Comrades: Permit me to greet the Eighth Congress of the Bulgarian
Communist party, a heroic party, tempered in struggles, from whose ranks
grew the unforgettable hero to Leipzig, Comrade Georgi Dimitrov, a man I
was fortunate enough to know personally, and to wish the congress great
successes in its responsible and historic work.

I address to you these greetings and wishes on behalf of revolutionary
socialist Cuba, the free territory of American, and behalf of the
Integrated Revolutionary Organizations, their national leadership, and
their supreme leader, Comrade Fidel Castro, (All stand up; very stormy and
prolonged applause)

It is privilege for me to have the opportunity to assist at such a
congress. Here, in the light of the Marxist-Leninist principles and of the
experience of the most experienced communist parties, the basic tasks of
the Bulgarian people in the field of labor, technology, science, and
ideological work are being outlines, tasks which will lead to the victories
completion of socialist construction and will open the road toward a
communist society.

I will transmit the experience of this exceptionally important congress of
the Bulgarian communists to the Integrated Revolutionary Organizations and
to the Cuban people. (Applause)

The struggle of the Cuban people is developing in a complicated and
difficult atmosphere. We had the honor of becoming the first socialist
state in America. (Applause) We are separated by many thousands of
kilometers from the other socialist countries and be only 90 miles from the
shores of the imperialist monster-the United States. (Animation and
applause)

The U.S. imperialists are the gendarme of world reaction. They have made it
their aim to stand in the way of the revolution in all those countries of
the world which are still enslaved by imperialism and capitalism, to
attacked and destroy socialism everywhere. They defend and support the
bloodiest reactionary regimes both in Latin America and in the other
continents.

They conspire and act against freedom, against sovereignty, against the
independence and welfare of the peoples: against peace in the world.
Therefore, they cannot bear the existence of a socialist state in America,
a state which has come to stay and which will remain in existence. (Stormy
applause)

This is why ever since the bearded ones, led by Fidel Castro, came
victoriously down from the Sierra Maestra, ever since the day the Cuban
people overthrew the tyranny of Batista and established the revolutionary
regime, the U.S. imperialists have been acting to stop, ruin, divert,
overthrow, and crush the Cuban revolution.

The North American millionaires and their servants have encircled our
country with a scandalous campaign of lies, they have resorted to
diplomatic pressure and blackmail, they have organized conspiracies, sent
weapons and money to the counter-revolutionary gangs to that they might
rise and start all sorts of criminal acts, they have stopped sending oil,
put an end to the importing of sugar into the United States, prohibited any
imports and exports with Cuba, imposed an economic blockade on us to force
us to capitulate out of hunger; by means of coups d'etat, all sorts of
pressure, blackmail, and bribery, they have forced the majority of the
Latin American government to break diplomatic relations with Cuba, to
isolate us from the continent; in the port of Havana they organized the
explosion of the ship (La Cubr?) and caused the death of over 80 workers to
prevent us from getting arms from Belgium; day after day and month after
month they have sent airplanes which have thrown incendiary bombs on our
sugar plantations; their airplanes have bombed us, their spies and agents
have set fire to our food shops, to large commercial shops, tobacco stores,
schools, farms, people's shops, and so forth. They have killed our
teachers, workers, peasants, and militiamen. They have sabotaged our
production by blowing up our trains and destroying our transport.

The pirates of the 20th century, the U.S. imperialists, have sent their
ships, armed with weapons and piloted by mercenaries, to shoot at our oil
refineries, at our housing communities for scholarship students, and to
attack our unarmed ships of impunity.

With a hypocrisy characteristic of Hilter, Kennedy ordered the invasion of
Cochinos--the Bay of Pigs--at the very moment when he was protesting that
he had no aggressive intentions toward our country; this invasion was
finished in less than 72 hours by the glorious victory at the Playa Giron,
which was a humiliating and shameful defeat for the imperialists. (Stormy
applause) Cuba came out victories against all these aggressors. (Applause)

The Yankee imperialists were defeated in all their attempts to make us
capitulate out of hunger, to stile us politically and economically, to ruin
us by sabotage, conspiracies, and subversive acts, and to crush the Cuban
revolution by military force.

The reasons for these imperialist failures are as follows:

1--Our people, with an unshakable courage, are ready to make any sacrifices
and any efforts. They are strongly united for the defense of the fatherland
and the revolution. They are determined to build socialism, and, under the
revolutionary leadership of the government of the Integrated Revolutionary
Organizations, and of our national hero Comrade Fidel Castro, under the
glorious slogan "Fatherland or death," they are ready to defeat the enemy
until he is completely liquidated. (Stormy applause)

2--We have always relied and still rely on the help and powerful, boundless
solidarity of the socialist camp headed by the great Soviet Union (very
stormy and prolonged applause), of the people and workers throughout the
world, and, first of all, of our brothers from Latin America (Applause)

Having hitherto failed in their attempts, the U.S. imperialists planned a
direct invasion with the help of tremendous forces which had to crush us
within a short period of time. With the decisive fraternal help of the
Soviet Union, Cuba armed to defend itself against this threat.

Kennedy and his millionaires caused a great scandal. Like the beast of prey
of the fable, He was humiliated by "this sly lamb which would not let
itself be torn to pieces." The imperialists were irritated by Cuba, because
it did not let them attach it and destroy it,

With their notorious brutality and unscrupulousness, without respecting
either the norms of international law or U.N. principles, with complete
contempt for the life and future of mankind, the U.S. ruling circles began
a piratical blockade of Cuba and threatened the world with an atomic war.

