respect for commitments, and for our untarnished behavior.

We actively contribute to international efforts in favor of justice, the promotion of human rights, the protection of the environment, the promotion of security and, of course, in defense of the right of peoples to self-determination.

We enjoy the gratitude of peoples with whom we have shared efforts and sacrifices in a disinterested manner, not infrequently risking our lives.

Our international cooperation efforts currently involve some 33,000 professionals in 85 countries, who voluntarily provide health care services, education, construction, and sports, among other arenas. In Cuba, 12,699 young people from 133 nations are currently being trained as professionals. Our ties with most of these countries are a successful example of what the United Nations calls “South-South cooperation”, based on complementarity and self-sustainability among developing countries.

We are part of the international community that today faces the challenge of confronting the United States’ aggressive, arrogant behavior, a serious danger to peace, security, and the existence of resources on which life on the planet depends, associated with the use of nuclear weapons and progressive climate change.

Those who are now in charge of the political leadership of this influential nation have shown that they disregard commitments and legal instruments freely agreed upon by the great majority of states, ignoring the right to self-determination of peoples, and denying the principle of sovereign equality among nations.

They believe that their government’s desires can be imposed on others, including their own allies, through threat or punishment, with the imposition of punitive trade tariffs and other coercive, unilateral measures. In more serious cases, they resort to unconventional warfare or armed conflicts, regardless of the consequences, the coups, or the open, overt imposition of so-called “regime change” strategies.

They intend to quickly destroy the system of international relations built around the norms and principles of the United Nations Charter.

In the Western Hemisphere, the United States government has openly declared the validity and implementation of the infamous Monroe Doctrine, an old instrument of colonialism, neocolonialism, and imperialism, which denies the right to self-determination, threatens the sovereignty of all nations in the Americas, without exception, and seeks to intimidate the entire world.

The United States has launched numerous types of aggression against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, all banned by the United Nations. They have not been held accountable for the promotion of violence in that country; economic sabotage; assassination plots; the application of economic measures aimed at causing the population suffering and hardship; the financing and organization of coups; the theft of sovereign assets; and the opportunistic use of humanitarian aid for the purpose of political destabilization.

I reiterate, once again, Cuba´s firm solidarity and support to the Bolivarian, Chavista Revolution, the civic-military union of its people, the constitutional government led by President Nicolás Maduro Moros, and the efforts of this noble people to defend their sovereignty and resist foreign interference.

(Applause).

The conduct of the United States toward Cuba continues to cling to the objective of economic strangulation, through the tightening of the blockade, the promotion of political subversion, to which tens of millions of dollars are dedicated every year with the intention of dividing, confusing, and weakening the unity of our people, and a fierce propaganda campaign aimed at discrediting the Revolution, its leaders, its glorious historical legacy; denigrating our economic and social policies in favor of development and justice; and liquidating political forces of the left and popular movements, resorting to McCarthyism to attempt to destroy the ideas of socialism.

As Raúl pointed out last April 10 before this Assembly, “Despite its immense power, imperialism does not possess the capacity to break the dignity of a united people, proud of its history and of the freedom conquered with so much sacrifice.”

Compañeras and compañeros:

Within a few days, we will celebrate another anniversary, the 66th, of the assaults on Santiago de Cuba’s Moncada garrison and the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes in Bayamo, which will serve as the site of this year’s festivities, given the accomplishments of a province that honors, with its name, the generation that brought Cuba its definitive freedom, 60 years ago at Las Coloradas.

On behalf of the generations that are giving continuity to the independence process initiated in that land almost 151 years ago, we will speak at the commemoration and there will surely be new assessments to be made about progress and challenges that await us during the second half of the year.

But today it is urgent to call upon the people of Cuba, and especially their representatives in the highest body of state power, to defend, each and every one of us, all that we have done and may do, with the certainty that only in this way can we defend ourselves.

Our people, wise as they are, have understood the importance of the most recent economic measures and have reacted intelligently, insisting on the need to respond to salary increases in the budgeted sector with results and controls that protect us from inflation and others dangers. Economists are especially called upon to contribute to the search for untapped reserves of efficiency.

It is also necessary to take advantage of all the opportunities that open up for the national economy, be it in the enterprise sector, the budgeted sector, or even the private, and untie the knots that bind it – on the basis of work, innovation, science, and production.

In this new stage, the key is territorial, in the municipality, in local development, aware that everything that is generated and advanced at this level benefits the people more directly.

We must continue searching our material and human reserves for what savings can contribute, as a source of income, and our spirituality as a source of creative energy.

And we must also review the Comandante en Jefe’s directives for the Special Period. Without fear of the terms. The strategy of confronting the double blockade generated many initiatives that we shelved as soon as the situation improved, and that was a mistake. In order to avoid returning to the Special Period, we must draw on the lessons and contributions that he left us.

Dear compañeras and compañeros:

The National Assembly will always be a space to reflect and above all to share and decide collectively how to mobilize, more fully and better, our potential for prosperity.

We must lose the bad habit of believing that all solutions come from above. If we understand the need for a change in mentality, we will all cooperate in proposing solutions to our problems, some for now and others for later, but always with the goal of improving our people’s quality of life.

E-government, for example, is not a Cuban invention. It is a pressing need for the functioning of any society today.

And as for the fundamental task of connecting with the needs and demands of the people, this electronic government cannot be exercised Monday through Friday. It is a permanent task. We must learn, once and for all, that public servants owe it to the people and this entails permanent vigilance and the use of all the tools that can warn us in time when something is missing or failing.

That does not mean, of course, giving credit to the rumors or fake news that our enemies fabricate, and that, with some frequency, naive or irresponsible individuals spread on social media.

The leadership of the Party and the government have demonstrated commitment to timely and open information on whatever measure or step is taken based on public interests. And we will always defend this policy. Others may be more adept and effective in spreading lies, but the Cuban people know that the Revolution, as a matter of principle, only tells the truth (Applause).

I also call to attention those officials who consider that certain matters are not within the bounds of their position, but are the responsibility of lower levels of management.

Whoever has at hand the fastest and most efficient solution to a problem does not need to minimize or delegate its solution on the basis of hierarchical or sectoral considerations. We are all public servants.

Whoever is in a position to resolve something also has the duty to not leave it to others. Behind every problem there is a Cuban man or woman who needs attention. Recovering sensibility and making it customary is the order of the day.

(Applause).

Anyone who hinders, delays, or makes impossible the process of obtaining a subsidy, the title of a home, or land in usufruct to produce is ignoring the spirit of the Revolution. These are actions that, more often than not, rob time and energy from people who work, study, and contribute to society.

When we talk about recovering decency, we are also thinking about the honesty and desire to cooperate of public servants.

