After more than two years in hibernation, the Diplomatic Suite has come back to enrich the discourse within the diplomatic circles.

The column shall feature diplomats and high-profile personalities to reflect on their work, their countries of origin, politics, development, and other fundamental issues that have been shaping our world today. It is our hope that the column serves as a platform for better understanding of the past, present and future realities of our world, to inspire other countries and peoples to apply remarkable lessons of history.

In this edition of Diplomatic Suite, Carlos Salsamendi, Cuban ambassador to The Gambia, who was deployed to The Gambia in October 2004, is our first honourable guest. Read on:

Who is Carlos Salsamendi?

I was born in Havana, Cuba, in October 30, 1937. I had my education from primary to the university level in Cuba. I graduated with a PhD in Economics. Since 1959, I started working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where I served in different positions. But the most important period of work span was when I was serving as adviser in political affairs to the vice president, who was in charge of economic and international relations. I have been posted to the foreign services in Japan, Shanghai in China and now The Gambia. I have one more year to go but that is decided by Havana.

You have a family?

I have been married with kids and my kids have kids (laughs).

What do you know about the famous Cuban Revolution?

The Cuban Revolution started because of the long standing situation as in many poor countries of backwardness, illiteracy and foreign domination. In the case of Cuba, it was the US domination.

But Cuba was a Spanish colony?

Cuban people fought Spain for independence since 1868. Cuba was a colony of Spain since the late 15th century. From 1868 the Cuban people started the war of independence. By 1898, Cuba almost had the victory. But then the US government intervened in the war.

The US government had all the time been aiming to have Cuba as it own…to buy Cuba as one of its states. This was why in 1898, when the Spanish colonial army was defeated, the US intervened and they claimed victory in the so-called Spanish-American war, which is really a Spanish-American-Cuban war.

From that time (1898) until 1902, the US shaped and designed the political and economic situation in Cuba. And that was one of the reasons for the backwardness and poverty.

What happened after decolonisation, was there any immediate government?

There was a government in place. But it was a government made by the US.

Are you saying that the government was imposed from outside Cuba?

The political system was imposed. And through this political system, there was a multi-party system, so-called elections. With corruption, with coup d’etat, we had very bad dictatorship also. It was a Western type of democracy which did not go well with our situation.

Where were you during the revolution?

I was in Havana.

Did you take part in the revolution?

Yes, I modestly took part.

In what way?

I was involved in organising strikes.

So you did not take up arms to join the guerrillas?

No, but after 1959 I did take up arms.

You did?

Yes, to defend the revolution. I joined the army militia until after I left to go abroad.

What was the reason behind the Cuban revolution?

The revolution started because of the unacceptable political and economic situation of Cuba. The revolution started with a guerrilla warfare in 1956. Before, there were many struggles for real independence and for liberty.

But the 1956 struggle is the one which led to the victory of the revolution. The guerrilla warfare was led by Fidel Castro and it later became a popular uprising. On the 1st of January 1959, the victory of the revolution came. From that time, the whole system began to change. That is why Cuba has become a country with a very high education and a very good health system. The main objective of the revolution from the start has been the benefit of the whole population and social justice. This process immediately gained the sympathy of all the population. That is why when there are elections, 95, 96, 97 per cent of the people come out to vote. There is huge support from the whole of the population.

What happened with the so-called foreign domination?

Since 1959, America has been rejecting Cuba. And they started to take actions to overthrow the Cuban revolution through sabotage, training people, economic blockade…

What sin has Havana committed against Washington?

The Cuban government was the most faithful to the US. But Cuba became the spoiled brat when it started doing things for its own benefit. They decided that they cannot have this spoiled brat showing an example to the whole of Latin America. Cuba’s oil supply came from the US at the time, so they decided to cut that off. About 80 per cent of our sugar was sold in the US at that time. They cut the sugar quota and decided not to allow us to buy oil.

But how did Cuba survive such a difficult situation?

Cuba decided to import oil from the Soviet Union. The US ordered oil refineries in Cuba owned by the US companies not to process the crude oil from the Soviet Union. So the clash started when we nationalised the oil refineries. But we managed to give all the benefits to the population. We have real independence for the first time, sovereignty for the first time. The US blockade is now 47 years old.

Have you quantified the monetary lost the blockade has caused Cuba?

