Island of Freedom -- Report on the First Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, 1975

Vintage Leftist Leaflet Project

Leaflet: Island of Freedom -- Report on the First Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, 1975

Written in 1975 this is a firsthand report by South African Communist Essop Pahad of the First Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba in Havana, 1975. Pahad was the South African Communist Party writer for World Marxist Review at the time. 

The report touches on the internationalism and accomplishments of the Cuban Revolution as well as on the solidarity of the Socialist Bloc in support of it. Pahad, especially given the horrific situation in Apartheid South Africa, was very impressed by the steps that had been taken to fight racial inequality and injustice.

On this, the anniversary of the death of Fidel Castro, this passage is quite notable:

On December 22, the final day of the Congress, a mass rally, the "Congress of the People", was held at the Jose Marti Revolutionary Square in Havana. Attending the meeting were more than a million people. What an extraordinary achievement, since the total population of Cuba is only 9 million. This demonstrated in all its brilliant colours the great revolutionary enthusiasm of the people of Cuba. All around the square the facades of the surrounding buildings were displayed the emblem of the 1st Congress and portraits of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Marti, Maceo, Gomez, Beline, Mella, Camillo and Che.
As Fidel approached the podium, the vast crowd burst into great shouts of "Fidel", "Fidel", "Fidel hit the Yankees hard". 

We also look forward to the day the final words of the Congress' own report become true: "Capitalism has no future. The future belongs entirely to Socialism." 

( Picture above from our post: Revolutionary Cuba 1975: Sixteen Years of Socialist Construction Part III -- Photographs and History )

(click on images to enlarge)