The vocation to serve cannot, and must not, be confused with servility. Giving good service kindly, humbly, and courteously makes us more professional and adds to our work a seal of quality and human warmth that others need today, and tomorrow, any of us may need. We must be serious and effective in providing answers.

As a society we must recover habits of courtesy that we have lost. Nothing is more alien to the Revolution than bad manners: the loss of values ​​harms us, from our personal relationships in the community to our export of services. And it is the primary cause of the unpleasantness we cause each other in everyday life.

I would like to call for subordinating personal interests to collective ones, without denying either one, but rather integrating them. It is clear to me that in a humanistic and solidary society like ours, we cannot be happy individually.

Putting away vanity and selfishness, practicing honesty, being industrious, decent, we will also be contributing to the Gross Domestic Product. The economy will grow, along with the spiritual strength of our people, this country that we have become and that sometimes is difficult to identify in each one of us.

Fernando Ortiz said: “… If not as serious as economic imperialism, which sucks the blood of the Cuban people, the ideological imperialism that follows it is also destructive. The first breaks economic independence; the second destroys moral life. One removes the support; the other the soul.”

Along with this anti-imperialism we have carried in our veins for more than a century, obliged to suffer a powerful neighbor that despises and attacks us, also to be nurtured is the socialist sentiment that the Revolution sowed in our people, in the struggle to conquer all the justice that José Martí bequeathed to us.

We would be nothing if we had abandoned the social system that this honorable Assembly reaffirmed as the immediate goal of the Cuban nation.

This is an exciting subject to which we will dedicate other moments, aware that all the happiness that we want to spread as a daily practice among our people is linked to the voluntary and conscious decision to make our socialism prosperous and sustainable.

I also share with you a personal conviction: the only way to solve all our problems is for each and every one of us who loves the Revolution to ask ourselves daily: What can I do? What can I contribute? What is my personal quota of devotion to collective growth?

If each of us does their part of the duty, nothing can defeat us, Martí said, and conscious of this, we have called for thinking as a country.

The journalist Leticia Martínez Hernández, answered with a tweet:

What does it mean to think as a country? Leticia says:

Let your problem be mine.

I am not indifferent to what is done poorly, to what damages Cuba, to what does not contribute.

Self-interest does not guide daily action, but rather solidarity.

Let the opinion of everyone be heard, with respect.

And Yoerkis Sánchez, editor of Juventud Rebelde, answered in verse:

What is thinking as a country?

It is to surrender to work;

Cut out vices with one slice, make others happy.

Protect our roots against cruel consumerism;

Do our part and humbly honor ‘We are continuity’ with Raúl and Fidel (Applause).

Indeed, to think as a country, to think Cuba is to all give ourselves in body and soul to the service of the nation, making the most of Revolution’s most formidable, powerful force: Unity.

This is our monument to the historic generation. A work under construction that consolidates the past, sustains the present, and guarantees the future of the Revolution – as infinite as the dreams of the men and women who initiated it.

We are Cuba! We are continuity!

Homeland or death!

Venceremos!

(Ovation)

The country’s Gross Domestic Product rose in 2018 and this year’s forecast is based on that increase; thus meeting goals will require doing things right and seeking alternatives, exploiting all reserves.

“We are in a tight spot, but in a better position to assume other obligations and responsibilities,” said the Cuban President and urged all economic actors to mobilize our capacity to overcome the obstacles that Washington is determined to create for the Revolution. “The beauty lies in taking on the challenges and overcoming them.”

He pointed out that recent measures adopted imply a change in the approved strategy, to adapt to the new conditions, mainly in the area of food production and distribution, insisting on efforts to conclude agreed-upon investments projects in this sector. “If we can make the agro-food sector more efficient, we can reduce a large percentage of imports.”

He called for thinking with our own heads and listening to the voice of the people, considering initiatives to resolve problems and conflicts, and noted the role the non-state sector can play, as important actors in our society.

We must think as a country, generate ideas, and each of us contribute as best we can to achieve the economic progress we seek, the President said, reiterating that socialism is the only route to ending inequities, by planning distribution and protecting the most vulnerable sectors.

He called for work with intelligence, analytical skill, decency, and dignity, adding, “This is not time to surrender, but to find solutions for every problem”.

Minister of Economy and Planning Alejandro Gil presented a report to the deputies on the performance of the national economy in the first half of the year, characterized by global tariff and financial tensions that impact the country. He pointed out that shortages of high demand products are being resolved, but national production must be defended; exports diversified and increased; imports replaced with domestic products; productive linkages developed; state enterprises promoted; food self-sufficiency and local development advanced; goals set by approved policy for housing met; and sciences put to use in the solution of problems.

To develop the 2020 economic plan, real production capacity and the requirements of national demand must be identified accurately, he said. Foreign investment must be incorporated as a fundamental part of the economy and progress must be made in developing productive and service linkages to replace imports, he emphasized, saying that work is needed on rational and efficient use of energy, and the elimination of theft and illegalities, among other objectives.

He called for efforts to resolve persisting difficulties, including outstanding accounts payable; organizational and supervision problems; as well as salary increases not based on improved productivity.

LEGISLATIVE WORK TO ALIGN LAWS WITH NEW CONSTITUTION

The significance of this National Assembly, to be marked by the approval of three new laws, was also highlighted by the Cuban President during discussion of the proposed Fisheries Law, in the Agriculture and Food Committee.

Deputies will vote on this law during this Third Period of Ordinary Sessions, as well as those addressing National Symbols and electoral procedures. This legislative task, the President noted, is required to develop laws that are consistent with country’s new Constitution.

Discussing the Fisheries Law, the President said, “This is a necessary law, an update was needed, with adjustments to current conditions in the country, and also to comply with agreements Cuba has on the international level.” He emphasized the need to include the private sector that is active in the fishing industry.

He stressed the importance of addressing issues such as scientific research, innovation, and productive linkages, while insisting on the need to further develop fish-farming and return to raising of a variety of species, to increase supply and quality.

The President also highlighted the democratic nature of the consultation process that took place to draft the bill, which was analyzed carefully in fishing communities, noting that the contributions of workers not only enriched the final version, but will also facilitate implementation, once the law is approved.

ELIMINATING BUREAUCRACY AND OBSTACLES IN HOUSNG PROGRAM

Deputies on the Industry, Construction, and Energy Committee analyzed the country’s housing program, described by President Díaz-Canel as fundamental, given its social impact.

He referred to the complex nature of the issue, and noted that government authorities are being held accountable to legislators for the implementation of approved policies, reflecting the seriousness and priority with which this effort is being undertaken, and likewise recalled that reviews of subsidies which deputies conducted led to questions that must be answered.

He noted that five provinces, Artemisa, Villa Clara, Holguín, Granma, and Santiago de Cuba, which must make a greater effort to meet projections, even though the pace of construction picked up in May and June.