Yes, of course. It has come to US$89 billion. This is the direct damage. But despite this, we have struggled on and we have been able to survive.

I’m wondering about what it takes to survive such harsh economic oppression?

It is because of the consciousness of the whole population and the revolution working for them. So the support of the population is very important. Very few countries could survive this blockade which under Bush the administration has been intensified and other aggressive actions against Cuba have been taken.

History tells us that Castro fought alongside other comrades. Who were these people?

They were Che Guevara, Camilo, they were many at that time, and Raul Castro. He is what he is, not because he is Fidel’s brother. He was among those who fought actively in the guerrilla warfare. Cuba is not a monarchy in which positions are headed and inherited. This is because he has his own merits as Che Guevara had.

Twelve of them were able to survive after the start of the revolution back in 1956. The whole population, workers, students, and intellectuals joined the revolution.

How true is it that Che was killed by the CIA?

It is a fact that it was organised by the CIA with instructions from Washington. And the man who led this case was the one who ordered the killing of Che Guevara.

Who was this man?

Felix Rodriguiz. There were many who were killed in the arms struggle. In the last combat, there were some Bolivians, who were assassinated at that time. It was Che and two or three Bolivians, who were caught. Che came from Argentina and fighters came from almost all countries of Latin America to join the revolution.

What was the reverberation of the revolution like at that time?

A revolution has to be made by the people themselves. You cannot impose a revolution on anybody. Each people have their own history, their own characteristics and they are the ones who have to make the revolution according to those specificities. In the case of Cuba, it is a system that has provided benefits and it has eliminated poverty, backwardness, illiteracy, bad health, etc.

It has proven to be independent and sovereign. The US government is against Cuba because it shows an example in the whole of Latin America and its solidarity with the whole of the Third World.

Who among the US presidents had a close relation with your country during his tenure in office?

I will say a friend to Cuba. There was a honest man with moral and ethics. And he tried to do something in order to sort out the differences.

Who is this man?

It is former President Carter. Jimmy Carter. Before his term, there was no Cuban embassy in Washington and no American embassy in Havana. He and the Cuban government engaged to have an interest section, which is an office almost like an embassy.

There were negotiations at that time which led to important things like the migration agreement, and many other steps that could have led to the improvement of relations. We respect his position and as a matter of fact he has been to Cuba, years after leaving the White House.

But how about President Bush?

Ah! President Bush has a very strong commitment to the ultra-right Cuban-American community in the United States, particularly Florida. Since his father was head of the CIA and later president, the Bush family is very closely connected to the very old terrorist segment of the Cuban-American community in the United States. It is a fact in Bush’s first election that there was ballot rigging and that operation had in it the hands of the Cuban-American right-wing leaders. Florida was very important for Bush to win the election.

What do you think are the differences between Washington and Havana?

The problem of the Cuba-US relation is that it is seen as an internal policy problem and not external policy problem.

Can you elaborate?

It is internal because of the political elements of the Cuban-American community in Florida. If it was an external policy problem, things could have been sorted out.

This is puzzling?

No. They are the ones who are not in favour of improving relations. They are the ones who do not want the blockade to be lifted. They are the ones who do not want the families to communicate or visit relatives in Cuba and in America. They are against any sort of aid or relations.

How true is it that these people waged armed aggression against Havana?

That has been going on since the 1960s. They have tried to destabilise Cuba. You remember the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. This was organised and financed by the US government.

What happened to the invaders?

Well, those who did not die in combat were taken prisoners and released through negotiations for medical aid, amongst others.

You mean all of them were released?

None was left in Cuba.

Cuba is often criticised as having a dictatorship. What is your reaction to this allegation?

First, they accused us of being a Soviet puppet. Now the Soviet Union is no more. Then they accused us of fermenting guerrilla wars in Latin America. That is over. Then they said we are a failure in economics. And now they are saying Cuba is a dictatorship. But I do not know what dictatorship can hold elections and have 95 per cent of the population voting.

Recently, the state of health of President Castro has been the focus of international media and it has generated a lot of speculations about his fate. What is the reality surrounding his health?

