The Fourth International hails the latest and very great advances of the Cuban revolution, which, by nationalizing hundreds of great enterprises, has struck an enormous blow against capitalism as well as imperialism and has opened the way to workers', socialist, planning of the Cuban economy.
Imperialism in desperation wants by any means whatever to break the powerful revolutionary drive of the Cuban workers and people. To defend its own interests and the capitalist system in Cuba, the United States has decreed an economic blockade against the island, is organizing armed attacks and provocative naval manœuvres, and is preparing military invasion in order to drown the revolution in blood.
The Cuban people are on a war footing against imperialism. To defend their anti-capitalist conquests, the Cuban workers and peasants have mobilized their militia and are prepared to throw the invaders back into the sea with the same revolutionary ardor with which they carried out the agrarian reform and nationalized the big enterprises.
Together with the Cuban people, the masses of Latin America stand vigilant.
If the Yankee imperialists and their Latin American agents have not yet dared to invade Cuba, it is in fear of the gigantic mobilization of the masses which its aggression would set loose in Latin America, where they run the risk of seeing mobilizations and insurrections spring up from the Río Grande to Tierra del Fuego.
But the needs of imperialism drive it increasingly to intervene in Cuba. Both presidential candidates have said so. Imperialism cannot impassively stand by while an anti-capitalist revolution is developing that sets an example which all the Latin American masses are passionately watching.
The indirect threat of Soviet missiles is a serious support for Cuba. But the fundamental, most decisive, and surest guarantee for the Cuban revolution in 1960, as it was for the Russian Revolution in 1917, is the mobilization of the masses of the world in its defense, and the internal development of the revolution building a workers' and peasants' government.
The latest and great advances of the revolution in Cuba must be completed by the setting up of committees of workers and peasants who administer the economy, plan development, and govern the country, from one end of the island to the other. The Cuban government must base itself on these people's organs of government and on the development of the armed militia that would transform Cuba into a people in arms. Planning of the nationalized economy and its administration by the toilers themselves, together with trade and exchange of every sort with the U S S R, China, and the other workers' states, will consolidate in Cuba a workers' and peasants' government that no force in the world can upset.
The Fourth International calls on the masses of Latin America and of the world to organize the defense of the Cuban revolution.
It calls on the workers of all countries to break the blockade set up by imperialism against Cuba. Longshoremen's and seamen's unions must organize the shipments necessary for Cuba. The trade-union organizations of Latin America must intervene and reëxport from their countries the goods destined for Cuba which imperialism is not allowing to reach it. They must refuse to unload in other ports the same North American goods that the United States refuses to send to Cuba. The trade-union organizations and workers' parties of Latin America must organize in their countries protest strikes and boycotts at the imperialist firms which are today blockading Cuba.
The Fourth International calls on Socialist and Communist workers' parties, on labor, peasant, student, and anti-imperialist organizations throughout the world, to organize mass meetings, demonstrations, and committees in defense of revolutionary Cuba. In all countries, the already commenced mobilization of the masses through their organizations must hold back the aggressive hand of imperialism against the Cuban revolution.
The Fourth International calls on the North American workers to repudiate the treacherous attitude of their leaders allied to imperialism, and to support their Cuban brothers, breaking the blockade and preventing the aggression against Cuba.
Forty-three years ago, the solidarity of the world proletariat and the heroic fight of the Soviet masses saved the October Revolution and opened to humanity the era of socialism.
Today, a mobilization of solidarity by the world masses and the revolutionary fight of the Cuban masses will defeat imperialist aggression against the Cuban revolution, vanguard of the colonial revolution in the world, and will ensure its workers' and socialist development.
THE INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT OF THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL
7 November 1960