President Díaz-Canel commented on the contribution academics could make I creating mechanisms to facilitate processes, while highlighting the advances now offered by computerization, that can also speed up procedures and provide better ways to work, organize, and plan.

Also participating in the discussion were Political Bureau members Esteban Lazo Hernández, National Assembly president, and Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, a vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers; as well as Inés María Chapman.

NUMBERS ON AN ESSENTIAL EFFORT

Vivian Rodríguez Salazar, general director for housing at the Ministry of Construction (Micons), said that, as of June 30, 15,252 homes, of the 32,899 planned for the year, have been completed.

She reported that the provinces with the greatest delays in all programs are: Artemisa, Villa Clara, Matanzas, and Granma.

Representative Alicia Alonso Becerra raised the need to review planning procedures, and make the process more realistic, since actual performance depends on various factors which must be taken into account when projecting figures.

Several presidents of Provincial Assemblies referred to steps taken in their territories to promote this program. Reinaldo García Zapata, president of the Havana provincial government, addressed the impact on housing of the January tornado in five of the capital’s municipalities, saying that all damage should be repaired and new housing completed by the end of September, taking into account the possibility of adapting underutilized buildings for housing and rebuilding dwellings in the same location they previously occupied.

AGRICULTURE: A KEY SECTOR

The importance of the agro-food sector was reaffirmed by Salvador Valdés Mesa, first vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers, before deputies on the Agriculture and Food Committee, which analyzed progress on investments projected in the 2019 Economic Plan.

Valdés Mesa praised the projects completed in Cienfuegos, mainly in port facilities, allowing for the transportation of raw materials, both imports for national industry and exports, pointing out that agreed-upon deadlines must be respected in order to meet the plan’s projections.

“Investments should be completed well,” he insisted, and called for efforts to take maximum advantage of productive linkages, so that income from exports can be re-invested in production.

He explained that industrial plants are being built for the manufacture of animal feed using domestic raw materials, since increasing pork production is imperative, to supply national manufacturers of sausages and prepared meats for the population. He called for learning from experience gained in joint ventures, and extending these lessons to other industries in the country.

He spoke of the need for agricultural production to be incorporated within strategies for development of the food industry. He noted that the blockade has put constraints on the investment process by creating obstacles to the acquisition of necessary materials and financing. Given this, we must think about investments carefully and execute them well, to ensure that they are effective, he said.

The Vice President noted that, despite the obstacles, progress is being made on development plans with the greatest impact, such as the Mariel Special Development Zone, megaprojects for tourism and other sectors, which will constitute sources of income for the country in coming years.

In the report presented to deputies it was highlighted that, this year, investments of 91,747,120 pesos were approved for the agricultural-food sector, of which 16,610,000 are destined to modernizing technology, which should have a positive impact on production.

Other issues debated by the deputies in the standing committees were transportation; demographic policy; public services; education; sports; and defense, among other relevant issues.

(Granma)

During the fraternal conversation, evident were the excellent relations of friendship shared by the two peoples, parties, and governments. Also addressed were preparations underway for the XXV Annual Meeting of the Sao Paulo Forum, to be held in Caracas, this coming July.

Raúl reiterated Cuba’s support for the Venezuelan people and government, for constitutional President Nicolás Maduro Moros and the cívic–military union in this sister nation.

For his part, Diosdado Cabello expressed Venezuela’s support of Cuba in the face of moves by the United Sates to tighten the blockade, and reiterated his country’s gratitude for the humanitarian work done my Cuban collaborators there.

Compañero Esteban Lazo, President of the National Assembly;
Compañero Miguel Díaz-Canel, President of the Republic of Cuba; now President of the Councils of State and Ministers;
Compañeras and compañeros:

It is an exceptional privilege for me to deliver the central remarks in this session to proclaim the Constitution of the Republic. This is the second occasion on which I am fulfilling such a great responsibility.

Just over 43 years ago, the Comandante en Jefe of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, before departing abroad to complete an obligatory international commitment, asked me to take his place in the solemn ceremony, held on February 24, 1976, to proclaim the Constitution which today ends its validity.

The date chosen is not accidental, 150 years ago, on April 10, 1869, the Mambises gathered in a Constituent Assembly, in Guáimaro, and agreed to our first Constitution, the product of the unity and institutionality required by the nascent Republic in Arms.

Freedom and independence from Spanish colonialism were among its essential objectives, along with the recognition of equality among all Cubans, without exceptions or privileges.

The Constitution we proclaim today represents the continuity of this first one, as it preserves the unity of all Cubans and the independence and sovereignty of the homeland, as fundamental pillars of the nation.

The constitutions of Baraguá, Jimaguayú, and La Yaya, later proclaimed at different moments during the insurrectionary conflict, were a continuing expression of the revolutionary constitutional tradition in our history.

It is worth recalling that, despite the victorious Mambi struggle against Spanish colonialism, true national independence was not achieved, nor was the installation of the democratic, progressive republic to which Cuban patriots aspired. The victory was cut short by the intervention of U.S. imperialism, the danger of which our forefathers, José Martí first of all, had warned.

Under the U.S. military occupation, the 1901 Constitution of the Republic was approved, which included the imposed Platt Amendment that subordinated our sovereignty to U.S. interests.

As Fidel said in his Central Report to the First Party Congress in December of 1975, after the Cuban War of Independence, (I quote) “Formal independence was conceded May 20, of 1902, with U.S. Navy bases and the constitutional amendment imposed, which, among other things, gave the United States the right to intervene in Cuba. This way, Yankee neocolonialism was installed in our homeland.” (End of quote)
Let us not forget that this constitution entered into effect on orders from the U.S. Military Governor.

Later, the 1940 Constitution, which was the product of a complex historical process following the defeat of the Machado dictatorship, was able to reflect some of our people’s aspirations at that time.

The international conjuncture during which the Constituent Assembly for that Magna Carta took place, within the framework of the world struggle against fascism and the active participation of assembly members with progressive ideas, in particular Communists, made possible the approval of an advanced constitutional text, for its time, establishing new social and economic rights. It included precepts such as the rejection of all forms of discrimination based on race, skin color, or sex; the eight hour work day; and prohibitions on large landholdings.

As is known, many of these postulates were left as dead letter, in some cases, because there was no subsequent legislative development, and in other cases, because their implementation was not feasible within the framework of that bourgeois society.

The validity of the 1940 Constitution was interrupted by the coup orchestrated by Batista in 1952, and the establishment of some spurious constitutional statutes. This event became the catalyst for the revolutionary movement of the Centenary Generation, whose political program was synthesized in Fidel’s self-defense statement during his trial for the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Garrisons, known as “History will absolve me.”

The triumph of the Revolution, January 1, 1959, rescued the 1940 constitutional postulates, that were adjusted to the circumstances of a true revolutionary process. One of the first measures adopted on the legal order, was the promulgation of the Fundamental Law on February 7, 1959, the constitutional base for the new challenges.

