The WPC participated with several of its leadership members at the I. International Colloquium "FIDEL, LEGACY and FUTURE", which was held from May 10-13, in the capital of Cuba, Havana.

On 10 August at the plenary session of the Solidarity Forum, chaired by the Cuban Institute for the Friendship of the Peoples, the WPC Executive Secretary Iraklis Tsavdaridis delivered a speech of greetings to more than 1.500 participants from 63 countries.

During the visit of the WPC to Cuba, a cordial and fraternal meeting was held between the WPC and the ICAP. The WPC delegation was composed of Iraklis Tsavdaridis, Bahman Azad, President of of the U.S. Peace Council (USPC), Nikos Zokas, Vice-President of EEDYE(Greece) and Farshid Vahedian from the U.S. Peace Council. The ICAP delegation was headed by Noemi Rabazza, first Vice-president of ICAP and Rigoberto Zarza, Ibis Alvisa and Edwin Garcia.

Below you can find the speech of Iraklis Tsavdaridis, Executive Secretary of the World Peace Council at the International Colloquium about FIDEL.

Distinguished friends of the Presidium, representatives of the Communist Party and the State
Dear Comrades and Friends from Cuba and the World
Dear Comrades of the Cuban Institute for the Friendship of the Peoples

It is an extraordinary pleasure for the World Peace Council and myself to be today here with you on the island of the Revolution and to share some thoughts about the legendary leader of the Cuban Revolution, the Commander in Chief Fidel Castro as well as about the situation in the world today.
The legacy of Fidel goes far beyond Cuba, there is rarely a revolutionary leader who was and is loved and respected by so many people in the world. As a genuine revolutionary he was always a true patriot and a committed internationalist. Fidel dedicated his life to the Cuban people and the poor and oppressed in the world. He practiced revolutionary theory being determined by the just cause of his people, by the vision and plan of the Communist Party of Cuba to fight and win victoriously and to achieve the first Socialist Revolution in the Western Hemisphere, on the American continent.

Fidel, actually our Fidel, has entered the Pantheon of the Revolutionary Leaders of the 20th Century with his commitment, his dedication, his modesty and his wisdom.

It is not by chance that today in challenging times, and while commemorating the centenary of his birth, we are recalling his spirit and contribution in various spheres and issues of the contemporary political struggle for a world without imperialist hegemony, wars and exploitation, a world of Peace and Social Justice.

The World Peace Council stood always till today on the side of the Cuban people, its revolution and its leadership. There was never a doubt about the root cause for the inhuman, illegal and arbitrary economic blockade of the USA against Cuba, the hundreds and of sanctions and these days the brutal energy siege aiming at the asphyxiation of the Cuban people. The USA has never stopped to act in many ways in order to overthrow the Cuban Revolution, they have never accepted the triumph of the Revolution in 1959, they have never accepted or tolerated the choice of the Cuban people. All types of warfare have been applied so far for 67 years on Cuba by US imperialism but also by its allies around the world. It has never played a role who was residing in the White House, the tactics may have varied, but the strategy always remained the same.

From this gathering in the capital of Cuba, we raise our voice once more to demand the end of the Criminal blockade against Cuba, to demand the deletion of Cuba from the unilateral US list of “States Sponsoring Terrorism”. We also demand the closure of the US base of Guantanamo and its return to its real owner, the Cuban people. The US sanctions against Cuba, its leaders and institutions are violating every sense of International Law. They even dare to press charges against the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Army General Raul Castro for having defended the sovereignty of his fatherland.

The Cuban people are not only brave in the current conditions, they are also intelligent and aware of the real goals of the imperialists. It is not a rhetorical question to ask what any other people what do if for one week its country would be without a drop of fuel! The Cuban people are defending their achievements by conviction despite the collective punishment the imperialists are imposing on them.

Dear friends and comrades

Cuba never asked anything in exchange for its solidarity to the other peoples of Latin America, Africa and Asia. During the Health Pandemic such solidarity was shown actively even to countries in Europe. The internationalist solidarity is in the core of Cuba’s policy, of its people.

The legacy of Fidel is teaching us that the best way to support the Cuban Revolution and its achievements is to fight against the common enemy of the peoples, the common enemies of Peace in each country in coordinated way, identifying clearly the root causes for hunger, wars, misery, displacement and poverty. It was and is in the spirit of Fidel to support the cause of the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation and genocide, for the right to a free and sovereign state, likewise the right for self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. It is the right thing to support the peoples of the Middle East, such as in Iran and Lebanon who are resisting the imperialist aggression of the USA and Israel. It is the right thing and based on the teachings of Cuba’s history to support the struggles of the peoples of Latin America, to fight against the US military bases and the role of the 4th US Navy fleet in the region. The US aggression and gangster-style attack in January against Venezuela which led to the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, are tragic from many aspects. The brave 32 Cuban officers which lost their lives that night in Caracas, are one more heroic internationalist anti-imperialist evidence of Cuba. The developments after this aggression in Venezuela are creating many questions on what really happened and the situation of the country shows more and more a setback and conditions of foreign guardianship in the affairs of Venezuela. In any case, the WPC stays in militant solidarity with the people of Venezuela, for the defense of the sovereignty and the right of the people to decide their destiny free from imperialist interference.

Dear comrades and friends
The Cuban people are going through their most severe challenge in the last 67 years. Almost every week, new inhuman and illegal coercive measures are being announced by the US administration. The complete energy siege and blockade are creating serious humanitarian problems. Now, also the internationalist solidarity of the peoples of the world is being criminalized, the Cuban Institute for the Friendship of the Peoples ICAP and its leadership is being black-listed. We know very well the motivation and goals of such actions.
We will not allow and we shall not stop expressing by all means our solidarity with the Cuban Revolution and its people. We owe it to the history and principles of our Organisation, to the history of struggles of Cuba and to Fidel!

Cuba is not alone, Hands off Cuba---Cuba will win!