(JANUARY 31, 2003)


Dear FAR comrades:

      I want to take this opportunity to send you my warmest greetings in this New Year hoping that very soon we may enjoy a homeland truly free and independent under a lasting national reconciliation atmosphere.

    To begin with, we would like to submit a brief recount of the different missions performed by FAR during the past years, the tasks standing before us, and the obstacles and difficulties that must be faced.

    Far before the collapse of the defeated communist world, in the beginning of the nineties, Raul Castro (minister of the Armed Forces) started with FAR an experiment designed to create a Market economy in our country. Fidel Castro was not initially enthusiastic.  The project, called øManagerial Improvement", was put under Julio Casas Regueiros who was then a Division general. What motivated Cuba�s high command to embark on this experiment using FAR as the guinea pig?

    After the death of Leonid Breshnev in 1979 the following soviet administrations started to seriously consider the enormous lien that subsidizing a bottomless pit represented to the already damaged soviet economy. During this period the bilateral relationships deteriorated considerably: The soviets support to the Nito Alves insurrection in Angola behind the Cuban Government�s back.  The unilateral Cuban actions in Africa as well as in Central America. The soviet invasion of Afghanistan without letting Cuba knows first (Fidel Castro was President of the Movement of Non Aligned Countries). The Soviet Union failure to adhere to the supplies and refurbishing of FAR�s weapons five year plan. 

     In order to give an idea of the size of the resulting military reduction consider that Cuba was to receive, according to the plan signed by both parties, a regiment of MIG 29�s (36 airplanes). Nevertheless, in 1985 the soviets indicated they could only deliver 4 airplanes. To top it all the military coordination with soviet assessors of FAPLA in Angola with Cuban troops were totally severed with the arrival of Army General Konstantinov. The problem, of course, was not Konstantinov who was following instructions from the soviet government.  This situation was aggravated by the insoluble economic problems of not only the USSR but also the whole communist camp. By this time both Fidel and Raul Castro knew perfectly well that the communist economy was in ruins, that their experiment had failed, and that the USSR was on its way to disappear and that Cuba would have to fend for itself. The destruction of the USSR and of the whole socialist camp was not a surprise to the country�s high leadership.  They needed an expiatory lamb and the destruction of the USSR has been the excuse used to justify the fiasco of the brothers Castro�s attempt to govern.

    Why does the failed Cuban directive decide to utilize FAR as guinea pig in order to initiate the transformation to a capitalist market economy? Where did the ideological principles of Marxism- Leninism go? What new roads are Fidel and Raul Castro proposing to take in order to pull the Cuban people from their present misery and desperation? Is the solution is to go back to capitalism? How can they explain to the Cuban people that it has taken them 43 years of poverty, hunger, rationing, and desperation in order to start anew where we should have continued in 1959? Any conscientious leader, who has within his power the destiny of a whole country and uses such power to ruin his people in this fashion, would have put a bullet to his head, if he had a grain of dignity. But for this you need a conscience and dignity qualities lacking on these characters.

     FAR has been used as a guinea pig for the implementation of a new economic system because according to Raul Castro�s criterion when playing with fire one must start where it is more difficult to get burned. FAR�s trustfulness, discipline, efficiency and prestige coupled with the mighty internal repressive machine of the military counterintelligence made FAR the ideal laboratory.

     Before 1990 FAR had been reduced by almost a 60%.  Military bases like Santa Clara and the Aviation School were completely closed.  25,000 of FAR�s civil workers were terminated and thousand of officers forced to retire.

     As a result of the popular demonstrations of Regla and other Cuban cities in 1993 and the øMaleconazo" in 1994, Fidel Castro, overwhelmed by the difficult situation, had no alternative but to agree to extend the Managerial Improvement project to the country�s remaining businesses.  

    Last year (2001) approximately over 70% of the country�s existing industries were in the improvement process. At this pace probably very soon the whole country will be functioning under a capitalist economic system.

