These would-be accusers, especially the United States, now face the accusations of many peoples for the hundreds of people kept in subhuman conditions in the southern region of our country at the naval base in Guantanamo without regard for the universally accepted rules for the treatment of prisoners. Millions of people all over the world condemn them for the hundreds of thousands of civilians murdered by the bombs and machineguns of the occupying army, whom they euphemistically call collateral damage; for the indiscriminate use of torture, extrajudicial executions, and secret prisons used in the secret transportation of prisoners and other serious violations of human rights and laws.

It is foolish to think that a country that has resisted acts of terrorism, economic warfare, and aggressions of all kinds for half a century would give up victories that have come at the cost of enormous sacrifices only to satisfy certain circles of power in the United States and their supporters elsewhere.

The unequal battle of this small island against such a powerful enemy has gained it the respect of the people and a significant number of governments, especially the countries of the Third World. Others, though they may not share some of our ideas, have adopted a more realistic attitude.

Now I will discuss another matter that is important to our economy. We have to definitively reverse the trend of declining cultivated land. Between 1998 and 2007, in just nine years, it declined by 33 per cent, one third of cultivated land. An important factor in this was the limitations imposed by the Special Period. Stated simply, we must return to the land. We must make it produce. We are working deliberately and steadily. There is already a clear strategy and a plan of action, from the national level to the lowest level of production. There are ideas about how agriculture and cattle should be handled at this time in Cuba, where approximately 75 per cent of the population lives in urban areas, which does not mean that the remaining 25 per cent works in the field.

Therefore, not one suitable hectare can remain unplanted, especially in the areas immediately surrounding each town and city. It is much more economical to take advantage of those nearby lands than spend money transporting workers or students long distances, at times only to work half a day. In this way we can avoid losses and low productivity. We have the excellent results from urban agriculture which, without resorting to large mobilizations or expenditures, has produced a considerable amount of vegetables and encouraged the consumption of those important foods, as well as provided employment for more than 300,000 people, including some 60,000 women and approximately 40,000 retired persons.

These are realistic alternatives for a country whose resources do not always allow it to use modern technologies that are very productive but expensive and consume fuel. We will use these technologies when they are economically justified, as we have done with machinery, agricultural tools, chemical products, irrigation systems, and covered plots with encouraging early results. But there are also farmers who have obtained good results combining science with the ox, organic fertilizer, other traditional techniques, and above all a great deal of efficient work.

I recognize and admire the great socialist state enterprise, and we will not renounce it. I know of many enterprises that produce efficiently. However, this in no way contradicts the role of the cooperative in its various forms and the small farmer, notable examples of which I could also cite. These are all forms of property and production that can coexist harmoniously because none are antagonistic to socialism.

Very soon, as soon as perhaps next week -it says here they will be approved, but one can say that they were already approved last night during a joint meeting between the Politburo, the Council of State, and other guests -legal regulations will begin granting idle land in usufruct to those who are in a position to make them productive immediately. Other measures associated with agricultural activity will be adopted. Some of the necessary ones have already been implemented in order to guarantee this process, such as the creation of municipal delegations of the Agriculture Ministry and the restructuring of its enterprise system.

From the centralized level all the way to the municipalities, the Party, Government, and National Association of Small Farmers are closely monitoring this process, which inevitably requires time for results to become noticeable -above all within an unfavourable, international economic situation.

Once again, allow me [Castro drinks his tea]. I am a bit hoarse from speaking so much these days.

Now, more than ever, we must invest our limited resources rationally, especially in obtaining utilities which allow us to cover the already high social costs in the country. Food production, the substitution of imports, and the increase of exports continue to be fundamental areas. Moreover, savings, as comrade Fidel told us, is today the most immediate and feasible source of resources, above all in fuel.

Establishing priorities and strictly abiding by them and postponing investments which are not absolutely necessary to undertake immediately. Where it is possible, logical, and where the conditions can be created, employing double shifts to better use available equipment and shorten the time to finish projects, especially in the construction sector. To take advantage of existing infrastructure, for example remodelling old, underused buildings, of which there are many throughout the country. We are able to acquire, as is already being done, the equipment for the new industries which are being established as part of the programmes of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, the Alba, especially in collaboration with Venezuela.

