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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Díaz Canel: "We are making
history every day, right now"</h1>
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<p class="gmail-g-story-description">Speech by the
President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez,
at the closing of the Sixth Ordinary Session of the
National Assembly of People's Power in its 10th
Legislature</p>
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<p><span class="gmail-g-story-author">Author: <a
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title="Más artículos de Wennys Diaz Ballaga"
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<p><span class="gmail-g-story-author">Author: <a
href="http://en.granma.cu/archivo?a=2465"
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title="Más artículos de Carmen Maturell Senon"
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<p><span class="gmail-g-story-author">Author: <a
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title="Más artículos de Susana Antón"
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class="gmail-byline-author">Susana Antón</span></a>
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Dec. 19, 2025</div>
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<p>"Only a genuine assembly of the people is capable
of facing the colossal challenges facing the
nation at this moment with a sense of urgency,
serenity, realism, and commitment, and of
projecting itself into the future."</p>
<p> This was stated by the First Secretary of the
Central Committee of the Party and President of
the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, when he
spoke at the closing of the Sixth Ordinary Session
of the National Assembly of People's Power in its
Tenth Legislature, at which time he also thanked
everyone for the profound, responsible, and
concise debates "that allowed us to address
crucial issues of our reality."</p>
<p> He added that "today we have discussed and
approved the Economic Plan, the Budget, the
Government Program to correct distortions and
boost the economy, the Law on Science, Technology
and Innovation, among other issues. All of them
are connected by a challenging set of tasks
necessary to address the country's current
situation and the risks and threats looming over
the Latin American and Caribbean region, he said.</p>
<p> "We are living in an extremely complex moment
for the economy and the daily life of the people,
which demands deeper, faster, and more responsible
responses. This is not just another crisis.</p>
<p> "It is the accumulation of distortions,
adversities, difficulties, and mistakes of our own
making due to an extremely aggressive external
siege, in an uncertain and dangerous context for
the objectives of protecting peace, promoting
cooperation, and advancing social justice, among
other vital issues on the international agenda.</p>
<p> "This context has also become dangerous for the
survival of multilateralism, international law,
the United Nations Charter, and the norms and
practices on which international relations have
been based for eight decades.</p>
<p> "This threat is manifested in a unique way in
impunity because the crime of genocide against the
Palestinian people has been and continues to be
allowed.</p>
<p> "It is also expressed in the new doctrine
promoted by the United States, which they call,
with outrageous impotence, peace through strength,
but which in essence consists of imposing on
everyone the arbitrary will and domination of US
imperialism through threats and even direct
aggression."</p>
<p> The recently published U.S. national security
strategy leaves no doubt about its hegemonic
ambitions against the peoples and nations of our
America, ignoring and endangering the region as a
zone of peace, firmly and officially proclaimed
since 2014, Díaz-Canel said.</p>
<p> President Trump, he denounced, openly declares
the U.S.'s intention to appropriate the resources
and natural wealth that belong to sovereign
nations in the western territory and their
respective peoples. This explains the push for
plans to establish U.S. military bases in various
countries.</p>
<p> "The exaggerated and aggressive military
presence in the Caribbean Sea and the growing and
provocative threats against Venezuela with such
untenable pretexts that change in a matter of
hours.</p>
<p> "The Secretary of State, the Secretary of War,
and other shady characters involved in dirty wars
against the region have managed to corner the U.S.
foreign policy apparatus in a conflict that
appears to have no way out and no solution. The
threat of open or covert war against Venezuela is
a serious violation of international law.</p>
<p> He referred to the assault and hijacking of a
fuel tanker and the illegal appropriation of its
cargo, the nearly 100 extrajudicial executions
carried out in full view of the world with air
strikes against ships on the high seas, and the
provocative incursions of U.S. warplanes into
Venezuelan airspace.</p>
<p> "This is a brutal and risky wartime measure
against a country that poses no danger to them. It
shows the impotent desperation of those who have
bet on the surrender of that sister nation in the
face of the violent and ruthless offensive of a
clique that has taken over U.S. foreign and
hemispheric policy.</p>
<p> "At the recent ALBA summit, we had the
opportunity to reaffirm our condemnation in the
strongest and most categorical terms of the
threats and aggressive actions against the sister
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Cuba's
absolute support and solidarity with that Latin
American and Caribbean nation.</p>
<p> In an almost parallel manner, and for much
longer, Cuba has also been subjected to relentless
economic aggression with a criminal
intensification of the blockade and the
unjustified inclusion of the country on the
arbitrary list of states that allegedly sponsor
terrorism.</p>
<p> The direct and indirect actions promoted by the
U.S. government aimed at interfering with domestic
macroeconomic performance, promoting inflation,
and substantially depressing the purchasing power
of the population are evident.</p>
<p> The Head of State pointed out that the
imperialist leadership has continued to use its
monopoly power over the media and the
technological infrastructure of digital networks
to promote despair and disenchantment, as well as
to disorient and confuse, "fuel speculation and
erode confidence in the leadership of the
Revolution by thoroughly attacking the emotional
fiber of the Cuban nation."</p>
<p> Even under these conditions and in this year of
great challenges, the country's prestige and
history of solidarity were evident.</p>
<p> He added that the United Nations General
Assembly resolution once again called for an end
to the blockade and received overwhelming support
from the international community, despite the
dirty tactics and brutal pressure from the U.S.
