by Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, with short presentation by Lady Michelle-Jennifer Santos
February 18, 2013 (TSR) – Cuban Revolution leader and former President Fidel Castro addressed a letter to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez expressing his satisfaction with the Bolivarian leader’s health progress and return to Caracas on Monday. In his letter, Fidel stressed the physical strength of Chavez during his recovery process in Havana and the commitment of the medical team that made his return possible.
Fidel also emphasized the permanent support that Chavez received from his relatives, his cabinet members, the armed forces and the honest people of the world, particularly the Venezuelan people, who offered their daily gestures of support.
“You learned a lot about life during these days of suffering and sacrifices. We will not have the privilege of learning from you everyday now, so we will keep in contact through the communication methods that we have used for years,” Fidel said.
“We will continue to live and fight for justice among human beings, regardless of the years, months, days or hours, as we will be humbly aware that we were called to live the most critical time in the history of humanity…,” stressed Fidel Castro.
He added that everything was carried out with discretion to prevent fascist groups from planning their cynical actions against the revolutionary and Bolivarian process.
The Cuban Revolution leader concluded by referring to the assistance given by Venezuela to Central and South American and Caribbean countries and for this reason—he said– all honest people of the world have closely followed the news about the health progress of President Hugo Chavez.
Here is the original letter in Spanish written to Hugo Chavez just before Chavez’s return to Venezuela in the early hours of Monday 18 February.
Querido Hugo:
Me satisface mucho que hayas podido regresar al pedazo de la tierra americana que tanto amas, y al pueblo hermano que tanto te apoya.
Fue necesaria una larga y angustiosa espera, tu asombrosa resistencia física y la consagración total de los médicos como lo hicieron durante 10 años, para obtener ese objetivo.
Es absolutamente justo hacer mención a la insuperable constancia con que tus familiares más allegados, tus compañeros en la dirección revolucionaria, las Fuerzas Armadas Bolivarianas, rearmadas y reequipadas por ti, y las personas honestas del mundo, mostraron sus simpatías.
Especial mención merece el aliento que el pueblo venezolano te brindó con sus muestras diarias de apoyo entusiasta e irreductible. A eso se debe un regreso feliz a Venezuela.
Tú aprendiste mucho de la vida, Hugo, en esos duros días de sufrimientos y sacrificios. Ahora que no tendremos el privilegio de recibir noticias tuyas todos los días, volveremos al método de la correspondencia que durante años hemos utilizado.
Viviremos siempre luchando por la justicia entre los seres humanos sin temor a los años, los meses, los días o las horas, conscientes, humildemente, de que nos tocó vivir en la época más crítica de la historia de nuestra humanidad. Nuestro pueblo, que es también el tuyo, conocerá mañana por esta misma vía tu regreso a Venezuela.
Todo debió llevarse a cabo con mucha discreción, para no darle oportunidad a los grupos fascistas de planear sus cínicas acciones contra el proceso revolucionario Bolivariano.
Cuando el campo socialista se derrumbó y la URSS se desintegró, el imperialismo, con el puñal afilado de su bloqueo se proponía ahogar en sangre a la Revolución Cubana; Venezuela, un país relativamente pequeño de la dividida América, fue capaz de impedirlo. En aras del tiempo no menciono los numerosos países de las Antillas, Centro y Suramérica que Venezuela, además de sus grandes planes económicos y sociales, fue capaz de ayudar. Por ello, todas las personas honestas del mundo han seguido de cerca “la salud y las noticias sobre Chávez”.
¡Hasta la victoria siempre!
¡Un fuerte abrazo!
Fidel Castro Ruz
8 y 35 p.m.
Febrero 17 de 2013
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Here is the English version of the letter written to Hugo Chavez just before Chavez’s return to Venezuela in the early hours of Monday 18 February.
Dear Hugo,
It gives me great satisfaction that you have been able to return to the American land you love so much and to the sister people who give you so much support.
A long and distressing wait was necessary to obtain this result, with your impressive physical endurance and the total dedication of the doctors, as has been the case for 10 years.
It is absolutely just to mention the unsurpassed constancy with which your closest family members, your compañeros in the revolutionary leadership, the Bolivarian Armed Forces, rearmed and re-equipped by you, and honest people throughout the world, demonstrated their support.
The encouragement which the Venezuelan people expressed with their daily demonstrations of enthusiastic and uncompromising support merits a special mention. Your fortunate return to Venezuela is a result of this.
Over these hard days of suffering and sacrifice you have learned a great deal about life, Hugo. Now that we will not have the privilege of receiving your news on a daily basis, we will return to the method of correspondence which we have used over the years.
We will live always fighting for justice among human beings, without fearing the years, months, days or hours, modestly conscious of the fact that it has befallen us to live in the most critical era of the history of our humanity. Our people, who are also your people, will learn of your return to Venezuela via this same letter.
Everything was done with much discretion in order to deny fascist groups the opportunity to plan their shameless actions against the Bolivarian revolutionary process.
When the socialist camp collapsed and the USSR disintegrated, imperialism, with the sharpened dagger of its blockade, proposed to drown the Cuban Revolution in blood; Venezuela, a relatively small country in the divided America, was capable of preventing that. For the sake of time, I have not mentioned the many countries of the Antilles, Central and South America which Venezuela, in addition to its great economic and social plans, was capable of helping. For that reason, all honest people in the world have closely followed “the health of and news about Chávez.”
¡Hasta la victoria siempre!
A strong embrace!
Fidel Castro Ruz
8:35 pm, February 18, 2013.
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AUTHOR: Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party’s foundation in 1961 until 2011. Politically a Marxist-Leninist, under his administration Cuba was converted into a one-party socialist state, with industry being nationalised.