Another situation I would like to discuss is the consumption of foodstuffs sent to worker cafeterias, schools, hospitals, and so forth. I am not speaking of what is sold in the ration book or in markets. In that sphere, which specialists call social consumption, waste and the lack of planning and control must cease. There are more than enough recent examples of how much is still wasted, used in an unplanned way, or taken out of circulation in a storeroom. I will mention a few cases that were found during a recent visit by Central Committee members to centres in the capital -work centres, hospitals, and schools -as part of drive by the Domestic Trade Ministry. I will also take this opportunity to recognize the efforts made by this ministry, particularly its leader, to turn excuses into solutions. It is not only a necessary recognition, but also a warning to those who administer or lead: evaluate yourselves constantly, always recognizing that nothing is perfect and everything can be improved.

The first conclusion of these visits: month after month, the institutions receive their complete monthly allotment of food as if nobody ever missed a single day of school or work. The result: food supplies above the permitted inventory, which is a supply of 45 days, in the majority of the centres visited. I will not mention names; that is not our purpose. Unfortunately, it is very widespread. I repeat, very widespread. Rice -as I said, they should have enough for 45 days -rice: one hospital had enough for 147 days, another hospital with enough for 123, and another for 119 days. One school had enough for 88 days, twice as much; another had 86 days worth of that food, this price of which has more than doubled and now costs more than $1,000 per ton. Sugar: here it gets really bad. One school had enough for 908 days, more than two years; another school with 639 days; another with 294 days. One work centre had 300 days worth of sugar; another, 128.

These are impressive, hair-raising numbers. Imagine this situation in the millions of cafeterias in Cuba. All of this creates ideal conditions for theft, misuse, or spoilage. It is the result of delivering supplies with bureaucratic methods without verifying how much was left over from the previous month in order to deliver what is needed. No. If they have so much assigned, each month they get so much, and if one month they did not get as much as they were due for any given reason, the following month they get the month's quota and what was omitted the previous month. This food is often distributed free of charge or at prices well below cost.

Suffice it to say that to import the same amount of food as last year would require $1.1 billion. [words indistinct] I have heard of some institutions, very few by the way, where this does not happen simply because they plan, control, and demand. It is therefore something that we can solve without additional resources and in the short term.

These are our problems. There will be more in the future. Such is life. But every time we see something poorly executed, we must work endlessly in order to end it. The truth is that the challenges are great and difficult, but our people have succeeded in much worse situations.

Allow me to use as an example the FAR [Revolutionary Armed Forces]. It is embarrassing. Until not long ago I was the minister of the Armed Forces, but I believe it has a valuable lesson for times like these. The fall of the Soviet Union put an end to important subsidies for the country's defence system at a time when our country could not guarantee them. First, we said that beans were as important as cannons, and when the situation worsened we said that beans were more important than cannons. We are facing a similar situation. There were no regrets or excuses, the troops marched into the fields and in a relatively short time they produced their food, except for those items that were impossible to produce such as salt, sugar or wheat, which does not grow in Cuba. At the same time, the enterprise structure that gradually assumed said production began to organize itself and the combatants returned to their regular duties. The military agricultural union whose acronym reads UAM was created.

Fifteen years have passed since. Today defence preparedness is more effective than ever, including Operation Caguairan, which you already know about and continues successfully. Also, we managed to modernize our weaponry. Since the fall of the Soviet Union we have not acquired more weaponry because it is so costly, and modestly with the collaboration of the [words indistinct] of the State's central administration we have mobilized them, we have modernized them, and it has been a great accomplishment because they adjust perfectly to the type of war we would wage if we were invaded by the most powerful country on the planet, the United States.

We have acquired spare parts, in addition to those we produce ourselves, and thousands of scopes, or tens of thousands of scopes for snipers, if we are going to discuss armaments, and some smaller things, but we today are stronger than ever.

It has been 15 years. Today, national defence is more effective than ever. Additionally, we managed to modernize our armaments thanks to the efforts and capacity of engineers from numerous organizations, both military and civilian. This important task continues. It is permanent.