government and the fallacies they spread about
Cuba, some of which were repeated.</p>
<p> Díaz-Canel highlighted that it has been a year
of conscious mobilization by solidarity groups
with Cuba, political forces, popular movements,
and civil society organizations in all latitudes
on ongoing issues, thus expanding ties in various
regions of the world and directing foreign policy
to expand trade links and investment
opportunities.</p>
<p> He said that relations with Cubans living in
other countries continue to strengthen, with whom,
in the year that is coming to an end, contacts
have been expanded, as has their participation in
national events and their involvement in
commercial, economic, and development projects for
the good of our society.</p>
<p> "In analyzing the current situation in the
country, we have been realistic and self-critical,
but we have also reaffirmed our confidence in the
Cuban people's capacity for resistance and
victory. The homeland does not surrender."</p>
<p> Today we conclude an intense working session, he
pointed out, one that is profound and of vital
importance for the present and future of the
nation. We have addressed, with the revolutionary
approach that characterizes us, core issues that
touch the heart of the socialist project that we
defend and build together. No one in Cuba needs to
be told that the economy is under strain.</p>
<p> "The magnitude of the crisis is recognized,
reality is not glossed over, and at the same time,
the political will to change what needs to be
changed in order to defend social justice and
national sovereignty is reaffirmed."</p>
<p> Díaz-Canel insisted that the transformations
that must be made are not only structural but also
of mentality.</p>
<p> "The only limit to flexibility is that which
threatens our principles, self-determination,
sovereignty, and national independence; beyond
that, we must increasingly and fearlessly promote
an initiative that helps us overcome the powerful
obstacles placed by the enemy and move forward,"
he said.</p>
<p> The president stressed that we are all writing
history right now.</p>
<p> He highlighted the political will to prioritize
attention to the people, investment in strategic
areas, and the constant search for efficiency.</p>
<p> He acknowledged the enormous difficulties facing
the country, aggravated by an economic blockade
that affects us all, saying, "Our response is
greater creativity, greater discipline, and
greater control."</p>
<p> He stressed that by 2026, there will be a set of
actions that seek to prioritize food production by
guaranteeing basic inputs and, above all,
generating real incentives.</p>
<p> He said that investments and operational
solutions in the national electricity system are
being accelerated, combining the repair of
thermoelectric plants and greater efficiency with
the growth of renewable energies.</p>
<p> Likewise, the allocation of foreign currency is
regulated and made transparent so as to favor
sectors that substitute imports and supply the
domestic market with their own production, giving
real autonomy to socialist state-owned enterprises
to increase productivity and efficiency by
demanding measurable results without tolerating
inertia or immobility.</p>
<p> He added that, from the Assembly, we must demand
that every peso in the budget be backed by
productive or social support, which represents the
priority of health, education, social security,
and protection for the most vulnerable.</p>
<p> The president called for a drastic reduction in
unproductive spending, projects that do not add
value, and structures that do not generate
results.</p>
<p> "Let the territories take greater responsibility
for revenue collection and the efficient use of
resources. It is not a question of adjusting for
the sake of adjusting, it is a question of
adjusting in order to continue redistributing
fairly."</p>
<p> In this regard, he said that at the center of
the debates is the Government Program to correct
distortions in the economy, "a revolutionary
necessity to perfect socialism under construction,
to make it more prosperous, sustainable, and
fair."</p>
<p> He added that while some measures may have a
major impact on daily life, inaction would be the
greatest danger.</p>
<p> "We must put order where there is disorder,
properly value our work, stimulate productive
effort, and put a stop to illegalities and
imbalances."</p>
<p> This program, he said, is a call for the
conscious participation of all Cubans, so that
each one, from their position, can be a
protagonist of rectification and progress.</p>
<p> For this reason, he said, prices and rates must
be regulated, the exchange rate chaos must be
addressed, the relationship between the state and
non-state sectors must be improved, production
must be encouraged, and those who have the least
must be protected.</p>
<p> Meanwhile, the approved program seeks "precisely
to correct distortions, strengthen the socialist
state enterprise as an engine of development, and
open the way to all forms of history that
contribute to the collective well-being."</p>
<p> Regarding the recently approved Science,
Technology, and Innovation Law, the Head of State
said that this is an essential legal instrument
for charting the path toward technological
sovereignty and the development we need. "We must
make science and innovation the driving force
behind every sector of society," he stressed.</p>
<p> This law is a firm step in that direction so
that the knowledge created by our talented people
can be translated into solutions, efficiency, and
well-being. Science cannot remain in laboratories;
it must be converted into practical solutions for
production, energy, health, and the daily lives of
the people, he said.</p>
<p> He stressed that the country does not have
infinite reserves of material resources, but it
does have reserves of scientific, technical, and
academic talent that are not always exploited.
