(28 Jan 2001) Spanish/Nat
XFA
Cuba celebrated on Sunday the 148th anniversary of the birth of its national Hero Jose Marti with a military rally in defence of the revolution.
An estimated 200-thousand people gathered at the General Calixto Garcia Iniguez square.
The rally, led by Raul Castro, head of Cuba's armed forces, was made up of troops, military cadets, members of the territorial army and of the Eastern Command defence forces.
Jorge Jose Luis Sierra Cruz Provincial Secretary and member of the communist Party spoke to the thousands gathered about the U-S tendencies, right wing conservatives and Miami Cuban mafia who try to push the White House and its cabinet into an armed conflict with Cuba.
Jose Marti, born in 1853, is a symbol of Cuba's fight for independence.
In 1892 he founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party and three years later led a guerrilla army into battle against the ruling Spanish and was killed in action.
Cuba eventually won its independence in 1902.
Sunday's rally in his honour was in addition the launch of the so-called Year of Preparation for the Defence of the Eastern Command.
The messages read out by Communist Party Members and members of the Armed Forces were of commitment to the revolutionary and its ideas.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"There are two tendencies in the US, the conservative right wing and the Cuban Mafia living in Miami that try to push the White House and its cabinet into an armed conflict with Cuba. They try to create any context to have this happen. The more subtle way they try and subvert is trying to influence the Cuban youth and army. They try to make the youth not believe in the military to sway them to their capitalistic ways."
SUPER CAPTION: Jorge Luis Sierra Cruz
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"Marti warned of the battle of ideologies. United in our marches, demos and in the open discussions we will continue to participate in defending the revolution. We have learned that we have new ways to confront and beat the enemy."
SUPER CAPTION: Jorge Luis Sierra Cruz
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"As our commander has said, let us get to work and production and to the economic difficulties and let us defend our country in all aspects, the political, ideological and military."
SUPER CAPTION: Jorge Luis Sierra Cruz
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