This led to an extremely dangerous crisis, but this is no Cuban crisis.
There is no crisis in Cuba. Cuba has not caused any crisis. This is a
crisis caused by the United States, a consequence of its criminal and
unworthy aggressive acts in the Caribbean Sea and in the world. (Applause)

Although the Soviet Union took measures in the interest of mankind to
prevent atomic war and to insure Cuba's safety, the crisis continues. The
impudent imperialistic Yankees continue to blockade and the threats with
their arrogant demands.

The United States must, as Comrade Khrushchev's message insistently states,
put an end to the blockade and fulfill Kennedy's declaration that Cuba will
not be attacked. As a guarantee that they will not commit say aggression
against Cuba and in addition to the discontinuation of the sea blockade,
the United States must take the following measures, which were pointed out
by our prime minister, Comrade Fidel Castro:

1--Stop the economic blockade and all the acts of commercial and economic
pressure against our country that are being exerted by the United States
throughout the world.

2--Put an end to all subversive activities, shelling from the sea and the
dropping of bombs from the air, the organization of invasions by
mercenaries, the infiltration of spies and saboteurs, all those acts that
are being committed from the territory of the United States and other
countries, its accomplices.

3--Put an end to the pirates' attacks from the bases which exist in the
United States and in Puerto Rico.

4--The North American military aircraft must stop violating out airspace
and territorial waters.

5--The United States must evacuate the occupied naval base of Guantanamo
and restore it to the Cuban territory. (Applause)

The demands which have been thus formulated for preserving world peace and
the sovereignty and integrity of Cuba are just and well founded. They have
merited the recognition of the world. Cuba's policy is firm and reasonable.
There is not the slightest expression of narrow- mindedness, sectarianism,
or adventurism in it.

Cuba is all for peace, it defends peace and peaceful coexistence. Cuba
wants to live with dignity and in complete sovereignty. Cuba is all for
maintaining relations with the United States and for peaceful settlement of
difference, but the ruling Yankees systematically reject this.

Cuba does not threaten the security of the United States or of any other
country in Latin America or on any other continent. Revolution cannot be
exported. The people of each country determine when and how a revolution
must be carried out so that they may free themselves from the chains of
colonialism and neocolonialism, from the large landed estate system and
from capitalism, from the exploitation of many be man. (Applause)

Cuba is arming only to defend itself against the constant aggressions and
threats of invasion on the part of the United States. Cuba is for general
and complete disarmament, for the disarmament of everybody.

Soviet rockets were placed in Cuba not to threaten or menace anybody, but
only to defend and protect our threatened country. (Applause) Cuba is for
the liquidation of all bases, including the naval base of Caimanera that
the United States has kept on Cuban territory by force.

The enemies hope to upset relations between Cuba and the Soviet Union. Vain
hopes! Relations between Cuba and the Soviet Union are relations between
two brotherly countries whose common ideal is socialism and communism,
Marxist-Leninist theory, and the struggle for peace and peaceful
coexistence. (Stormy applause)

We discuss the things which have to be discussed between us within suitable
limits and forms. As has been declared by Comrade Fidel Castro, we believe
in the Soviet Union, we believe in the principled policy of the Soviet
Union, in the government, in the party, and in the Soviet people. (Stormy
applause)

We feel profound gratitude toward the Soviet Union and profound attachment
for the Soviet technicians, who, shoulder to shoulder with us, are exposed
to the same dangers and mane the same sacrifices and efforts as the best
sons of our fatherland. They modestly and stubbornly help us in our
historic tasks. (Applause) Our people are right to sing and dance shouting:
"Fidel-Khrushchev, estamos con los dos!" "Fidel- Khrushchev, we are with
both of them!" (Very stormy applause)

We are convinced with our fraternal ties with Bulgaria, with its people,
government, and party, will continue to grow and become closer and more
affectionate every day. (Applause) At the same time, we hope that out ties
with the other brotherly countries of the socialist camp will continue to
become every stronger. (Applause)

Our revolution is progressing. Cuba is building socialism, and North
American imperialism will not be able to stop it, in spite of all
aggression, threats, and blackmail! Cuba will continue to exist as a free
territory in America, as a sovereign country, as the stronghold of peace,
the socialist vanguard of America, as a torch and an example for the
peoples of Latin America! Cuba will not die. (Very stormy and prolonged
applause; all rise.)

Comrade Fidel Castro, the supreme leader of the Integrated Revolutionary
Organizations, has sent the following telegram to the Eighth Congress of
the Bulgarian Communist Party: (Applause)

To the Eighth Congress of the Bulgarian Communist Party, Sofia:

On behalf of the Integrated Revolutionary Organizations and of the Cuban
people, we send our warm greetings to the Eighth Congress of the Bulgarian
Communist Party and, through it, to the Bulgarian people, the people of
Georgi Domitrov, who, thanks to their victorious development along the road
of socialism, have transformed their economically backward country in the
space of only 18 years into a progressive and happy state. We are convinced
that this trend will continue for the sake of fulfilling the important
tasks which are laid out by the eighth congress until the complete
construction of socialism.

I take this occasion to thank the Bulgarian Government and the Bulgarian
people for the solidarity they showed us in that difficult movement and to
stress that the Cuban people and their revolutionary leadership are firmly
determined to defend their socialist revolution until death. Our people are
now rising as one in order to win peace without impairing our sovereignty
and rights as a free and independent country.

Motherland or death! We will conquer!

For the national leadership of the Integrated Revolutionary Organizations
of Cuba,

Signed: Fidel Castro
-END-