"THIS Congress has become, given the richness of its debate and convening power, an unprecedented event honoring our Cuban culture and also, as you stated, our Comandante en Jefe (Fidel Castro), who is present here with his ideas and is a point of reference at all times."

First Vice President Miguel Díaz-Canel referred in this way to the intense debates and reflections which characterized the 2nd Hermanos Saíz Association (AHS) Congress held at Havana’s International Convention Center October 17th through the 20th, National Culture Day.

Addressing the 300 Congress delegates, Díaz-Canel conveyed greetings and congratulations from President Raúl Castro Ruz, who was leading a Council of Ministers meeting, "which explains why he cannot be here with us, although he has attentively followed the debates throughout these days."

President Raúl Castro had attended the Congress Gala at the National Museum of Fine Arts, celebrating the 27th anniversary of the AHS, during which the distinction Teacher of Youth was awarded to eight notable Cuban artists.

They were musicians Digna Guerra and Wilfredo (Pachy) Naranjo; visual artists Lesbia Vent Dumois and Nelson Domínguez; filmmaker Tulio Raggi; architect Mario Coyula; theater director Carlos Díaz; and writer Nancy Morejón, National Literature Prize winner. She affirmed, "The fact will not go unnoticed because, each one in his or her occupation, all of them have displayed an appreciable work, recognizable not only by the characteristics of its expression, but because, in the majority of cases, these creators have succeeded in creating a style based on the greatest need for human communication, while forging this sense of belonging and service to the culture of the Cuban nation in its purest historical tradition, of which we are an indelible, honorable part. Your maxim, our maxim, has been to bear in mind that art, in large or small letters, may have no homeland, but artists do."

"Creating our works, undertaking them, profiling them, we have learned, we have received the best lessons with you. These, our works, working for ideals of justice, without fatuous fire, without pomp, without false pride, are directed toward the youngest, indicating, all of them, the road toward the best future of Cuba, all of them pronouncing this inexhaustible word, old, young, unique, the words: Thank you."

The final session was honored with the presence of Esther Montes de Oca, mother of the brothers Luis and Sergio Saíz, murdered by a Batista dictatorship henchman August 13, 1957, and from whom the association takes its name.

The AHS, created in 1986, is an organization with cultural and artistic ends which brings together, selectively and voluntarily, the most important young writers, artists, intellectuals and arts promoters, up to 35 years of age, from throughout the country.

Presidential Advisor Abel Prieto also addressed the plenary session, summarizing the delegates’ speeches, and affirming that they represent the continuity of Cuban culture, intimately committed to the project begun by the founders of the new Cuba in 1959.

The new AHS presidency was presented: Rubiel García, national president, and Samuel Fonseca, Rafael González and Yansert Fraga as vice presidents.

The new leadership honored the outgoing members of the AHS council and national leadership, in particular, Luis Morlote, for his contributions to the Association and the energy he gave to the creativity of young artists.

Via Miguel Díaz-Canel, delegates to the Congress sent Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro a work by Raúl Martínez, as a sign of affection for the leader of the Revolution. For President Raúl Castro, there was an unpublished photograph of him giving a lecture in the Casa de las Américas, in September of 1959.

"Along with the image, there is a reproduction of that memorable address on the relations between Cuba and the rest of Latin America in the field of culture, the validity of which remains intact," Morlote noted.

In his speech closing the Congress, Díaz-Canel emphasized that imperialism’s principal instrument of domination is cultural and informative, which has allowed the crushing prevalence of products from the entertainment industry and the media machine at its service.

"Humanity is suffering a large scale cultural colonization operation in an attempt to impose unjust civilizing models, a fact which was observed early on by José Martí. Cuba is subjected to the influence of hegemonic cultural and informational models, compounded by specific subversion plans against the Revolution, fundamentally directed toward young people and to destroying its intellectual movement, you, with the objective of separating us from all social intentions and concerns," Díaz-Canel noted.

"For this reason, it is so important for us to have a youth artistic vanguard represented in the Hermanos Saíz Association, which can make decisive contributions in the cultural battle in the face of a global colonizing project and subversive attempts by the historic enemy of the Revolution."

The Cuban Vice President affirmed that the role of AHS youth is to contribute from the cultural arena to the perfecting of a prosperous and sustainable socialist society, distinguished not by material possessions, but by its wealth of knowledge, culture and sensitivity. "It is about trying to attain economic and social development and growth, but with one’s heart full of solidarity, honesty, love and respect. And this is achieved by saving culture, which is, at the same time, saving the homeland, the Revolution and socialism.

"This is a strategic battle, not an interim one. We are called upon to be constantly more comprehensive in the defense of our national identity and in the promotion of authentic Cuban cultural values, in young people and in those who teach them, and in the best of universal culture and the enrichment of the spiritual life of an entire people. Also in the workplace, so that our history reaches the new generations in an amenable and effective way."

He emphasized that the Association must make a contribution to confronting indecency, exceedingly bad taste and pseudo-culture, marginal conduct, violent attitudes, as Raúl has urged everyone to do in his speeches, given that the foregoing reflect a lack of culture. "We need our people to be more cultured in the broadest sense of the term, and for that we need the involvement of the family, the community, educational and cultural institutions and the media."

Díaz-Canel emphasized that institutional cultural leaders must maintain a dialogue with the AHS and never assume defensive or bureaucratic attitudes. At the same time the Association must continue working to cultivate among its members the capacity for dialogue with the country’s institutions on the basis of rigor, a sense of responsibility and revolutionary commitment.

"What is needed at this moment is a fresher and more revolutionary way of thinking in terms of cultural promotion to achieve greater results, and to propose new formulas. An organization like the Hermanos Saíz Association can help significantly in preparing that worthwhile task."

"Creators must be supported," he said, "and we cannot permit that valuable and honest creators distance themselves from our cultural institutions because of bureaucratic errors. The Hermanos Saíz Association must work every day for the unity of our youth cultural movement and to avoid divisions that the enemy is trying to foment."