Granma, Cuba’s official newspaper, has republished significant excerpts from Army General Raúl Castro Ruz’s historic addresses delivered on February 24th across pivotal moments in the nation’s development. These speeches reveal the ideological continuity and constitutional evolution of the Cuban Revolution.
The compilation begins with Castro’s 1976 address at Havana’s Karl Marx Theater, marking the proclamation of Cuba’s first socialist Constitution—the first in the Americas. He recalled Fidel Castro’s description of the document as embodying José Martí’s aspiration for “the full dignity of humankind,” approved by 95.7% of eligible voters aged sixteen and over.
In his 2008 parliamentary address, Castro assumed leadership responsibilities while emphasizing Fidel’s irreplaceable role as Commander-in-Chief. He affirmed the Communist Party as “the sure guarantee of the unity of the Cuban nation” and heir to the people’s trust, referencing Article 5 of the Constitution approved by 97.7% of voters. He connected historical struggles against U.S. intervention to contemporary challenges, invoking Martí’s principle of choosing “the hard path of duty.
The 2013 speech featured Castro’s unequivocal declaration: “I was not elected president to restore capitalism in Cuba, nor to surrender the Revolution. I was elected to defend, maintain, and continue perfecting socialism.” He reiterated Fidel’s standard for revolutionary cadres: never coveting positions but earning them through merits, work, virtues, and patriotism.
The most recent excerpt from 2018 honored the 123rd anniversary of Cuba’s War of Independence resurgence. Castro highlighted José Martí’s strategic brilliance in founding the Cuban Revolutionary Party and achieving national unity. He quoted Fidel’s historical assessment: “We would have been like them then, and they would be like us today!” affirming the enduring commitment to revolutionary ideals across generations.