The collection of articles and speeches by General Raúl Castro Ruz on Viet Nam brings together excerpts from his speeches dedicated to Viet Nam. Through these words, readers can deeply feel his admiration and respect for revolutionary Viet Nam, a country that proved no force could subdue a people determined to defend their independence and freedom.
Each excerpt in this book is vivid testimony to the historic brotherhood between Cuba and Viet Nam, while also showing how Viet Nam was always present throughout Raúl’s speeches. In his mind, as in the mind of Fidel Castro Ruz, Viet Nam’s struggle was always felt with profound closeness and fervour.
On the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the General’s birth, the Cuban Embassy in Viet Nam respectfully introduces this collection to honour a visionary leader who remained steadfast in his opposition to imperialism. His words, spoken decades ago, seem to speak to us today, at a time when Cuba faces the risk of armed aggression by US imperialism.
He exposed the condemnable nature of an empire that frequently lies, breaks its promises, fabricates vile pretexts to escalate conflicts, exploits media complicity to normalise its arrogance in perception and discourse, and vents its anger and desperation on innocent civilians when confronted with the risk of inevitable military failure.
These brief pages also highlight the image of a brilliant military strategist, one who deeply appreciated the value of the people’s war doctrine developed by Viet Nam and affirmed the invincibility of peoples ready to fight to the end.
Alongside this is the image of a sharp statesman, one who emphasised the immense significance of the complete victory of a brotherly country for the geopolitical landscape of the time as well as for the future of humanity.
It is precisely these outstanding qualities of Raúl, together with his feats in the revolutionary struggle at the Moncada Barracks, in the Sierra Maestra, at Playa Girón, and during the years in which he excellently served as Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, that shaped the image of an exemplary revolutionary. All efforts by imperialism today to smear that symbol with cowardly and petty accusations are futile, because his political and moral stature makes him an invincible figure before the judgement of history.
