Yankee imperialism has finally launched its armed attack against the Cuban Revolution. It has done so through its lackeys, armed to the teeth with the most modern weapons. The imperialist invaders set out from bases in the United States and in Guatemala, with all the aid, collaboration and protection of the U S armed forces.
This brutal and direct imperialist aggression was set up and organized from Washington and the Pentagon. They are the same ones who assassinated Lumumba and are trying to check and strangle the African revolution. They are the same ones who are committing provocations against China, arming the counter-revolution in Laos and in Vietnam, and organizing a counter-revolutionary world war against the U S S R, the other workers' states, and the colonial revolution.
Cuba has been attacked by imperialism for having courageously carried forward its revolution, expropriating the imperialist exploiters who for half a century have supported and financed sanguinary dictatorships in Cuba. Cuba has been attacked for having established the first workers' state in Latin America, overthrowing capitalism and imperialism. Castro has just confirmed this by declaring: "What the North Americans cannot forgive us is our having made a socialist revolution right under their noses."
The whole Cuban people is on a war footing and determined to exterminate the invaders. A worldwide mobilization is immediately necessary in support of the Cuban workers' state, in defense of revolutionary Cuba, to support by every means the Cuban masses' fight against the imperialist invaders. It is necessary to organize and channel the mighty wave of indignation that is surging up from the masses of the world in face of this criminal imperialist aggression.
The Fourth International calls on all workers' peoples', and anti-imperialist organizations, on workers' and anti-imperialist parties, on workers' and peasants' federations and unions in Latin America, Africa, Asia, in the workers' states, in Europe, and in the United States itself, to organize this mass protest. Just as the Cuban Labor Federation made an appeal at the time of Lumumba's assassination, it is necessary to organize on a world scale strikes of protest and in defense of invaded Cuba. Let the toilers of all countries show by strike action their determination and decision to paralyze and defeat imperialist aggression!
Great demonstrations by all the workers' and anti-imperialist organizations must be organized, which include the whole exploited population, to demonstrate in front of the embassies of Yankee imperialism, and to demand that the governments of all countries break off relations with the United States if the aggression against Cuba is not immediately stopped!
The sending of aid of every sort — weapons, supplies, etc. — to the Cuban workers' state must be organized. The demand must be raised that the governments of all countries struggling against imperialism offer to the Cuban government to send troops to defend the Cuban state! No dependence can be placed on the U N, agency of imperialism, which has fully shown in the Congo what its role really is. Troops and arms must be send directly!
Workers' and anti-imperialist organization and parties must immediately organize brigades, open recruting for volunteers to defend the Cuban Workers state!
The Fourth International calls on them to go out into the streets in all the cities of the world in defense of Cuba. Labor organizations must set a boycott on U S ships, U S labor organizations must prevent the sending of arms and supplies to the counter-revolutionary forces in Cuba.
It is necessary to connect up the mobilization for Cuba with the mass struggles in each country. In all Latin America, in the colonial and semi-colonial countries, support for the Cuban workers' state must take the form of following Cuba's example: organizing the expropriation and distribution of the land to the peasants, occupying and expropriating the imperialist enterprises, and expelling imperialism.
The Cuban masses have mobilized to crush the invaders. The active support of the world's masses will transform the aggression into a thorough defeat for imperialism, and will spur, all over the world, the advance of the forces of the socialist revolution.
For immediate and active support in every form for the Cuban workers' state against imperialist aggression!
For the crushing of the counter-revolutionary invasion!
Long live the solidarity of the world's masses with revolutionary Cuba!
THE INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT OF THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL
17 April 1961.
Text of cable filed 17 April by the International Secretariat
FIDEL CASTRO - PREMIERATO - LA HABANA - CUBA
Fourth International expresses complete and active solidarity with cuban workers' state against imperialist aggression.
FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT LIVIO MAITAN