What, in your opinion, Excellency, will be the everlasting legacy of the iconic Fidel Castro? Will it only be his survival for so long and successful defiance of nine US presidents under an anti-imperialist banner?

In my opinion, the legacy of President Fidel Castro will be and is not only dedicated and restricted to our confrontation with the American system of imperialism. I would also like to clarify that our confrontation is not with the American people, it is with the system that has put on all the pressure and all the aggression against our small country without any justification and without any legality. There has never been a single case of abuse or harassment against an American citizen in Cuba; on the contrary, we have a lot of good relations with many good people in the United States, especially in the field of Science. Unfortunately, the American administration prohibits our scientists from going there or their scientists visiting Cuba; even research papers of our scientists are not allowed to be published in their scientific journals.

Since the triumph of our revolution in 1959—since the very beginning; in fact, on the very same day of the triumph of the revolution—we have faced lots of aggression from the United States when they began their attempts at changing the government of Cuba with hundreds of plans of assassination of our leaders, especially President Fidel Castro. There is also the long history of economic blockade and military invasions such as the invasion of the Bay of Pigs in 1961, which was defeated in less than 72 hours. There is also the matter of the supply and training of thousands of Cubans in the United States who are sent to Cuba to carry out acts of terrorism, and also to implant a group of bandits in our mountains to destroy and discredit our revolution. These recruits were miscreants who fled to Miami—don’t forget that the majority of the criminals of dictator Batista’s police and army flew to Miami where there were welcomed as heroes because they were members of the former dictatorial regime that was supported by the government of the United States—and they established hundreds of counterrevolutionary organisations and they launched a military invasion supported with all means by the American government headed at that time by Eisenhower. After that they tried to infiltrate Cuban mountainous areas. Most of these elements were common criminals and bandits recruited as mercenaries. All these aggressions and transgressions that have been eliminated and prevented by our people indicate the strong capacity of the revolution to have our people united in the new construction of a new society.

The legacy is not only the issue of resistance to American imperialism but also the capacity in those difficult conditions to build a new country and a new society. Cuba in 1959 was a very backward country: infant mortality was more than 37.3 percent*, illiteracy was more than 40 percent, and there was only one doctor for about a thousand people. Today, Cuba has an infant mortality rate of 5.3 for every 1000 births, which is one of the best in the world, and there is a doctor for every 158 persons. Similarly, in education, health, professional enterprise, etc., Cuba has made a lot of advances, and our country is much better off today than it was in 1959. So, it has not only been about resistance, it has also been about social development that has been tremendous in Cuba led by the Communist Party of Cuba and by our President. This is the legacy that he is giving to all: the example of Cuba, the example of the possibility that a small country, despite having a strong and hostile neighbour engaging in an economic war, has been able to build a new society with new values. In our society, solidarity is held in higher esteem than market fever, and we have built an economy that last year showed an impressive 12.5 percent growth, which is one of the highest in the world. This is very important for us; however, our country being a small country, this does not make an impact on the world economy unlike India where an 8 or 9 percent growth does have an impact in the world due to its enormous economy and potential. But, our humble country has managed very well under the leadership of our Commander in Chief and the Communist Party to maintain the unity of our people in the midst of tremendous sacrifices due to the economic blockade imposed on our country. Also, I would like to point out that when the rebel army led by Fidel arrived in Havana on 08 January 1959, they discovered that the criminals had fled the capital for Miami taking with them the national treasure of Cuba—all the vaults of our national bank were looted and emptied of their content; in all, the criminals escaped with US$500 million that was consequently used to fund, along with additional financial support from the American government, counterrevolutionary operations against our country.

In fact, the legitimate owner of every single dollar of that 500 million is the Cuban government because that constituted the reserves of our country and the American government did not return a single cent. This was only just the beginning of their aggression towards Cuba. However, we focussed on building a new society based on justice for the people, based on solidarity, and based on social development. The first law passed by the revolution was the agrarian reform law that redistributed land to the peasants in Cuba who were not owners of land but working on Cuban land owned by Americans—about 30 percent of the arable land of Cuba at that time was the property of American companies. This law, which helped about 100,000 Cuban peasant families, was part of the initial steps taken by the revolution in improving the social lot of Cuba. Cuba at that time was heavily dependent on sugar production. We had an agreement with the United States on a sugar quota, where the US agreed to import 4 million tons of sugar each year. Within two or three months of the triumph of the revolution, the American government took our quota and distributed it among other Latin countries that resulted in us suddenly left with huge stocks of sugar without a market to sell. This was the extent of their aggression, to try and bring our people down on their knees! However, we found new buyers and new markets; we introduced modern technologies and managed to create a modern sugar industry. To reduce our economic dependence on sugar, we started to develop other sectors in the economy such as the mining sector—today, the nickel industry, for instance, is one of the most prosperous industries in Cuba. We also promoted young scientists, and the Cuban biotechnology sector is one of the best biotechnology sectors of the world. This is one of the reasons that India and Cuba have a very strong cooperation in this sector in which we are associated with India’s Biocon. We are transferring our technology to India in the important field of vaccines. These vaccines have been tested as positive and are effective against three types of cancer. The vaccines are being produced in Bangalore in Biocon in joint association with Cuban biotechnology.

