Fidel Castro: What the Imperialists Cannot Forgive
On 16 April 1961, shortly before the United States’ Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, Fidel Castro proclaimed the “socialist” character of the Cuban revolution. Following the attack on Cuban airfields on 15 April 1961 to prepare the way for the Bay of Pigs invasion two days later, Fidel Castro gave a speech on 16 April to honour the seven Cubans killed during the attack.
Convinced that the expected attack was now imminent, Fidel Castro used this speech to prepare the Cuban people to repel the invaders. As part of this, he publicly announced for the first time the socialist character of the Cuban Revolution. That way, Cubans could go into battle under the banner of defending the socialist revolution. In his speech he said the following:
“Compatriots!
“What the imperialists cannot forgive is that we are here. What the imperialists cannot forgive is the dignity, the firmness, the courage, the ideological integrity, the spirit of sacrifice, and the revolutionary spirit of the Cuban people.
“This is what they cannot forgive: the fact that we are here right under their very noses. And that we have carried out a socialist revolution right under the nose of the United States!
“And we are defending this socialist revolution with these guns! We are defending this socialist revolution with the same courage that our anti-aircraft artillerymen showed yesterday in riddling the attacking planes with bullets!
