The Sixth Conference of the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution (ACRC), whose closing session was led by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution, and by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, concluded on Saturday in Havana with the conviction that Cuban revolutionaries do not lose sleep over difficulties and that the only way forward is to continue the struggle with optimism and faith in victory.
The Universal Room of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces was the scenario of the event that, during two days, gathered delegates from all over the country, representing the protagonists of the living history of the nation.
The final day was also attended by members of the Political Bureau Esteban Lazo Hernández, president of the National Assembly of People's Power and of the Council of State; Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Party; Army Corps General Álvaro López Miera, Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces; Major General Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, Minister of the Interior; and Brigadier General José Amado Ricardo Guerra, Secretary of the Council of Ministers.
As in all these decades of struggle, in the first line of the memorable meeting were the Vice Prime Minister, Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés Menéndez; and the Commander of the Rebel Army José Ramón Machado Ventura.
Precisely, 147 years after the historic Baraguá Protest, in this emotional event and for his extraordinary merits, Raúl -founder of the ACRC- received a simple and well-deserved recognition from the combatants, on behalf of the associates from all over the country.
Raúl received the gift from the hands of Major General José Antonio Carrillo Gómez, who was ratified at this Conference as National President of the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution.
Likewise, the Commanders of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés Menéndez and Guillermo García Frías, together with the Commander of the Rebel Army José Ramón Machado Ventura, were also recognized for the role played during all these years, their dedication, example and loyalty.
On this day of homage and commitment to the defense of the Homeland, awards were also presented to valuable comrades who were part of the first National Directorate of the organization: Army Corps General Joaquín Quintas Solá, Reserve Major General Ulises Rosales del Toro, Major General Ramón Pardo Guerra, Reserve Brigadier General Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez, and Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Pérsida Chibás Ponce.
In his speech, Díaz-Canel affirmed that “the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution is a space of unity, ideas and action, in which the founders of the Revolution and its continuators converge, closing ranks in the fulfillment of the sacred duty of defending it, until the last breath”.
Later, in his speech, with the conviction that “the life of each combatant of the Revolution contains a lesson of history, but its greatest value is for the future, for all the sap it brings us, in terms of wisdom, spiritual and revolutionary strength”, The President of the Republic assured the indispensable combatants that "the Revolution is strengthened with you in the communities, which is its main radius of action, for the prestige you have and for the legitimacy you won in real combats for the independence and sovereignty of the Homeland and other sister nations.
“There are no essential activities of production and defense, strategic fronts today, in which some of the almost 300,000 combatants are not present, because the Association is a powerful moral army we count on,” the Head of State said.
In the final minutes of his speech, the President shared the idea expressed by the Army General on the 65th Anniversary of the Triumph of the Revolution: “Cuban revolutionaries do not lose sleep over difficulties, our only path is to continue the struggle with optimism and unwavering faith in victory”.
And amidst sustained applause, Díaz-Canel concluded his words: “Hard times do not keep us awake at night, among other great reasons, for all that the combatants of the Cuban Revolution taught us and teach us every day”.
At the closing session of the Sixth Conference of the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution, the elected National Directorate was presented, in which, together with its president, Major General José Antonio Carrillo Gómez; Brigadier General Delsa Esther “Teté” Puebla Viltre; and Reserve Brigadier General Juan Rafael Ruiz Pérez were also ratified as vice presidents of its executive.
Before a standing audience, the Army General bid farewell to those present with “a hug”, as an expression of eternal admiration and loyalty to his comrades in permanent combat.