It is indeed remarkable that a small country like Cuba has made so many advances in the field of science—and this was promoted by Fidel. It was his idea, and he organised this sector personally, and now we are reaping the benefits of this important sector. Also, we have developed our tourism sector, and it is doing extremely well. Today, Cuba, with a population of 11 million, receives over 2 million tourists annually. This figure could have been much higher, but we are not receiving more because of one of the anti-constitutional regulations of the current American administration that prevents American citizens travelling to Cuba as tourists. Then there is the marine and fisheries sector. We have a fleet of trawlers to catch different kinds of fish, and we export lobster and shrimp to many countries. I have given you just a brief overview of our economic progress; there are several others sectors that are also being developed in Cuba. So, this is His legacy: the legacy is not only the answer or response to imperialistic aggression; it is the development of a new society in which people have the right to study. Education in Cuba from grade 1 to university is free, and not a single child is without a school. Even healthcare in Cuba is free and available to all. In Cuba, the level of unemployment is less than 2 percent, which is almost negligible. In 1959, there were also 100,000 prostitutes in a population of 6 million in Cuba. We put them in schools, rehabilitated them, and restored their dignity. All the social and economic development in Cuba has been possible because we have remained united and committed.

Our country is institutionalised; we have a parliament, we have a constitution, we have laws; and no one is above the law in Cuba, which has been demonstrated on many occasions during cases of corruption, criminal activities, etc. We have very democratic elections: the National Assembly of People’s Power, which is our parliament, has 603 members who are elected by their constituencies. Also, in Cuba, the Communist Party is not an electoral party; it has nothing to do with the elections, and there are no candidates from the Communist Party. The candidates for the parliament are elected in the neighbourhoods of Cuba, and anyone who is part of a neighbourhood can democratically propose the name of a candidate for elections. The merits of the candidate determine the popularity, and success or failure during the election process and the real power of the people and of the nation is the National Assembly. Even the President himself has never imposed his right or claim; he has always been duly elected by his constituency. The members of the National Assembly are not there because they have money for expensive electoral campaigns or have been recommended by powerful people; they are there because they have been elected from the grassroots level through their constituencies. There are also peasants who are members of the National Assembly; the National Association of Peasants of Cuba is an important body and they send candidates. The Committee of Candidature in Cuba is composed by members from the Federation of Students and also people who have excelled in their respective fields, such as scientists, artists, intellectuals, etc. No parliamentarian derives any monetary benefit in Cuba. So, our parliament consists of ordinary people from the grassroots level along with distinguished members of society who are there only because of their meritorious contribution to society and for no other reason.

In fact, you do not even have to be a member of the Communist Party to be elected to parliament; for instance, there are three pastors from different churches who have been elected for the contributions they have made to their communities. Also, parliamentarians who do not live up to their promises or duties can be revoked by their constituencies. Parliamentarians are very accessible to their people, who can approach them for any type of problem. Each year, parliamentarians stand before their constituency and give an account of what they have done in the past twelve months. The legacy of Fidel Castro is his great wisdom as a leader and also the great example he has set as a leader, because, in Cuba, all our citizens know that our leaders, including Fidel, do not send their children to special schools or send their family members to special hospitals. Like the rest of us, they also use public schools and hospitals. None of our leaders have bank accounts in Switzerland or elsewhere in the world for that matter. This is the real democratic Cuba—we are not the democracy of money, we are the democracy of our people, of solidarity, of values —and this is His legacy.

At the end of July 2006, Fidel Castro turned over provisional power to Raúl Castro, his brother, and to six other individuals, who collectively, presumably, will be running the country. Raúl Castro—who has mostly been in his famous brother’s shadow—is not well known here. What kind of leadership can one expect from him? Who are the other individuals?