It could not have been done any other way: we would either be obliged to stop the revolutionary process to dedicate ourselves to producing a new Constitution, or do what was actually decided.

In terms of the institutional configuration, the most important change was the definition of the Council of Ministers as the highest legislative and executive body, with constituent authority. This was an imperative necessity, to be able to adopt future measures as quickly as this historical moment required.

Under this authority, rights recognized in the 1940 text were concretized, and at the same time, new rights emerged that reached the poorest.
In the first case, this meant enforcing what was established, and later, complementary laws abolishing large landholdings. Years went by and no one had taken charge of enforcing these complementary laws, until the Revolution, and Fidel, and just a few months after the victory, May 17, 1959, the Cuban Revolution’s Agrarian Reform was enacted in the heart of the Sierra Maestra.

The Revolution was the foundation of the law that gave land to campesisnos; that guaranteed free and universal access to education; that put public health at the service of citizens; that guaranteed the equality of all Cubans; that nationalized – with popular support – the huge properties held by foreign companies that exploited our compatriots.

In his Central Report to the First Party Congress, compañero Fidel said (I quote): “We need a socialist constitution now, given the characteristics of our new society, the social consciousness, the ideological convictions, and the aspirations of our people. A constitution that reflects the general laws of the society we are constructing, the profound economic, social, and political transformations launched by the Revolution, and the historic accomplishments achieved by our people. A constitution, that is, which consolidates what we are today and helps accomplish what we want to be tomorrow.” (End of quote)

The provisional period lasted until the proclamation of the Constitution of the Republic of 1976, the result of a broad popular consultation and referendum.

The Constitution of 1976 reaffirmed the socialist nature of the Revolution proclaimed by Fidel on April 16, 1961, established the rights won by the people through the revolutionary process, and created a system of government based on the authority of People’s Power bodies.

Agreements reached at the Fourth Party Congress, in 1991, along with the experience of the rectification of errors and negative tendencies process, the collapse of the socialist camp, and the need to perfect our situation given the circumstances reigning in our society, and new ones developing with the arrival of the Special Period, led to a partial reform of the Constitution in 1992.

Fundamentally, modifications were introduced in the economic system and the organization and functioning of People’s Power bodies. The direct election of deputies to the National Assembly and delegates to Provincial Assemblies of People’s Power by the people was established, and religious freedom was expanded.

Also transcendental was the Constitutional Reform of 2002, when the United States was increasing its threats against the Revolution. At the insistence of mass organizations, and with the people’s majority support, the irrevocable nature of our socialism, and our revolutionary political and social system, were established in the Constitution. Added along with this was the statement that economic, diplomatic, or political relations with any other state were never to be negotiated under aggression, threat, or coercion, on the part of a foreign power.

The Economic and Social Policy Guidelines of the Party and the Revolution, approved during the Sixth Party Congress, in April of 2011, and the agreements that emerged from the First Party Conference, in January of 2012, made clear the need to introduce changes on the constitutional order.

Consequently, in 2013, the Political Bureau approved the creation of a working group for this purpose.

The Seventh Congress, in April of 2016, reaffirmed the Sixth Congress agreements and advanced in the elaboration of programmatic documents on the Cuban Social and Economic Development Model, the implementation of which would, likewise, have constitutional implications.

During the studies we conducted, we came to the conclusion that more than a reform, a new constitution was required, one that would not be limited to updating the economic and social order, but would deepen the principles of our state structure, the extension of citizen rights and guarantees, and other relevant issues; thinking not only of the present, but, above all, the future of the nation.

On June 2, 2018, this Parliament approved the initiation of the Constitutional Reform process and, toward this end, created a Commission of 33 deputies to prepare the draft of the new Magna Carta. I consider it appropriate, in this solemn session, to note the meritorious work done by members of this commission and its four advisors, not only in the preparation of the initial text, but throughout the entire process.

The first version of the draft of the new Constitution was submitted to this Assembly for analysis, July 21-22, 2018, and after a broad debate, a new text was approved and it was decided to submit this document to a popular referendum.

As has been reported, some nine million people participated in more than 133,000 meetings. We can affirm that this was not mere assistance, but that consciously, responsibly, and with absolute freedom, everyone was able to express their opinions, which also contributed to raising citizens’ legal culture. There were more than 1,700,000 remarks made, from which some 783,000 proposals emerged.
With their participation, the people became a true constituency. It is enough to reiterate here that, as a result of the popular contribution, almost 60% of the draft’s articles were modified.

The work carried out by those in charge of collecting and processing the population’s opinions was commendable. Completed in record time, their contribution was decisive to the successes of this profoundly democratic process.

This past December, the National Assembly approved the new Constitution of the Republic, and in accordance with the established reform mechanism, agreed to submit it to a referendum, which was held on February 24, when our people provided more evidence of their commitment and support to the Revolution and socialism.
It is significant that the majority of Cubans who exercised the vote were members of generations born after the triumph of the Revolution, reflecting the strength and continuity of our principles.

The results of the referendum are unequivocal proof of this assertion. As has been reported, 90% of citizens with the right to vote went to the polls, and of these, 86.85% voted in favor, a figure that represents 78.3% of all compatriots with the right to vote, with which the new Constitution of the Republic was approved.

It is also relevant that 95.85% of ballots were valid and only 9% voted No. With regard to this last fact, we consider that this vote did not, in all cases, mean rejection of the general content of the new Constitution, but rather reflected opposition to specific topics.

Cuba demonstrated, once again, that via democratic mechanisms and exercising the right to self-determination, it is possible to strengthen our socialist system as a viable alternative, at a time when imperialist aggression is increasing, as it attempts to discredit progressive alternatives for social development.

The Constitution we proclaim today guarantees the continuity of the Revolution and the irrevocability of our socialism. It synthesizes the aspirations of all those who for more than 150 years have fought for a free, independent, sovereign Cuba, with social justice.

This law of laws is a product of its time. It reflects the historical circumstances of the construction of our society and legally establishes the changes that are taking place with a vision toward the future, with the supreme purpose of achieving an increasingly prosperous, sustainable, inclusive, and participatory socialism.

With this new text, the revolutionary state is institutionalized and strengthened, prepared to conduct its work, as required, transparently and in accordance with the law. If something in particular distinguishes the document, it is respect for the full dignity of women and men, and the equality of Cubans, without discrimination, and these are precisely the pillars on which this society is based.

The constitutional text is the product of the joint effort of those who had the privilege of accompanying Fidel in the revolutionary struggle and the “new pines,” who are gradually assuming responsibility for the nation. This Constitution is a legacy for new generations of Cubans.

It is not enough to proclaim it, it is necessary to put its precepts into practice. In this endeavor, it is the Assembly’s responsibility to undertake an intensive legislative effort to comply with the norms established in the Transitory Provisions of the Constitution, a task already entrusted to several working groups.

