Dear comrades:
This session of the National Assembly has passed two important legal instruments, the Law amending the current Political-Administrative Division and the Highway Safety Code.
The amendments to the Political-Administrative Division have been widely disseminated and discussed in our press over the past months in the territories involved, as well as relevant bodies of the Party, government and the state, which allows me to put in details, just to emphasize that its primary purpose is to raise attention to the population through a more functional and rational organization of the administration and government. With this addition we are in compliance with the resolutions adopted by successive Congress Party on the need, after a reasonable time, submit the Political-Administrative Division to analysis to conform to existing conditions.
The new provinces Artemis and Mayabeque born on 1 January 2011 without repeating the mistakes that have accompanied the work of local organs of Popular Power, within a context of saving and rational use of all resources, especially with templates tailored to their functions and a clear delimitation of powers in the interrelations with the central administrative agencies of government, domestic businesses and political and mass organizations.
For its part, the Highway Safety Code, as adopted at the previous meeting defer to deepen their content, then reconcile the existing differences and advance the development of additional provisions, as a contribution to the rise of social discipline and preservation of human life and reducing economic losses.
Turning to other matters, I do not lie beyond the expectations generated logically speeches on the occasion of July 26 and in Parliament. Some were surprised that the words are located in Santa Clara were spoken by comrade Machado Ventura, a magnificent speech indeed.
It is true that since the triumph of the Revolution that task always corresponded to Fidel and rarely to me, but what matters is not the speaker, but the content of that speech, expressing the collective opinion of the Party leadership and State on the most important of national life.
Several news agencies and self-proclaimed “analysts” of the issue of Cuba, spent the days before and after the act by July 26 and countless news articles that, distorting our reality, anticipating the announcement stridently called reforms in our system social and economic implementation of recipes to harness the capitalist economy, some even dared to describe the existence of a conflict between trends in the management of the Revolution and all agree to call for more rapid and deeper in the line of removing the socialism.
By observing coldly these media campaigns is evident that almost all agencies are guided by a common thread. I’m not talking to reporters, forced to submit to the editorial line and call them draw media consortia on Cuba, but sometimes use the same phrases and prefabricated qualifiers. Not infrequently, entire paragraphs are identical, regardless of whether they are a part of the world or another.
With the experience gained in over 55 years of revolutionary struggle, it seems that we are not so bad, or that the despair and frustration are our fellow travelers. If you praise us, then we would have reason to worry.
As a colleague said Machado on 26 July: I quote: ‘proceed with a sense of responsibility, step by step, at a pace determined by us, without improvisation or rainfall, not to miss and leave behind once errors or actions not in keeping with current conditions “(end quote).
The unity between revolutionaries and between the leadership of the Revolution and most of the people is our most important strategic weapon, which has allowed us to get here and continue in the future perfecting socialism.
Although it hurts the enemy, our unity is stronger today than ever, is not the result of the false unanimity or opportunistic simulation, the unit does not preclude honest differences, but requires the discussion of different ideas, but with the same ultimate purposes of social justice and national sovereignty, which enable us to always reach the best decisions.
The unit encourages and harvest in the wider socialist democracy and open discussion of all matters, which are sensitive, with the people.
Talking about sensitive issues, I must inform you that after months of study in the context of the Cuban economic model update, the Council of Ministers at its last meeting, held on 16 and 17 July with the participation of vice- of State, other members of the Politburo and Central Committee Secretariat, the first secretaries of provincial Party committees and the chairmen of the provincial government councils, as well as pictures of the CTC centers, other mass organizations and UJC and senior agency officials agreed to a set of actions to undertake, in stages, reducing considerably bulky templates in the state sector.
Initially, we planned to conclude in the first quarter of next year, revised the treatment of jobs and wages available to workers and idled for a group of central government bodies of the state, paternalistic approaches to removing the need to discourage work for a living and thereby reduce unproductive expenditures, involving equal pay, regardless of years of employment, a wage guarantee for long periods to people who do not work.
The success of this process will depend largely on the political assurance that we undertake, under the leadership of the Party and with the active participation of the Central de Trabajadores de Cuba and trade unions. It is necessary to form a climate of transparency and dialogue where prime timely and transparent information to employees, in which decisions are collegial properly and create the organizational conditions required.
Strict observance of the principle of demonstrated adequacy in determining who deserves the best right to fill a position, should help to avoid any display of favoritism, as well as gender discrimination or other, which must deal firmly with .
The Council of Ministers also agreed to extend the exercise of self-employment and its use as an alternative employment for redundant workers, eliminating many existing prohibitions for the granting of new licenses and commercialization of some productions, more flexible force recruitment work.