Yes, it is true that he is so sick that he had to undergo serious operations. It has of course diminished his health. He is now recovering. He has less physical capacity but not mental capacity. He is very clear in mind, he is writing. What is the speculation? If he dies, if he does not die… There is a mistaken sentiment that after he died, things will change. No man can live forever. Human beings don’t live forever. Nobody thinks that Fidel Castro will live forever.

But will Castro’s doctrines remain the guiding principles of Cuba?

Things in Cuba will not be the same in the sense that nobody is like Fidel Castro. There cannot be any other Fidel Castro. No one has the merits and the total commitment he has to work for the people, to fight and to be at the frontline. In all major issues in Cuba, Fidel Castro has been at the frontline all the times.

Are you implying that things will be reformatted to suit Western perspective?

No! No! No! Things will not be the same in the sense that there will not be any Fidel Castro anymore. But the system will be the same.

Why? That system has been proven to be good for the people. There will be a batch of new leaders, young people, who were born and educated in the revolution. These are the ones who will take the revolution forward.

You are very certain about the continuity of the Cuban revolutionary system?

From 1956, I have been optimistic.

Is Cuba a democracy?

Yes, but mind you, our own democracy…democracy made in Cuba, not made from anywhere else.

I find this perplexing. I think there is one fundamental basis of democracy as in the name itself?

I will tell you why. There is no political party which will be nominating candidate. Candidates in Cuba are nominated at the grass-root level. Neighbours meet and decide who should be their candidate. A candidate moves to the constituency level, where there is no political campaigning except for the publication of the candidate’s curriculum. And people vote based on a candidates curriculum. Voting is not compulsory and election is done through secret voting. From the grass-root, municipal assemblies are elected the same way.

Provincial assemblies are elected that way and the National Assembly is elected that way too. Fidel Castro has to go through an election. He has to be nominated. You have to be voted to be able to become a member of the National Assembly. National elections are held every five years. The majority voted for Fidel Castro.

You have opposition parties?

We have no opposition party in Cuba now.

But it is said that opposition gives democracy its true identity, as in a multi-party democracy. How do you then qualify your system of governance as representative of ‘Cuban democracy’?

Everybody has the right to speak anywhere. We had a multi-party system of five, six, eight parties. And our revolution was mainly fought by three political organisations. These three organisations which have different ideologies but one common goal, formed the Cuban Party. The other parties disappeared, because they wouldn’t face the revolution.

Which political groups constitute this party?

They are the 26 July Movement, the Revolutionary Directorate mainly made up of students, and the Socialist Party, which is the Communist party. These three combined to form one political organisation, which we have now. All the dissidents come from the US. Those who accuse Cuba of not having liberty are those who are paid by the US Office in Cuba. They are very few but they can be elected. They can be nominated in the neighbourhood. But the thing is that the Cuban people know who they are and what they are aiming at. That is the situation.

Does this electoral system imply that the masses have equal power to remove their representatives?

The members of a constituency can revoke the representation of a candidate by majority vote if he or she does not deliver. The representatives present reports to their constituencies every six months.

Aren’t they in organised political bodies?

No. They do not have any unity among themselves, three or four here, four or five over there…and specially, they do not have any support from the people. They are paid salaries, they are given radios, computers, and they go to the residence of the head of the US mission for chatting.

Then how do they call themselves?

They call themselves dissidents.

And how do you call them?

We call them words which I will not say now because it could be misunderstood (laugh). They are free to say anything or do anything as long as they do not go against the law. They live in Cuba.

Are you saying their existence as oppositions has no substance?

The real opposition are in the US. Those are the ones who oppose the revolution. Those who were defeated…the politicians, the army, the rich people, the capitalists are the ones against the revolution. They are in the United States.

Why would they oppose the revolution?

Because they are the ones who benefited from the old system. When the revolution started, the new system forced the capitalists to leave for the States. They all ran away with one idea: ‘No problem, the United States will intervene and we will go back to Cuba’. They dis not stay to fight for their own interest, they fled.

The owners of the big newspapers also fled. They were expecting the United States to do something about it and the US did in the Bay of Pigs. But the Bay of Pigs invasion was defeated. So you can see that that is one reason why the opposition is 90 miles away. But mind you, if you go to Cuba, you will hear people on buses talking about everything, criticising, complaining about the ministries. In Cuba, people speak out, they speak their minds. They do not pose any opposition within Cuba, which is different from what happened in Chile with Allende.