I would like to clarify that Raúl has not “mostly been in his famous brother’s shadow.” I can state clearly that Raúl has always been there and not in any shadow. He was one of the leaders who led the attack on the Moncada Garrison in 1953. He built our armed forces, which was not an easy thing to do, and he has been the Second Secretary of the Communist Party. The people of Cuba have great admiration for Raúl due to his own merits, and the proof is there during his interim presidency where he exercised his actions with proper respect for the people of Cuba.

I have to say that even in our revolution, of course, the role of a leader is important, but the revolution is ultimately made by millions of people. Fidel is our Commander-in-Chief, but he has made all Cubans feel like a commander-in-chief, especially in their pride for their country and their revolution. The revolution is guided solely by principle and by collective action. The Communist Party is responsible to lead the revolution and that is why Raúl insisted again on that concept when he said that there can never be a substitute to Fidel except the Communist Party. That will be and is the only substitute of Him—the collective action of our party. Raúl has said that no one, not even himself, can substitute His work, because He is unique and is the most outstanding personality of Cuban history after José Martí, our national hero. We don’t understand why the world is wondering who will take over and who will do what, because not a single person can do anything outside the principles established in our constitution and in our party principles. There will be no change in that sense. We have our own way and principle of building our socialist society. There are not always answers to all the questions in building a new society. Socialism is a fairly new concept in history; it has failed in many places, but we are still here, and our philosophy and principles are still here. We have our own socialist model, and we are building on our experiences to make an even better society. We have signed an economic integration agreement ALBA with Bolivia and Venezuela, which is based on solidarity and to raise the plight of the neglected peoples of Latin America to a better level.

Although Raúl Castro has been running the Cuban military and overseeing intelligence for some time, and, thus, has played a major role in Cuba, will it be difficult for him to step into the shoes of Fidel Castro—a man whose charisma, historical legacy, and stature very few can ever hope to achieve?

Raúl is Raúl on his on merit, and not because he is Fidel’s brother. Everyone in Cuba knows his merits and has great trust in Raúl. He has great support from the people of Cuba, and I shall repeat what he said about himself: “Neither I nor anyone else can ever substitute Fidel but all together and collectively we can carry on his work.” And this is the belief of each and every Cuban. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh knows Raúl well and had a good meeting with him recently in Havana.

On 17 December 2006, Cuban officials affirmed that Fidel Castro has no terminal illness and will eventually return to public duties. Despite this good news, given his age, most expect a permanent transition of power to take place in the not so distant future. Do you think this eventual transition will be a peaceful one? What will be the implications for Indo-Cuban relations when this happens?

He is recovering and He is in good shape.

Raúl Castro has been described both as a reformer and an orthodox hardliner. He has been an endorser of the small opening of foreign investment in Cuba and some pacifist market activity. What kind of political and economic reforms, if any, may one expect in Cuba under his leadership?

Raúl is a prominent member of our Communist Party. He will act and lead the party in accordance with the Congress of the party. In Cuba there is no authoritarianism, there is no projection of one person alone. In Cuba, there is the party as the guardian of the revolution, and there is the constitution. If you want to change, you cannot just dictate what you want to change. For example, in 1959, after the triumph of the revolution, we prohibited gambling, as it was controlled by the American mafia, and they used to give a part of their profits to Batista and the police of Batista. Suppose, one of the leaders now wants to re-introduce gambling even with good intentions, then that issue has to be discussed. Everything regarding the venture will be discussed, analysed, and will have to be approved by the National Assembly. And, more importantly, any vital law in Cuba is discussed with every single Cuban citizen before it is eventually passed by the parliament. This is the essence of our democracy: a participatory democracy—because everybody has a certain participation in the running of the country.

India was among the earliest countries to extend recognition to Cuba after the 1959 revolution, and India-Cuba relations have always been warm and friendly. A major portion can be attributed to Fidel Castro’s sophisticated and charismatic manner in cultivating enduring political relationships. Do you think Raúl Castro can and will engage India similarly?

Well, our relationship with India is based on the perceptions of our foreign policy, and the guideline of our foreign policy is to have the best possible relation with all Third World countries. India and Cuba are part of the Third World; we are members of NAM, and we are natural allies. In the particular case of India, Fidel, of course, has played a major role, as he has done in the case of many other countries. Fidel Castro and Prime Minister Nehru met in 1960 at the Hotel Theresa in Harlem in New York. That friendship continued with Indira, with Rajiv, with Vajpayee, and other Indian leaders. This comes from a sense of historical responsibility, and also India is a very important country. There is no way that we could have any other relationship than one of friendship. In my day to day stay in India, I always feel that I am among friends. I am always with the support of the authorities of India, of the many leaders of India. Of course, that trend will continue and will strengthen more and more. Unfortunately, our president is a human being and will have to leave this world someday, as all of us will, and the next person will continue with the same policy because this is the policy of an entire nation.

Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was earlier this year in Havana for the NAM Summit where he met with Raúl Castro and also called on Fidel Castro. What were the highlights of his trip to Cuba?

It was an excellent visit. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was one of the few leaders who could meet Raúl and have a fraternal conversation with Fidel. The visit had tremendous value, and Prime Minister Singh contributed to NAM discussions in the plenary sessions. He also took the opportunity to meet different leaders from Latin America such as President Chavez, which is sometimes not so easy because of the geographical distances. He also had good discussions with President Musharraf that resulted in the Havana Declaration, which has improved the atmosphere for dialogue for the benefit of peace. So, there were many good developments, and he also met many friends, as this was not his first visit to Cuba.

Is Cuba supportive of India’s candidature for a permanent seat on the expanded UN Security Council?

Cuba was one of the first countries in the world to support India’s inclusion in the UN Security Council. And this was not only in official dialogues with India—He, in one of his speeches made a long time ago, said that India should be there in the Security Council. This is logical, as India represents one-sixth of humankind, and it has stable policies that have not changed since India became independent. Well, according to us, if there is going be an expansion in the Security Council, India has to be included.

A bilateral cultural agreement was signed between India and Cuba in 1976. Furthermore, a cultural exchange programme was initiated in 2005. What has been the progress of cultural exchanges between the two countries in recent years?

We are working very hard in the area of culture. I believe that in 2007, we will promote exchanges in many forms and in many areas. We will actively promote Indian tourism to Cuba. Cuba is very scenic with beautiful beaches, forests, mountains, etc. Though there is good number of the Indian diaspora from the UK, Canada, and the Caribbean that visit Cuba, plans are on to increase the number of tourists coming from India, which is very little at the moment. We are doing a lot with tour operators, and this year the first batch of Indians will arrive in Cuba. Indians visiting Cuba will also have the opportunity to eat Indian cuisine there.

Cuban cigars have become quite the rage with India’s ‘elite’. Any tips you may wish to offer on the perfect cigar, the etiquette, and a perfect smoke?

In my opinion, all Cuban cigars are high quality cigars. It is very difficult for me to say which one is good or better, as that depends on the smoker, eventually, but, as a matter of fact, they are all excellent. If you smoke a Cuban cigar, you will know why …

Any other issue(s) on which you may wish to comment …

Yes, of course. Cuba has been suffering from terrorist attacks since the very beginning of the Revolution. As I already told you, the United States government has been supporting the terrorist groups through all these years. They have trained and protected the members of such groups in order to use them to destroy the revolutionary process in my country.

In the 1990s there was an upsurge of such terrorist attacks against Cuba, especially against tourist facilities. For that reason we decided to send some people to Miami to infiltrate these organizations in order to obtain information about their plans. In this way we could prevent them from killing more innocent people such as the young Italian tourist, Fabio D’Celmo, who died as a result of an attack against one of our hotels. That is the reason why five young Cubans were there.

These young men have been charged of espionage, put on an unjust judicial process and sentenced to two life imprisonment (plus 15 years, Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo, plus 10 years, Antonio Guerrero Rodriguez, plus 18 years, Ramón Labañino Salazar) and also to 19 years (Fernando González Llort) and to 15 years (René González Sehwerert). All through these years they have been punished and sent to the punishment cells (the hole) on several instances to keep them from meeting with their lawyers so as to prepare their defense. The whole process has been a fake. They were judged in Miami even after the petition of their lawyer to move the trial to another place where there were no prejudices against Cuba. Even the United Nations Commission for the analysis of arbitrary detentions has declared their imprisonment as illegal, but anyway they are still in American jails.

Right now there is an international campaign for the liberation of these five Cuban heroes led by youth and students organizations that will end in a world meeting of the members of such organizations in Havana City in April, 2007. I avail of this opportunity, that so kindly Diplomatist is giving to me, to invite all youth and students to join this campaign demanding the US government to free our five antiterrorist heroes. For more information about this matter you can check the following web sites:

http://embacuba.cubaminrex.cu/Default.aspx?alias=embacuba.cubaminrex.cu/indiaing

www.antiterrorist.cu

www.freethefive.org

http://beirut.indymedia.org/en/2006/11/6001.shtml

http://www.ain.cu/patriotas2/principal2.htm

http://europa.cubaminrex.cu/English/ five%20of%20Portal/Portalcincoheroes_indexingl%E9s.htm