Raul Castro Headed Celebration on Cuba’s Day of Rebelliousness

Santa Clara, Cuba, 26 jul. – Cuban President Raul Castro today presided over the main event celebrating the 57th anniversary of the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes garrisons, the National Day of Rebelliousness.

However, the main speaker at the rally held in the Ernesto Che Guevara Memorial plaza was First Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, who expressed Cuba's unwavering solidarity with the people of Venezuela in the wake of threats against that sister nation's sovereignty.

Venezuela has every right to defend itself and will always have the firm support of all the Cuban people, Machado Ventura said in his speech.

He recalled that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was supposed to be at the rally but he could not attend because he is the commander of his people, who are ready to respond to the empire's threats against their national security and sovereignty.

Machado Ventura warned that the U.S. deployment of military bases in Colombia is a threat to regional peace.

More than 90,000 people attended the rally for the 57th anniversary of the attacks on the Moncada and the Carlos Manuel de Cespedes garrisons led by Fidel Castro on July 26, 1953, which became the spark that triggered the last phase of Cuba's liberation struggles.

Machado Ventura noted that Cuba dedicated this celebration to Simon Bolivar, the Liberator, and the bicentennial of the start of the struggles for the independence of Our America.

The rally was attended by Venezuela's delegation to a Cuba-Venezuela summit to discuss taking links to a higher level, consolidate the unity between both countries, and to verify the implementation of mutually beneficial projects.(Prensa Latina)