    It is at this point that the first big question arises: The Marxist-Leninist theory presupposes the creation of a proletariat dictatorship in order to construct a socialist system. This dictatorship is able then to impose its authority and destroy the dominating burgess class.  The Castro brothers created the proletariat dictatorship, destroyed the burgess class, and with them the economic system existing then. Now after 43 years they conclude that their system did not work, the expected paradise did not materialize, and the task of constructing a new capitalism is started. How is the dictatorship justified now? How is the suppression of our citizens� rights justified? How are the abuses and social injustices justified? Ah, now, according to the Castro brothers the dictatorship is needed, paradoxically, in order to suppress the dispossessed classes. By repressing the dispossessed classes social peace will be maintained allowing everything to be put back in order. What infamy! What nerve!

     Brothers of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and of the Interior Ministry, we are Cuban military men and women, originally from FAR, who did not want to continue to be accomplices of the autocracy that has destroyed our country. We are presently exiled and have united our efforts to other Cubans, also military men and women from other periods of time that were exiled before us. Together we are organized in order to offer you our modest help when our country and you decide to initiate a true reconstruction free of the autocracy responsible of all that is presently wrong in Cuba.

    The best of this union with military personnel of different times is that today we can sit down together and discuss, as brothers, our Homeland�s problems. Men that were adversaries and fought against each other in another time of our history are now able to communicate. This demonstration of civility tells us that the reconciliation of our people is possible. Past the hate, and ill feelings which the Governing Autocracy is continuously attempting to bring to the heart of all Cubans.

     The Cuban military men and women (of different times) are today united under the Cuban-American Military Counsel (CAMCO). We have accumulated very valuable experiences through the long years on which we have worked under various economic conditions. Many have worked in the United States Armed forces in which they obtained prominent ranks and positions. This very valuable experience is available to you when the National Reconstruction moment arrives.

     We have been able to organize our lives and to keep our families decently through our individual efforts in this country. We do want neither power nor richness. The greatest richness is to know life made us right. Nevertheless, the enormous experience potential on the military, scientific, technical, and managerial areas that the comrades of the Cuban-American Military Counsel (CAMCO) possess is available to you. It is improbable that a Mexican, Spaniard, French or mercenary øgringo" will offer you the disinterested help that your same blood wants to offer to you.

    This is why the autocracy of the governing brothers much rather deals with this kind of people. This is why the governing autocracy keeps thousand of retired FAR members excluded. The only possibilities they have to make a living is as taxi drivers and other occupations that hardly allow them to bring a peace of bread to their families.

    Comrades of FAR, brothers, the manner of capitalist market economy proposed by Fidel and Raul with the participation of only the elite and excluding the remaining Cuban population will never be successful. A true market economy is based, primarily, in the concept of free enterprise. Anything else will result in the most brutal capitalist-autocratic exploitation in the history of our Homeland.

     There are many rumors surrounding Fidel: that he suffers intestinal cancer, that he suffers of a terminal cardiac sickness, that he has had a multitude of small brain hemorrhages etc, etc. The frontier between reality and rumor is not clear due to secrecy surrounding these issues.

     The truth of the matter is that the reaction of his inner circle when he fainted at øEl Cotorro" and Raul�s frequent references to the succession indicate that Fidel�s death is expected but not necessarily immediately. A quasi-succession option may develop as the obvious loss of his faculties worsens: mental lapses, difficulty to find his thoughts while delivering his speeches, speech impediments, etc. until he becomes a useless icon. The members of his court will then take him out in processions for as long as he lives. The older among us remember how Mao-Tse-Tung used to be taken to the stand on a platform propelled by roller skates, and with a gadget attached to his arm in order allow him to greet the people. We can only imagine now the next sad spectacle.

    The succession by Raul, his health and his vodka permitting, would be the continuation of the same ills.

    Fidel speaking with Mexican reporters in Havana on January 17, 2002 said that he was preparing a monarchy for Cuba. Many took this statement as a joke but that is truly the way, maybe with another name, that these characters want to take after destroying our country.

    Brothers of the FAR, never before has been the end nearer in four decades of nightmares. The future of our Nation depends on the Cuban people and on you. Dawn is always brighter after a long night.