The FAR continue to produce food and already meet 79 per cent of their own needs. Now, through 24 large military agricultural enterprises, where thousands of civilian workers are employed - furthermore, the majority work efficiently and generate profits - that is why I am a firm admirer and defender of large socialist state enterprises, be they agricultural, industrial, or otherwise. I underestimate neither cooperatives nor campesinos, as we say. Anyone who has relatives in the military service can ask them about the quality and quantity of food.

That spirit that I just described to you for more than 15 years, or about 15 years, inspired in our people the [spirit of] Yes, We Can. For this reason, they overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the most critical stage of the Special Period. That is how we are going to do it once again, like always - and I am not proposing that we start closing factories down and mobilizing workers to the fields.

That is why we say that all the land, wherever it is, in the proximity of every city and town of any size, we must bring the countryside to the city, so that we would not have to bring the city to the countryside. That is a starting point.

That is how we are going to do it again, like always, with the united and determined effort of all countrymen. We will produce food. We will safeguard the principal achievements of the Revolution. We will continue progressing without overlooking defence one single minute.

Let us dedicate ourselves, with modesty and without fanfare, each one in the position that corresponds to him, to the daily and strict fulfilment of duty. I repeat -excuse all the repetition -Let us commit, modestly and without fanfare, each of us in our corresponding post, to strictly do our duty every day. I believe that this is the key to winning. Thank you [applause].

Alarcon, as are man experienced in applause and voting, do you believe that the delegates agree? [Applause]

I bid you to take your seats briefly. This is now informal, but it may be considered part of the speech. This is a good help.

As I already stated in the address, there are some issues that are personal opinions, because they are not set in stone, and there are others that are concepts, ideas; others are informational: these trends in food prices, and these very trends that we have just mentioned. This is so it does not make its way to 26 July. Regardless, there are just 15 days left till the arrival of the 55th anniversary of the attacks on the Moncada and Bayamo [pause] and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes Barracks.

However, that may be a lot of time to avoid making a greater mess of things [as heard]. As I said, there are issues to ponder here and there are topics that are directives you agree to as the state's supreme government body, as we said today. Perhaps some do not agree with some things -some of the issues raised -that is why I say there are some things that are simply personal statements and opinions, and others that are concepts. Though, they are directives.

Yesterday, there were discussions among the members of the top bodies of the Party and the State, even though you are the supreme body of the government, rather than the Council of State. We were in unanimous agreement with the following: soon -immediately -already work was begun and will be have to be developed by the Politburo, the Council of Ministers, and if necessary, the Council of State, on the approval of a law decree such as the one that I mentioned about land a moment ago [as heard].

We must issue a directive. If there is time, we can begin to discuss it at the next Council of Ministers meeting. From now on, this is the case. Now comes the work. This is part of the things that we will have to discuss and we will be able to see if they are feasible or not by the time we hold our congress at the end of the coming year.

Because all of us who are here, who represent the will of the people, since they elected us, and the Party, which likewise elected us, even though it was a long time ago, we are in agreement. It is very important that someone who sits there where I sit is also in full agreement [applause].

I am about to finish. Take your seats. An anecdote too -we began with a jest, so we can end with another one. A real one. [Word indistinct] the documents that we had already discussed, the topics to be broached, as well as Santiago de Cuba on 26 July, those are the issues; naturally, we cannot cover everything in one single afternoon, or a single meeting or session of the Assembly. There are many issues that, in their implementation, will have to be revisited here.

This was a very difficult address to write. I took it to him a bit late. I asked him -his day is very busy: exercising, writing, reflecting, thinking. Sometimes it is he who gives me international news that I have not had time to read. I asked him to reply to me as soon as possible. He broke the record this time. I received a telephone call from his spokesperson two days ago; that is why yesterday's meeting was held last night. He agreed completely. I want to remember what he said literally. It is perfect. When I was informed, I was overjoyed. I told the person who spoke with me to congratulate him. She replies, him? I say, yes. Congratulate him because he has a very intelligent brother who learned everything from him [applause].

Originally published by Cubavision TV, Havana, in Spanish 0000 11 Jul 08.

(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Newsfile. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Story Source: BBC Monitoring Newsfile