Today, once this proclamation ceremony is concluded, the full text of the Constitution will be published in the Official Gazette of the Republic, and as of that time enters into effect.

Among the immediate tasks that we must undertake, by constitutional mandate, is the approval of a new Electoral Law, the draft of which is being developed, with the purpose of presenting it to this Assembly for approval, during its next ordinary session.

Once the Electoral Law is in effect, the National Electoral Council must be elected by this Assembly and, in accordance with the Second Transitory Provision of the Constitution, within the next three months, the Assembly itself will elect its President, Vice President, and Secretary, other members of the Council of State, and the President and Vice President of the Republic.

Likewise, once the President of the Republic is elected, within three months, the new government will be submitted to the National Assembly, for approval, that is, this Parliament will designate the Prime Minister, First Deputy Prime Ministers, Secretary and other members of the Council of Ministers.

We will work to ensure that all these steps are taken before the end of the year.
Likewise, mandated at the beginning of 2020, are the election of provincial governors and vice-governors, and the designation of superintendents by municipal assemblies.

As expected, the historical enemies of the Revolution have attempted to cast doubt on the legitimacy of this broad constitutional exercise. But all the slanders evaporate in the face of the irrefutable, massive support of our noble people.

We have been warning of the aggressive actions unleashed by the U.S. government against the Latin American and Caribbean region. It does so in the name of the Monroe Doctrine, with an arrogant McCarthyist contempt for socialism, for the self-determination of peoples, and the sovereign rights of countries in the region.

On July 26, 2018, during the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of Moncada, and January 1, this year, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the triumph of the Revolution, I warned of the adverse panorama that was developing and the resurgence of our enemies’ enthusiasm and rush to destroy the example of Cuba. On both occasions I reiterated the conviction that the empire’s siege was tightening around Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba. The facts have confirmed that assessment.

The region that Martí called Our America has, in recent times, been able to strengthen regional independence, in a climate of peace, cooperation, and harmony among its member states.

With the precept of achieving unity within diversity, sustained progress was made towards integration, complementarity, and the agreement among all to solve the economic and social problems of our peoples.

Latin America and the Caribbean were declared a Zone of Peace and progress was also made in the goal of reaching a more respectful relationship with northern neighbors.

The scenario today is different. The current government of the United States, with its hegemonic ambitions for the region, poses the most urgent threat of the last five decades to the peace, security, and well-being of Latin America and the Caribbean.

In pursuit of establishing its domination, several coups were orchestrated over a number of years, in one case, a military one, and others of a parliamentary nature, to remove progressive Presidents from office, while the participation of leftist leaders in elections was prevented via media campaigns and malicious legal charges. Precisely, last Sunday, marked the end of the first year of compañero Inácio Lula da Silva’s unjust incarceration, whose freedom we demand.

Unfortunately, there are governments and political forces that irresponsibly join imperialism in this warlike escalation.

The relentless siege of the sister Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, using methods of unconventional warfare and economic strangulation, is the main target of aggression, but, the threat concerns us all.

The Venezuelan government and the Chavista people are writing admirable chapters of resistance. On Bolivarian soil, being defined today is whether Latin American and Caribbean nations have the right to self-determination, if sovereign power rests with the people or with a foreign government, if it is acceptable for a powerful country to determine the rulers of an independent state, if the rules and principles governing the United Nations have real value or are dead letter, if the peoples of the region will remain passive before the imposition of a sovereign power in a sister nation or respond to repudiate the crime.

We reaffirm, from this Parliament, our firm solidarity and support to the Bolivarian Chavista Revolution, President Nicolás Maduro Moros, and his people’s civic-military union.

To the more than 20,000 Cuban collaborators, 61% of them women, who are fulfilling missions in Venezuela, I convey our deep appreciation for their commitment and consecration to the noble, deeply humanitarian task they perform in the service of families in this sister nation. (Applause)

The tone being used by the United States government against Cuba is increasingly threatening, while steps are being taken to impair bilateral relations.

Cuba is blamed for all evils, using lies in the worst style of Hitler’s propaganda. We will never abandon the duty to act in solidarity with Venezuela. We will not renounce any of our principles and will strongly reject any form of coercion.

The stepping up of the economic war, the strengthening of the blockade, and continued application of the Helms-Burton Law, pursue the old ambition to overthrow the Cuban Revolution through economic strangulation and hardship. This aspiration has already failed in the past and will fail again (Applause).

We have let the U.S. administration know, with the greatest clarity, firmness and serenity, through direct diplomatic channels and in a public manner, that Cuba is not afraid of threats and that our vocation for peace and understanding is accompanied by the unshakeable determination to defend the sovereign right of Cubans to decide the future of our nation, without foreign interference.

We defend socialism, a system reviled by the United States government, because we believe in social justice, in balanced, sustainable development , with a just distribution of wealth and guarantees of quality services for the entire population; we practice solidarity and reject selfishness, sharing not what we have left over, but even what we ourselves lack; we repudiate all forms of social discrimination and fight organized crime, drug trafficking, terrorism, trafficking in persons, and all forms of slavery; we defend the human rights of all citizens, not of exclusive, privileged segments; we believe in the people’s democracy and not in the political and undemocratic power of capital; we seek to promote the prosperity of the homeland, in harmony with nature and caring for the resources on which life on the planet depends; and because we are convinced that a better world is possible.

We hope that the international community responds to this dangerous situation with consciousness and a sense of duty, and that we are not lamenting the outcome when it is too late.

Faced with the turbulent scenario that has taken shape, we have defined as imperative priorities preparing the country for defense, and the national economy’s development, both of equal importance.

As our population has noted, a series of measures have been underway for months in order to reinforce the combat capacity and readiness of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the country’s entire defense system, under the strategic conception of the war of all the people, as established in the Constitution of the Republic we have just proclaimed.

At the same time, a group of decisions has been adopted to guide the performance of our economy, to resist and overcome new obstacles imposed by the tightening of the economic and financial blockade, without renouncing development programs that are underway.

Thus, we must remain alert and aware that we could face additional difficulties and that the situation could worsen in coming months. It is not a question of returning to the most difficult times of the Special Period in the 1990s. The current panorama is different, with the diversification of the economy, but we must always prepare for the worst variant.

It is imperative that efforts be redoubled to increase national production, especially food; review all expenses to avoid those that are not absolutely necessary; ensure more efficient use of energy resources, especially gasoline, which includes ending existing theft and assuming conservation as a firm guideline for leaders, from the national level to the local, and among compatriots in general.

Over 60 years, facing aggression and threats, Cubans have shown the iron will to resist and overcome the most difficult circumstances. Despite its immense power, imperialism does not possess the capacity to break the dignity of a united people, proud of its history and of the freedom conquered with so much sacrifice. Cuba has already shown that, yes, we could, yes, we can, and will always be able to resist, fight, and emerge victorious. (Applause). There is no other alternative.