Who is Allende?

He was a socialist president elected by the people of Chile but he was thrown out because of the conspiracy led by the USA and with the support of the capitalists in Chile.

A good number of member states of the UN recently voted for the lifting of the US blockade on Cuba, but Washington never budged?

Who authorised the US to invade Iraq? They did it by themselves. It shows their arrogance. It shows the blindness of the present US leaders.

How you think the relations between US and Cuba can be normalised?

Well, I think that is wishful thinking. But since you have asked me, I will say: let Cuba be. Let Cuba be. Lets engage in normal relations like any other state.

Is it true that the Cuban revolution was inspired and supported by the Soviet Union?

Our revolution came from our own circumstances. But at one point, this idea coincides with Maxism and Lennism. It does not mean that the Soviet Union imposed the system on Cuba. Its like two men lost in jungle and each one is heading to the north.

With the help of a compass, each will take a direction and they will meet at one point. This question is very important. Our revolution is ours. It coincided because many of the political basis of the Soviet Union, China, and Vietnam have similarities. But it does not mean that they are the same.

Your country fought alongside other armed Africans during their independence struggle?

Our cooperation with Africa started in 1963. We helped in the independence struggle in Angola, Namibia, South Africa to defeat apartheid, and Guinea Bissau.

We helped these independence movements. They were fighting against the colonial powers. There is a similarity in condition between Africans and Cubans. In the case of Africa, we have given and we will still give to Africa.

There is a principle in revolution which is solidarity with people who have the same problems we had. But in the case of Africa, it is a debt. We feel that we owe Africa a debt. Our root is from Africa. Our nationality is made up of white Spaniards and black Africans, who were kidnapped from Africa and shipped across the sea as slaves.

Some of these freed slaves joined the independence struggle and some of them rose up to the rank of generals. That is the debt we have for Africa and we do it out of the debt to Africa. We had done it during the independence struggle and we still do it in the case of health, agriculture, you name it.

What is the scope of cooperation between Cuba and contemporary Africa?

The cooperation started at a time when the political struggle for independence started in the 60s by some leaders… Nkrumah, Sekou Toure, Modibo Keita, Amilcar Cabral. This is how African students went to Cuba. This was the time when the first Cuban doctors came to Africa in 1963. In the case of sub-Saharan Africa, we have relationships with all the countries, where we have 26 embassies.

We have cooperation agreements with 24 sub-Saharan African countries. We now have more than 2,000 Cuban doctors working in sub-Saharan Africa with other technicians.

What about The Gambia in particular?

Well relations with The Gambia started in 1979, but no important actions took place.

The cooperation in health started in 1996. In 1999, when President Jammeh made his first trip to Cuba, the relations were given more trust. It was then that the health cooperation was broadened. In the 1996 cooperation, the Cuban doctors got salaries, but following President Jammeh’s visit, the doctors are given only allowances by The Gambia government and the salaries are paid by Cuban government.

We now have 145 Cuban doctors working from Banjul to Basse. We have 36 Gambians studying in different fields in Cuba. We place a great importance in not only providing assistance but also giving training to those around us. That is why we started the School of Medicine at the University of The Gambia.

We also have agricultural engineers at the Kanilai Farm. There is willingness from both sides to expand the cooperation.

In your speech delivered during the launching of the Community Medicine Programme at the State House, you described President Jammeh and President Castro as leaders with a common vision. Can you elaborate more on this?

President Jammeh and his government are working for the benefit of their people. I have heard him say that to have a developed country, first you need to have a healthy and educated people. These are the same things President Castro said in the early 60s. Remember no university was here before. Why?

You tell me.

How were the Gambians able to have advanced learning? They went to UK, Nigeria and other countries. Who were able to afford that? But he said we have to get a university. Before there was no television station in the country and Gambians had to tune to Senegal to watch television. President Jammeh said we have to get a television. These things have proven to be of benefit to the whole population. Any government that can do these much for the people has my support.

What have you learnt since your deployment in Banjul?

We have learnt about the love and hospitality of the people. We receive full support from The Gambia government against the blockade at the international arena and so called human rights resolution. That is something which has to be in any beneficial relationship between countries. We treat each other as equals and with respect. The environment and the love of the people is amazing. I really feel at home in The Gambia.

Thank you Mr Ambassador.