This speech was delivered on behalf of the CEC of The Workers Party Youth at an event in Cork on 26.07.2025
Comrades,
Today we celebrate the beginning of the Cuban revolution, marked by the attack on moncada barraces by Fidel Castro and his comrades. While the operation itself was unsuccessful and resulted in the temporary retreat of the revolutionary movement, the dictatorship of American-backed Fulgencio Batista would be defeated 6 years later. The attack on Moncada barracks was nothing but a temporary setback. Batista’s regime was characterised by a rapidly widening gap between the rich and poor and severe restrictions on workers rights including the right to strike.
The victory of the revolution in 1959 was a victory of the people. The idea that any defeats are permanent or that workers no longer have a path to victory is false. No matter how many times these cynical lies are repeated, it will not make them true. The class character of the Cuban revolution is clear. The path to victory was clarified, and culminated in the reorganising of the 26th of July Movement as the communist party of Cuba in 1965
This was the ultimate show of respect for the sacrifices of the people.
In the time since the victory of the counter revolution in the Soviet Union the rope around Cuba’s neck has tightened significantly. The illegal American blockade supported by Israel/usa is completely unjustifiable and represents a vicious attack on the workers movement by capital.
The Cuban people, the working people have the right above all else to self determination to continue their struggle for socialism and all communists and working people have a responsibility to support them in this.