"Key economic decisions must be based on evidence,
studies, moderation, and impact assessment. It is
essential to bridge the gap between research and
production," he remarked.</p>
<p> "Universities, businesses, and territories must
be part of the same innovative cycle. Innovation
is not only technological, but also
organizational, managerial, and involves popular
participation, communication, and social control.
Science and innovation must cease to be a
complement and become the engines of the economic
change we need."</p>
<p> The challenges facing Cuba in 2025 and 2026 will
only be resolved through concrete work, systematic
control, and active popular participation. The
11th Plenary Session and this very session of the
assembly agree on one idea. It is not enough to
approve, we must comply, and it is not enough to
comply, we must be accountable.</p>
<p> From this assembly, we must make several
political commitments, strengthen the bond between
each representative and their constituents by
communicating, listening, explaining, and
gathering concrete proposals to inform public
policy.</p>
<p> The decision to postpone the 9th Party Congress
cannot be seen as a setback, he said. It is a
necessary and timely decision that will allow us
to unite our forces, improve the situation of the
nation, increase the confidence of the people, and
create the conditions to consolidate the
construction of socialism, as enshrined in the
Constitution. "That is what the Army General has
called us to do," he said.</p>
<p> He emphasized that this decision will be an
opportunity to dedicate 2026 to recovering as much
as possible and to making progress in fulfilling
our commitments. It will also allow us to
implement the adjustments we need to make in the
structures of the Party, the Government, and the
State to facilitate the exchanges of opinions and
criteria that this process demands.</p>
<p> "All the forces and energies of the Party, the
state, and the government, together with the
people, must be devoted to improving the situation
in the country," he insisted.</p>
<p> He argued that we must continue to move forward
in implementing the approved economic measures
with discipline and control, strengthening
attention to the territories affected by natural
disasters, promoting the participation of youth in
all areas of national life, intensifying the
ideological, cultural, and communications battle,
and defending the truth about Cuba in the face of
manipulation and misinformation.</p>
<p> During this period, the popular debate on the
government program must also be completed and
actions to achieve its objectives must continue to
be implemented.</p>
<p> In addition, he added that work will continue on
the drafting of documents that, after popular
consultation, will be debated in Congress and are
already well advanced.</p>
<p> "It is now up to us to turn what we have
approved here into reality. May every law, every
plan, and every budget be translated into tangible
actions in the lives of the people.</p>
<p> "May science and innovation be translated into
concrete solutions, may the economy regain its
vitality without compromising social justice. Let
us never neglect unity, the apple of our eye, as
the Army General and Leader of the Revolution,
Comrade Raúl, has called it. Indeed, it is our
greatest strength in the face of all threats.</p>
<p> "We trust in our capacity for revolutionary
offensive, in our resistance, and in our
creativity.</p>
<p> "This will be the real test of our shared and
assumed commitment, the true measure of the
transformative power of this parliament and the
vitality of the Revolution in Cuba."</p>
<p> "Here, in the National Assembly, the Assembly of
the people of Cuba with its young talents, its
women and men from the most visible professions
and trades, white, black, mulatto, seasoned in a
thousand battles, critical and committed, that of
the Cuban Revolution, alive and active.</p>
<p> "The greatest proof of its existence is
precisely the determined efforts of its enemies to
suffocate it and destroy it down to its very
foundations. This assembly has the honor of
presenting a proposal of profound patriotic and
revolutionary significance."</p>
<p> "Inspired by the legacy and precedent of our
leader and the call for unity and continuity,
reflecting the sentiment expressed in these times
by many compatriots, we propose that the year 2026
be officially named: the Year of the Centennial of
Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz."</p>
<p> "It will be a year to study his thinking more
deeply, to emulate his example of tireless work,
fidelity to principles, and absolute confidence in
the people and in the victory of ideas."</p>
<p> Díaz-Canel said that we will not lower our
guard, we will deepen the ideological and cultural
battle, and we will work tirelessly for the
sovereign and prosperous country that this people
deserves.</p>
<p> "The task is complex, but the will of this
people is invincible," he said.</p>
<p> He pointed out that the ANPP, united in its
determination to save independence, sovereignty,
and the Revolution from the many dangers that
threaten us today, cannot be separated from the
history that brought us here, overcoming trials
that seemed impossible.</p>
<p> "May 2026, the centenary year of Commander Fidel
Castro Ruz, find us more united than ever," he
concluded.</p>
<p><img
src="http://en.granma.cu/file/img/2025/12/medium/f0040023.jpg" alt=""
class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img" width="381"
height="504" style="margin-right: 0px;"
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<strong>Photo: </strong><span>José Manuel Correa</span>
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