Fidel: Dangers of a new war

From Cubadebate

Comrades Economists of the CIEM:

On the occasion of Resolution 1929.

On June 27, 2010, in a message sent on the occasion of the passing of Resolution 1929 of the United Nations Security Council on 9 June 2010, I expressed to my addressee the following: “We can be certain of only one thing. This time, Cuba will be far from being attacked with weapons of that type, and so will the rest of Latin America, from the North of Mexico to Cape Horn.

“Once the nuclear fire is extinguished, which will necessarily be brief, we can talk about the post-war crisis that will follow at once.

“Everything might seem a fantasy, as when, by sheer miracle, Cuba escaped a nuclear attack in October 1962.

“…there will be no talk of capitalism or socialism. A stage will open involving the administration of the goods and services available in this part of the continent. Inevitably, those who today are at the head of governments will continue to govern, many of them very close to socialism, others filled with euphoria looking at the opening of a world market that today opens for fuels, uranium, copper, lithium, aluminum, iron and other metals that today are sent to the developed countries and rich markets, which will suddenly disappear.

“Under such circumstances, the most basic elements required for life – food, water, fuel and the resources of the hemisphere south of the United States – will be enough to maintain a bit of the civilization whose unbridled advances have led humanity to such a disaster.”

I know that some comrades are seriously worried that I might risk my credibility when affirming something as important as a conflict that would inevitably turn nuclear.

That’s what I’ve been doing since, on 1 June 2010, I informed about the grave danger to humanity caused by the sinking of the Cheonan, the flagship of the South Korean naval forces.

To me, what’s most important is for our people to be well informed about the grave dangers that threaten us, not my personal credibility.

I asked comrade Osvaldo to summon to this center today, Tuesday 13 July, a group of outstanding economists so I might meet with them and beg them to do a “science fiction” job – let’s call it that – in which, in the next 10 days, they will meditate and analyze for 4 hours a day these delicate affairs, for the purpose of answering one question: What should the countries of “Our America” do if a situation arises such as the one I explained in the words between quotations?

It would be a case, of course, of impelling a new civilization on the basis of the colossal scientific knowledge today possessed by our species, so there will be no repetition of the unrepeatable, which, in my judgment, will happen.

I also begged Osvaldo to deliver to you a copy of these words.

On the basis of the information I had received from the Ministry of Foreign Relations, I told several ambassadors in key countries and four Latin American presidents that, in my judgment, the conflict would explode on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday at the latest.

My understandable bitterness is due to the fact that I was working with official information that, by not including two long final paragraphs, led me to make an error in my Reflection of 4 July and might have inflicted an irreparable blow to my credibility at this decisive historic moment, something I realized yesterday, Sunday the 11th, at about 11 a.m.

I also asked Osvaldo to distribute among the economists a copy of this message and to add a copy of the written text from the documentary “Home,” by French director Yann Arthus-Bertrand, made by a select international group of the most clear-headed and best informed personalities, about the other terrible threat to our species, the destruction of the environment before our very eyes.

There still remain alternatives that leave margin for hope, if we are capable of opting for them.

Fraternally,

Fidel Castro Ruz

July 13, 2010