This is indeed a rare treat: Not only hearing Che in his own words, but speaking excellent French as well. A summary of the contents of this short interview, courtesy Aporrea:
Cuban television aired a previously unseen interview with the legendary Argentine-Cuban revolutionary, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, recorded on April 11, 1964 by Jean Demur, a journalist for Swiss Radio and Television (RTS).
The interview, which has not been broadcast until now, came to light on the 89th anniversary of the Latin-American leader’s birth, on June 14.
In the 9-minute interview, recorded in French in the Hotel Intercontinental in Geneva, Guevara speaks of Cuban relations with the United States, of Latin America, of the Soviet Union, and of diplomacy, as well as the internal economic situation of the land, among other things.
Asked by the journalist as to whether anything had changed in the US’s attitude toward Cuba, Che Guevara said: “In every case, we don’t set our position [by] watching and listening to what the US is doing. We make our [own] international policy.”
Regarding the economic blockade imposed by the US upon Cuba, the commander underscored that “it is really an absolute failure”, because his country, although with difficulty, succeeded in ridding itself of dependency on Washington and has begun to increase its own production due to the embargo, for example, in the mechanical sector.
Of the economic situation in his country, the revolutionary ideologue admitted that “one can never be satisfied”, and that Cuba aspires “to much more”. However, he added that “every day, one can see concretely what we are doing”, which, he said, “is encouraging for the people.”
Translation mine.
Given that Donnie Drumpf has just pissed on the considerable progress his predecessor, Barack Obama, made in US-Cuba relations, what Che says — just five years after winning the Cuban Revolutionary War! — about the anticipated failure of the blockade is indeed prescient. The blockade has not starved Cuba out; Cuba still survives and remains independent…and defiantly socialist. The next US president will have to rebuild relations all over again, or run aground (as all previous ones dating back to Eisenhower) have done on its own ignorant blockade.
Cuba, meanwhile, has adapted, and with or without a Castro at the helm, Cuba is not going anywhere, and neither is Cuban socialism. Everything Cuba has, it has fought for and won the hard way. It hasn’t been easy (and the Special Period is proof of that), but Cuba’s self-sufficiency is proven, and its advances in science, medicine, and even organic farming have given the world to understand that socialism is not a failed ideology, but a working one. And one that is capable of remarkable achievements, including a “green revolution” AND a vaccine against lung cancer.
The world has much to learn from Cuba’s working socialism, and many countries are benefiting from it, whether or not the gringos next door are paying attention. The smart ones already are. Unfortunately, the epitome of Gringolandian Hardcore Stupid is currently squatting in the White House. But since Cuba is used to biding its time and continuing its toil, I have no doubt that they will last this idiot out as well.