At the same time, at the meeting of those 16 and July 17, approved the implementation of a tax system for self-employment within the new economic scenario and ensure that incorporated this activity contribute to safety social, paid taxes on personal income and sales, and those who hire workers to pay the tribute for the use of the workforce.
Soon there will be a fully expanded National Council of the Central de Trabajadores de Cuba where he will discuss in detail with key labor leaders these important decisions, which is in itself a structural and conceptual changes in the interest of preserving and developing our social system and make it sustainable in the future, so that we fulfill the mandate of the people of Cuba, enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic, that the socialist nature and the political and social system contained in it are irrevocable (Applause).
I have no doubt that the realization of these measures will have the decisive support of the working class, which together with the peasants and other sectors of society understand that without the increased efficiency and productivity is impossible to raise salaries , increase exports and replace imports, growth in food production and ultimately sustain themselves enormous social costs of our socialist system, an area which also is our duty to be rational, saving a lot more without sacrificing quality.
On the other hand, I think no one would escape the momentous contribution to improving social and labor discipline emanating from the implementation of these measures.
By adopting these agreements, we assume that nobody will be abandoned to their fate, the socialist state will provide the support necessary for a dignified life through the social welfare system to those who really are not able to work and are the sole supporters of their families. We must erase forever the notion that Cuba is the only country in the world that you can live without working.
We have also advanced in the studies by the Economic Policy Committee of the Sixth Congress of the Party and continuously operate the various working groups established for the preparation of proposals, discussed in advance with party militants and the population as a whole.
In the midst of the adverse international economic situation and its inevitable impact on our country, estimates of the first half are seen encouraging results in the national economy, despite the failure to plan for sugar and other agricultural outputs due to alignment errors and also by the effects of drought.
Increase the arrivals of foreign visitors, oil production is met, is maintained and even improved, the domestic monetary equilibrium, labor productivity reflects a higher rate than the average wage, a goal that could not be reached for several years, rise modestly reduced exports and consumption of energy carriers, from the reorganization of transport and the effect of other cost saving measures.
Electricity consumption reflects positive results in the state sector, unlike the residential grows more than expected.
Exactly one year ago I referred to external financial constraints we faced due to accumulation of payment obligations and the need to carry out debt renegotiations. Today I can report that thanks to the confidence and understanding of most of our creditors, we have made some progress in the postponement of obligations, which have the strongest desire to honor the new time limit agreed. Also, the withholding of transfers to the outside suppliers accumulated by that date, are now barely a third of those a year ago and, as a sign of security in the country have increased foreign deposits in Cuban banks.
I turn to another topical issue. For sovereign decision and strict adherence to our laws, in recent days was completed release and departure of the first 21 inmates counter, out of 53 sanctioned in 2003 for crimes against state security.
Previously, since 2004, was granted parole 22 others punished in the same court case.
It should be remembered that none of these people was sentenced for his ideas, as they have tried to see the brutal smear campaigns against Cuba, in different regions of the world.
As became irrefutably proven in the act of the trial, all had committed crimes and punished under our laws, acting as officers of the United States government and its policy of blockade and subversion.
Do not forget that at that time 2003, then-President George W. Bush, intoxicated with the apparent victories in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, proclaimed the “regime change” in Cuba and threatened our national security directly, even to publicly designate an auditor to administer the country after being occupied, as they had just to do in Iraq. As a result, dozens of plans were hatched to destabilize the internal and hijacking of aircraft and ships that we had to face very strongly, based on strict respect for the law.
The Revolution can be generous because it is strong, its strength lies in the majority support of people who have managed to resist aggression and many years of sacrifices, so there it is idle to reiterate that there will be no impunity for the enemies of the fatherland, for those who attempt to compromise our independence (Applause).
Nobody should be mistaken. The defense of our sacred achievements of our streets and squares, will remain the first duty of revolutionaries who can not be deprived of that right (applause).
Outside the text we can say that the poor auditor appointed by George W. Bush remained unemployed (laughter).
As for Cuba and the United States, essentially nothing has changed, our brave Cuban Five remain unjustly imprisoned and suffer abusive treatment, such as the cruelty that is currently committed partner Gerardo Hernandez, condemned by this House. Although there is less rhetoric and occasional bilateral talks are held on specific and limited, in fact, the blockade is still applied and we continue to act with calm and patience that we have learned in more than half a century.
We, the Cuban revolutionaries difficulties do not take away our dream, our only way is to continue the struggle with unwavering optimism and faith in victory.
Thank you very much (Ovation).
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An emotional and fraternal meeting held today in the Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz and President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Hugo Chávez Frías.
The fruitful exchange, the leader of the Cuban Revolution with Chavez shared excerpts from his new book “The strategic counteroffensive,” about to be published, and tells the details of the revolutionary war since the defeat of the offensive of the dictatorship in mid-1958 until the triumph of the First of January.