That’s all for now.
Thank you very much.
(Ovation).

Of the 602 deputies that make up the ANPP, 19 were absent and 583 voted Yes on the Constitution.

Following the approval, Esteban Lazo, PCC Political Bureau member and ANPP president, summoned all citizens eligible to vote in the Referendum, on February 24, to support the new Magna Carta, born of a momentous exercise

of collective construction, which offers Cuba a modern Constitution, adjusted to the country that we have, and that we want.

Homero Acosta Álvarez, secretary of the Council of State, clarified that in order for the new Constitution to enter into force, the people must be consulted, which is why it must be submitted to a referendum.

During the session, the title of 2019 was also announced: “Year 61 of the Revolution.”

ALWAYS WITH THE PEOPLE

Although the draft Constitution had already been studied by deputies independently and in working subgroups, prior to the approval of the new Magna Carta, the closing session of the Second Ordinary Session of the Ninth Legislature returned to focus on analysis of the text, and of the changes introduced following the popular consultation process.

The first interventions were focused on highlighting the commendable work of the Drafting Commission, led by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, reflecting a widespread sentiment.

On behalf of the Commission, Homero Acosta expressed thanks for the support, and highlighted the work of the entire group, under the leadership of the Army General, “because if there is a founding father of this Constitution, it is this deputy,” that helmsman, as he said before, who has always steered us to safe harbor.

Deputy Yolanda Gómez recommended that the reference to Cuban patriots in the Preamble of the text be revised in order to clearly reflect the resumption of our independence struggles in 1895. She also proposed a modification of the order of the paragraphs referring to the twenties and thirties, and the U.S. intervention in 1898.

In response, Drafting Commission member, Eduardo Torres Cuevas, added that the preamble of the document seeks a synthesis that encompasses all our history, and that the indicated content offers a dialectical sense of continuity to our revolutionary process.

The wording was structured beginning with the general and moving to specifics, and the sole intention was to reflect the revolutionary struggles of our people. “Moving everything would be to alter the order achieved,” he said.

Likewise, Deputy Doraine Linares congratulated all Cuban educators on their Day, and proposed that student organizations also be included in the preamble, in recognition of their contribution to the revolutionary process.

Raúl Palmero, president of the Federation of University Students and member of the Drafting Commission, noted that even if mention of students is not included in the text, this will always be a Constitution of students.

On this point, the proposal was voted on and approved by the Assembly.

Deputy Enrique Alemán stated that the Constitution is unique, and that he, as a religious man, felt honored to be part of the debate. “There is a religious community in Cuba, and religious Cuban women and men advocate the unity of this people. May light and progress fall on this land,“ he concluded.

In this regard, deputy Pablo Odén Marichal, executive secretary of the Cuban Council of Churches, added that according to reports from the U.S. State Department, which monitors religious freedom worldwide, but not in its own country, Cuba is included on the list of nations that supposedly violate this freedom.

Odén rejected such statements, and noted the religious community’s decision to address the issue of fundamentalism within so-called evangelical groups. The supremacism practiced by them is, in the first instance, political, to rupture national unity; and secondly, religious, to establish control over their followers, he stressed. He noted that this task was based on the premise that he who betrays the poor, betrays Christ.

THE CONSTITUTION MUST ENCAPSULATE POPULAR WILL

Deputy Vivian Patricia Alvarado Godoy proposed an amendment to the second paragraph of Article 24 (originally the last paragraph of Article 23), which deals with the socialist property of all the people. The purpose was to avoid the vulnerability of the State when entrusting these assets.

Elba Rosa Martínez, a member of the Drafting Commission, clarified the arguments made in the working subgroups on the subject of the preferential right of the State, which is very explicit.

Homero Acosta explained that this section expresses a current objective, which is not to transfer public resources, and that the reformulation made is on a level with aspects of the country’s economic and social development, and offers the possibility of exceptions, which the Council of Ministers will evaluate and regulate, with its requirements, and without affecting the political underpinnings.

Other members of the Commission asked to speak on this matter. Yumil Rodríguez noted that State control leaves no room for doubt. Meanwhile, Marcia Cristobalina stressed that the Constitution is of a broad and general nature, while a large number of new legal regulations must be drafted to cover such specificities.

José Luis Toledo Santander explained that the State will always be protected by the clauses of Article 58.

Despite this explanation, the deputy maintained her amendment proposal, which was rejected when put to a vote.

On the same Article 24, deputy Ania Guillermina Lastre proposed a modification to its wording, so as not to give place to any misinterpretations, to specify that it referred to key infrastructure.

However, deputy Irma Martínez stated her agreement with the draft as it stood. Given this scenario, both proposals were voted on and the amendment was finally approved.

Fernando González, a deputy from Santiago de Cuba, proposed to include in Article 30, refering to the distribution of wealth, that this would be increasingly just.

Deputy for the Isle of Youth, Yailin Orta, member of the Drafting Commission, considered this a relevant proposal, implying a more comprehensive vision of wealth distribution, in correspondence with the spirit of the article, and the Assembly agreed.

Jorge Gómez, deputy for Diez de Octubre municipality, made reference to Article 32, subparagraph h), on freedom of expression in the arts. He suggested avoiding distinctions between form and content, and endorsing that cultural policy will always be based on the humanist principles that have always inspired the country’s writers and artists, on which the value system of Cuban society is built.

Based on this proposal, he suggested replacing the current wording with reference to the promotion of the freedom of artistic creation in all forms of expression.

In this regard, deputy and Commission member, Elier Ramírez, noted that the proposal offers a more comprehensive and complete vision, and that after consulting with specialists and officials of the Ministry of Culture, it was considered correct. The deputies also agreed.

THE VALUE OF COLLECTIVE CONSTRUCTION

Deputy Juan Carlos Rodríguez Díaz, from Pinar del Río, expressed his support for the proposed Constitution, as one of the most important collective constructions of the Cuban people.

He particularly commended subparagraph c) of Article 32, on the knowledge of history.

Rolando González Patricio, deputy for Campechuela, reflected on the relevance of including, in Article 42 on discrimination, the issue of social status, taking into account that the Constitution and the work of the Revolution, in its 60 years, have been based on social justice.

He added that his proposal is far from a vision of egalitarianism, a position that is not revolutionary because it demobilizes and doesn’t correspond to the principles of equality and revolutionary values.

The Constitution, he stressed, reflects the vision of the Comandante en Jefe, regarding a Revolution with the humble and for the humble.

As such, when it is approved, it must be either explicitly or implicitly clear that those with more material wealth can not discriminate against the more humble.

