Fidel Castro - TALK FROM THE BALCONY OF PRESIDENTIAL PALACE lyrics

You know that I spoke last night until after 2:30 a.m. and I am a little hoarse now and I want to save my voice for the great general a**embly next Friday. We hope that it will be the greatest general a**embly we have ever had and we hope that you will come to it from every corner of the island. The workers and farmers from our four western provinces are coming to it. The leader of our Oriente Province farmers called me this morning and asked whether the Oriente farmers could also attend the general a**embly. I told him to bring his farmers along. On that day, we are going to give the world and example of what a real democracy is. There was one thing I wanted to tell you, though. You mayor may not know what happened this afternoon. At any event, Paul Roa and the Cuban delegation was to return from San Jose at 6 p.m. tonight but while we were still working early this afternoon we learned that Roa was already back in Havana. What made him come earlier than expected? It seems that "enemies of the revolution and agents of 'Yankee' imperialism--some of those who are constantly running between the United States and Guatemala--had two combat planes stationed on a Guatemala base ready to intercept the airplane on which the Cuban delegation was to return home and shoot it down. Our delegation learned about the details of the plan and the Costa Rican officials, naturally feeling responsible for what might happen, asked the Cuban delegation to change the time of its departure and took security steps in order to prevent an ambush of the airplane while it was in full flight on the part of gangsters who support the United States. As you know, all the bandits, murderers, gangsters, and mercenaries in the United States are a**ured jobs by the U.S. Intelligence Service and State Department. After our delegation had acted so brilliantly in San Jose and had asked the "sardines" how they intended to save Cuba from the jars of the "shark," it found out that its return home was not safe because the gangsters who operate freely in the Caribbean area feel that the dollars and the support given them by the United States make them brave. You know what used to happen in Cuba under the tyranny. You know how the murderers and the mercenaries used to mistreat the people because they felt safe. They never for a moment thought that the day would come when they would have to give the people an account for all their crimes. When our revolution came to power, these gangsters ran abroad and they started operating against us in several countries. Now again they think that they are safe; they have forgotten what happened to them in Cuba; they still think that the power of the empire will never end. All of America will one day awaken and the people of America will take care of all these gangsters, and what happened in Cuba will be repeated in America some day and if they call us continental revolutionaries because we say this, let them do it. If they accuse us of wanting a revolution in all America just because we say this, let them accuse us. The truth of history is above every intrigue and propaganda that can be waged against it. The fate of America is clear: No matter how hard the empire may try to suffocate the revolutions in America it will be unsuccessful. No matter how much it may hurt the 'Yankees,' no matter how much the imperialists may despair and lose their patience, they will not prevent all America from becoming free some day. Let them accuse the Cubans of having set the example; we feel proud of it. We shall try more and more every day to set a better example. And next Friday we shall give the best proof of what is a real democracy. In this act the ma**es will speak, the people will reply, and the people will speak the truth to that group of Judas Iscariots who sold their people to the exploiting and aggressive empire. Until Friday, then. -END-