Statement by Mr. Che Guevara (Cuba) before the United Nations General Assembly on 11 December 1964

Industries of Cuba, I invite you to address the assembly. (Applause) Mr President and gentlemen delegates, the representation of Cuba before this assembly is pleased to, first of all, extend a due welcome to the incorporation of three new nations to the significant number which here discuss problems of the world. We greet therefore, through their corresponding President and Prime Ministers, the people of Zambia, Malawi and Malta and we vote so that these countries will be incorporated from the first moment to the group of unaligned nations who fight against imperialism, colonialism and neocolonialism.

We also. . .

. . .

. . the dominant clases of Latin American countries against our revolution.

In others, even more sadly, the product of dazzling treasures of Mammon (Biblical reference to money, greed, wealth. New Testament) As is well known, after the tremendous shock called the "Caribbean Crisis", the United States contracted with the Soviet Union determined commitments which culminated in the withdrawal of certain types of weapons that the continued aggressions of that country- such as mercenary attack on Girón Beach and the threats of invasion of our homeland- they forced us to call to action in Cuba an the act of a legitimate and irrevocable defense (refers to the Bay of Pigs). In addition, the northamericans expected the United Nations to inspect our territory to which we emphatically refused, since Cuba does not recognize the right of the United States nor anyone else in the world to determine what type of weapons we are permitted to possess within our own borders.

In this sense we are only in agreement here with multilaterals with equal obligations to all parties. As stated by Fidel Castro, "As long as the concept of sovereignty exists as prerogative of independent nations and people, and as a right of all people, we will not accept the exclusion of our people to that right. As long as the world is governed by those principles, as long as the world is governed by those concepts which are universally valid, because they are universally accepted and consecrated by the people.

. . we will not accept the deprivation of any of these rights.

We will not give up any of those rights. " Mr Secretary General of the United Nations, U Thant, understood our position. Nevertheless, the United States tried to establish a new arbitrary and illegal prerogative.

One that violates the airspace of any small country. That is the way they have been encroaching upon the airspace of our homeland with U2 planes and other types of spy apparatus with total impunity navigating in our airspace. We have given all the necessary warnings for them to cease the airspace violations as well as the provocations that the "Yankee" marines make against our surveillance posts in the Guantanamo area.

The low-flying planes over our vessels or those of other nations in international waters, the pirate attacks on boats of different flags, and the infiltration of saboteur spies and weapons on our island. We want to construct socialism. We have declared ourselves supporters of those who fight for peace.

We have declared ourselves members of a group of unaligned countries in spite of being Leninist Marxists, because the unaligned such as us, fight against imperialism. We want peace. This new disposition of an American continent is captured and condensed into the cries which day after day is proclaimed by our masses as an irrefutable expression of their determination to fight; paralyzing the armed hand of the invader.

(The masses) proclaim that they count on the support and understanding of all the nations of the world, and especially the socialist forces lead by the Soviet Union. That proclamation is, "Country or Death! " (Applause) (Continued applause interspersed with yells of support.