In this regard, Commission member Yoraida Núñez Bello explained that the Article lists some forms of discrimination, but cannot cover all. For this reason, the phrase “any other condition or personal circumstance that implies a distinction detrimental to human dignity” was included. The proposal can be considered contained within this.

Homero Acosta commented, in addition, that the introduction of another term could complicate the wording of the article, which was appreciated by the deputy.

Deputy Belkis María López Vázquez proposed inverting the order of the second and third paragraphs of the same Article 42, as, in her opinion, the meaning was not well understood. Yailin Orta, on behalf of the Drafting Commission, considered that this was inappropriate, as the meaning was not affected.

Deputy Daicar Saladrigas, from Camagüey, endorsed the concept of freedom of the press reflected in Article 55, and proposed deleting the reference that this is a freedom of the “people,” as, in her opinion, it is an exercise inherent to journalism and the media.

She also suggested making it clear that the fundamental media can not be the object of any other type of property than that of the State. She noted that according to the wording of the draft, only private property was specified, which could result in confusion due to the diversity of forms of property that the Constitution itself recognizes and legitimizes today.

Responding to these proposals, Yailin Orta explained that “people” in this case referred not only to individuals, but to subjects of law in general, and as such the current text should remain. She considered the second proposal relevant, since the fundamental media should only respond to the principles defended by the Cuban State.

Meanwhile, Homero Álvarez disagreed with the first proposal regarding the deletion of “people” in Article 55, noting that freedom of the press is also an individual right, as it extends, for example, to those citizens who, while not journalists, have a blog or other platform of expression. The Assembly approved the second proposal; while voting against the first.

FOR THE UNITY OF THE FAMILY… AND THE PEOPLE

Luis Ángel Adán Roble expressed his support of the wording and content of Article 82 (previously 68) “as a deputy and LGBTI person.”

He emphasized that there were no sides, or losers in this regard, adding that the only winner is the people, and that all families, regardless of their structure, are strengthened by the modifications made to the draft text, based on the principles of justice and equality.

He pointed out that other elements will have to be specified in the Family Code, which will be discussed and voted on, and which he hopes will establish social legitimacy for all people. He called for the educational work on these issues to be expanded.

Adán concluded his presentation with a call on all to vote Yes to the Constitution on February 24, before stressting that the Homeland belongs to everyone, and that this Revolution has always been based on the participation of all.

The young deputy for Marianao municipality, Danhiz Díaz Pereira, reflected that, after all the working group and Assembly debates, as well as informal meetings, deputies return to their territories in a better condition to explain all the changes introduced in the text.

In an extensive speech, deputy Mariela Castro Espín noted that the reformulation of Article 68, now contained in Article 82, should be interpreted as an advance in a process as complex as the reform of the most important legal document of our social and political context.

Contrary to the misrepresentations on social networks, Article 82, referring to marriage, maintains the principle of equality and non-discrimination based on sex, which is also contained in the proposed Article 42.

She explained that the constitutional reference to marriage is now found in a novel chapter, that addresses the family in all its diversity.

She noted that the use of the term “spouses”, in reference to those who have formalized a marriage, does not prevent people of the same sex from marrying.

Castro also stressed that the essence of Article 68 is maintained in Article 82, but that this transcends the previous proposal.

She emphasized that now the first challenge is to guarantee the positive vote of the majority of the electorate in the democratic exercise scheduled for February 24.

Regarding the modification of the Family Code, she suggested that this should take as references not only the most advanced experiences on the global level, but also our own social reality.

She insisted that faced with the manipulative campaigns of the counterrevolution on social media, to sabotage the referendum, we have the duty to undertake a serious campaign to inform the people and the world about the principles of the Revolution and that the rights of all people are protected in the new constitutional text.

The deputy also congratulated the ANPP and the Drafting Commission for their rigorous work, and conceptual and methodological contributions to the discussed text, as well as for their critical spirit to perfect the next processes to be held.

She also had words of recognition for Homero Acosta, for his masterful work as a jurist and educator of all deputies, and the people of Cuba, and for the political maturity, contributions and responsibility assumed in this process.

Mariela dedicated a special message of congratulations to Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, an educator who has been an inspiring example in her life, and thanked him for his example “as a father and as a revolutionary.”

These words were received with prolonged applause and a standing ovation from deputies as Mariela hugged Raúl. On returning to her seat, she made public the words of her visibly moved father: “You have to remember your mother.”

Mariela stressed that her mother, also a deputy since the constitution of the ANPP, along with her father, was and continues to be an inspiration, and introduced her to this struggle.

“They both taught me that we had to fight for these issues in the Revolution, something difficult and complex, but that had to be done; and life gave me the opportunity, at the head of the National Center for Sex Education, attached to the Ministry of Public Health, to be able to develop this work, and I am trying to do so in the best possible way,” she concluded.

LEGAL GUARANTEES

Deputy Julia Dolores Cabrera Raymond reiterated recognition of the aforementioned Commission that, together with the contributions and popular wisdom manifested during the consultation process, made it possible to enrich Article 48 on due process, which gave rise to the section: “Guarantee of Rights.”

This recognizes legal guarantees that were not included in the previous draft, which helps to improve the procedure to deliver justice in the country, the essence of which has been manipulated and distorted by enemies and detractors.

She likewise spoke of subparagraph b) of Article 95, which addresses procedural guarantees, and requested that the Drafting Commission reformulate it, as it was not clear when the process began – whether at the time of the arrest or when a lawsuit is filed.

Ariel Mantecón, deputy and member of Commission, responded that the content on due process contained within the mentioned articles was one of the most enriched by the debate.

It can be said that they are articles on a par with any other constitution, as they arise from experience and have an eminently humanist vocation. Important contributions were received from the legal community in order to draft them, he stressed.

He clarified that the beginning of the criminal process can not be defined by the Constitution, but by the Criminal Procedure Law, and exemplified that proceedings can be opened to pursue an alleged offence, with no known culprit.

Joaquín Bernal Rodríguez, deputy for Santo Domingo municipality, Villa Clara province, referred to the second paragraph of Article 147 (Title VI: State Structures; Chapter 5: Courts of Justice), which includes the way in which courts are constituted.

Bearing in mind that various elements are always taken into account in this regard, and that the collegiate structure is most widely used, he requested that the phrase “collegiate or not,” be eliminated, in order to make explicit the practice and avoid misinterpretation.

The plenary accepted his proposal and, before concluding his intervention, the deputy conveyed congratulations to the workers of the People’s Courts and the Attorney General of the Republic, institutions that recently celebrated their 45th anniversary, and constitute a bastion of legality in the country.

Rubén Remigio Ferro, president of the People’s Supreme Court, acknowledged that one of the many values of the constitutional draft is the way in which access to justice is strengthened, as well as the rights and guarantees of the people.

He stated that once approved, the new Constitution, drafted with the participation of the people, will be at the forefront of modern constitutionalism worldwide.

