Message from Fidel to the economists

Compañeros economists of the CIEM:

In relation to Resolution 1929

ON June 27, 2010, in a message sent in relation to Resolution 1929 of the UN Security Council of June 9, 2010, I expressed to its addressee the following:

"There is only one thing that we can be sure of. This time Cuba will be far from being attacked with weapons of that kind, and the rest of Latin America from the north of Mexico to Cape Horn.

"When the nuclear fire, which will necessarily be brief, has been extinguished, one can talk of the postwar crisis that will immediately come.

"Everything would seem like a fantasy as it was, when by a pure miracle, Cuba escaped from a nuclear attack in October, 1962.

"…one will not be able to talk of capitalism or socialism. Only that a stage of the administration of goods and services available in this part of the continent will open up. Inevitably, each country will continue to be governed by those who are currently leading the government, a number of them very close to socialism and others full of euphoria at the prospect of a world market now opening for fuel, uranium, copper, lithium, aluminum, iron and other metals that are currently being sent to the developed and rich countries in that world market, which will suddenly disappear.

"In such circumstances, the most basic products required in order to live: foodstuffs, water, fuels and the resources of the hemisphere to the south of the United States, are there in abundance for maintaining a little bit of civilization, the uncontrolled advances of which have led humanity to such a disaster."

I am aware that some compañeros are seriously concerned that I am risking my credibility by affirming something as important as a conflict that would inevitably become nuclear.

That is what I have been saying since, on June 1, 2010, I informed of the grave danger posed to humanity that began with the sinking of the Cheonan, the flagship of the South Korean Navy.

For me, the most important thing is that our people should be well informed of grave dangers that are threatening us, not my personal credibility.

I have asked compañero Osvaldo to call together in this headquarters today, Tuesday, July 13, the outstanding group of economists, so that I could meet with them and ask them to undertake a work of "science fiction" – let’s describe it that way – in order to ponder and analyze these delicate issues for four hours per day over the next 10 days, with the objective of responding to one question: what should the countries of "Our America" do if a situation such as the one that I explained in quotation marks is produced?

Evidently, it is about promoting a new civilization, based on the colossal scientific knowledge that our species now possesses, in order that the unrepeatable is not reproduced, something that, in my opinion, will happen.

I also asked Osvaldo to give you all a copy of these words.

On the basis of information that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had in its possession, I stated to various ambassadors located in key countries and to four Latin American presidents that, in my judgment, the conflict would break out, starting Thursday, Friday or Saturday at the latest.

My explicable bitterness is due to the fact I was working with official information which, by not including two long final paragraphs, led me to the error in the Reflection of July 4 and would have dealt an irreparable blow to my credibility at this decisive historic moment, and which I noticed on Sunday, July 11 at around 11:00 a.m.

I have also asked Osvaldo to distribute among the economists a copy of this message and add a copy of the written text of the documentary Home, by French director Yann Arthus-Bertrand, made by a select international group of the most eminent and well informed figures, on the other terrible threat to our species: the destruction of the environment before our very eyes.

Alternatives still exist which leave a margin for hope, if we are capable of opting for them.