Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel highlighted the loyalty and dedication to the country of Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés, during the memorial service held on Thursday at the Mausoleum of the Las Villas Front.
Speaking at the solemn ceremony held at the Ernesto Che Guevara Sculptural Complex, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba affirmed that Valdés’ life is inextricably linked to the history of the Cuban Revolution and serves as an example of dedication, discipline and commitment to the nation.
Díaz-Canel recalled that Ramiro Valdés symbolically returned to Santa Clara, the city whose liberation he helped carry out as part of the rebel vanguard under the command of the Argentine-Cuban guerrilla fighter Ernesto “Che” Guevara, and where, decades later, he oversaw the construction of the plaza and memorial dedicated to the legendary combatant.
The president noted that, despite his advanced age at death, the historic revolutionary leader maintained intense activity until his final months, linked to strategic tasks for the country’s economic and energy development.
During his remarks, he reviewed key moments in Valdés’s life, from his humble origins in Artemisa and his joining the revolutionary struggle, to his participation in the attack on the Moncada Barracks, his exile in Mexico, the Granma yacht expedition, and the war of national liberation in the Sierra Maestra mountains.
Diaz-Canel also recalled Valdés’s close relationship with emblematic figures of the Revolution such as Ciro Redondo, Fidel Castro, Raúl Castro, and Ernesto “Che” Guevara, with whom he was a close collaborator during the guerrilla struggle and later responsible for the search and repatriation of his remains from Bolivia.
The Cuban head of state also highlighted Valdés’s role in the creation and consolidation of the State Security apparatus, as well as his subsequent responsibilities leading strategic sectors of the national economy, including telecommunications, energy, construction, and mining.
According to Díaz-Canel, one of the most outstanding characteristics of the revolutionary leader was his rejection of personal protagonism and his unwavering commitment to fulfilling assigned tasks with modesty and rigor.
“The exemplary life of Ramiro Valdés teaches us that the Revolution is built with humility, discipline, and an unwavering faith in victory,” Díaz-Canel stated.
The Cuban president also highlighted the commander’s unwavering loyalty to Fidel and Raúl Castro, as well as his contribution to the training of new generations of revolutionary leaders and cadres.
In the final part of his remarks, he conveyed his condolences to Valdés’s family and comrades-in-arms, and thanked the Cuban people for the numerous expressions of respect and recognition paid to the historic combatant during the days of mourning.
The ashes of Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés Menéndez were laid to rest in the Mausoleum of the Las Villas Guerrilla Front, alongside combatants who participated in the decisive actions of the insurrection in the central region of the country.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Díaz-Canel expressed his gratitude for the dedication and example bequeathed by Valdés to the Cuban nation and reiterated the historic slogan of the Revolution: “Hasta la victoria siempre!” “Ever onward to victory!”
[ SOURCE: PRENSA LATINA ]