He agreed with what was expressed by deputy Joaquín Bernal, and acknowledged that the way in which courts are constituted must be included in the corresponding Law. Once submitted to a vote, the proposal was approved unanimously.

In general, the same wording was maintained in the new version presented to the Cuban Parliament, with some very specific changes.

In this Title, there are four aspects related to the figure of the President of the Republic on which people expressed their opinions (term limit, minimum and maximum age limits, as well as his or her popular election), which remain as they appeared in the draft text, in accordance with the decisions of the Party Congresses and its First National Conference.

In the case of the minimum age requirement, constitutions establish an age in which it is assumed that the individual will have reached the necessary maturity, and have the sufficient experience to accede to the Presidency; the age of 35 is generally accepted.

With regard to the term limit, the document includes what was approved in the Sixth and Seventh Party Congresses and in its First National Conference, where it was agreed to establish term limits on the holding of fundamental state positions. The draft Constitution does not create this limit, but rather assumes a policy already discussed and approved, debated by part of the population and also backed by National Assembly agreements.

This is linked to the maximum age limit. When the draft was discussed for the first time, Army General Raúl Castro offered a broad explanation of the historical and political reasons why he considered that terms should be limited, as well as the argument for a maximum age limit of 60.

When the Proclamation by the Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro was announced on July 31, 2006, in which he provisionally delegated his responsibilities, the Army General was 75 years old.

On February 24, 2008, at the moment when he was elected President of the Councils of State and Ministers for the first time, he was close to turning 77 years old.

When he was ratified as President and his second term began, February 24, 2013, he was close to 82 years of age.

During the Sixth Party Congress, in April 2011, on presenting the central report and referring to the cadre policy, Raúl spoke about the way in which this could be perfected and strengthened: “This will advance further with the strengthening of the democratic spirit and collective work of the leading Party, State and Government bodies, as we guarantee the systematic rejuvenation of all Party and administrative positions, from the grassroots to the comrades with the highest responsibilities, including the current President of the Councils of State and Ministers, and the First Secretary of the Central Committee elected in this Congress.

“In this regard, we have reached the conclusion that it is advisable to limit the holding of the fundamental political and state positions to a maximum of two consecutive five-year terms.

“This is possible and necessary in the present circumstances, very different to those prevailing in the first decades of the Revolution, then not yet consolidated and the target of continuous threats and aggressions.”

At the same time, Fidel, in a reflection titled “My absence from the Central Committee,” April 18, 2011, stated: “Among the many points addressed in the draft report to the Sixth Party Congress, one of those that most interested me was that relating to power. It reads as follows: ‘…we have reached the conclusion that it is advisable to limit the holding of the fundamental political and state positions to a maximum of two consecutive five-year terms.’ (…)

“I liked the idea; it was an issue on which I had meditated a lot. Accustomed from the early days of the Revolution to reading news agency wires on a daily basis, I learned of the developments in our world, the achievements and mistakes of Parties and men. Examples abound in the course of the last 50 years.

“I will not mention them, so as not to expand too much on the subject or offend sensibilities. I am convinced that the fate of the world right now could have been very different, if not for the mistakes made by revolutionary leaders, who stood out for their talent and merits. Nor do I entertain the illusion that the task will be easier in the future, quite the opposite.

“I simply state what I believe is an elemental duty of Cuban revolutionaries. The smaller a country is, and the more difficult the circumstances, the more obliged it is to avoid mistakes.”

During the First Party Conference, on January 29, 2012, Army General Raúl expressed: “I take this opportunity to reiterate that, as we move forward in the definition of all the necessary adjustments to the Constitution of the Republic and the complementary legislative framework, among other issues, we will implement the decision to limit to a maximum of two consecutive five-year terms the main political and state positions (…) Party Statutes and other guiding documents should likewise be modified.”

And in the 7th Party Congress, in April 2016, he said: “That is why we propose establishing 60 as the maximum age to join the Central Committee, and 70 to assume a leadership position in the Party, which in addition to the limit of two consecutive terms in political positions, will guarantee the systematic rejuvenation of the entire system of Party cadre, from the grassroots. And I repeat that subsequently this will need to be regulated precisely, because there will be those who at 75 or 80 years of age can undertake an important task, but not an important leadership activity, for obvious reasons, and because of the very experience with which we are speaking to you.

“As is logical, if this proposal is approved by the Congress, appropriate modifications will be made to the Party Statutes. We believe that this same policy must be implemented in state and government institutions, and in mass organizations.

“In my case, it is no secret that my second term as President of the Councils of State and Ministers will conclude in 2018, and I will relinquish these responsibilities to whoever is elected.”

In the Army General’s last speech as President, December 21, 2017, he stated: “Finally, compañeras and compañeros, I wish to reaffirm what I have already expressed in the Sixth and Seventh Party Congresses about the benefit of limiting the nation’s principal positions to two five-year terms.

“Consequently, when the National Assembly of People’s Power is constituted on April 19 of next year, my second and last term leading the state and the government will conclude, and Cuba will have a new president.”

On the day of the Constituent Session of the National Assembly’s 9th Legislature, April 19, 2018, when Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez took office as President of the Councils of State and Ministers, Raúl noted: “The 6th Party Congress, held in April 2011, approved the proposal to limit to a maximum of two consecutive periods of five years the holding of fundamental political and state positions.

“The 7th Congress stated the same two years ago, and although this limit has not yet been introduced in the Constitution – a question that we hope will be established within the framework of its reform – since I assumed my second term as President of the Councils of State and Ministers, on February 24, 2013, I expressed that this would be my last, which I reiterated last December when, from this same spot, I affirmed that beginning today Cuba would have a new President.

“It was not necessary to wait to undertake a constitutional reform to keep my word and act accordingly; more important was to set the example.”

These quotes demonstrate that this has been a well thought-out issue, and for this reason the Drafting Commission proposes maintaining the age of 60 and the two terms of office.

As for elections, doubts emerged about how the president is elected, and parallels were also drawn that have nothing to do with the concept and definitions of the Cuban electoral system, or with the way in which its political and institutional systems are organized.

According to the government model and system endorsed in the current Constitution, Cuba most resembles a parliamentary system. Many people say “I want to vote for the President, as in all countries”; and this is a misconception. In parliamentary systems – those that predominate in continental Europe – the President or Head of State is not directly elected, as he or she is chosen in second-degree elections.

Cuba does not need to assume another model as a matter of imitation, or to appear to be more democratic, because its model is deeply democratic. The first condition is that the President is elected a deputy by an electoral district.

In addition, he/she is then elected by the body that represents the will of the people, by representatives directly elected by the people. Those who built the fallacy of direct elections do not follow it; in the United States, for example, the election is indirect, on many occasions it is not the popular vote that elects the president.