On behalf of the Filipino people and their revolutionary forces, including the Communist Party of the Philippines, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) gives the Red salute and renders the highest honors to the outstanding Cuban revolutionary and proletarian internationalist Comrade Jorge Risquet, a founder of the Communist Party of Cuba and member of its Political Bureau, who passed away last September 28.
Comrade Jorge Risquet is remembered especially for his major role in the historic Cuito Cuanavale Battle in 1988, a high point in Cuba’s proletarian internationalism, marked by the outstanding military victory by Cuban internationalist freedom fighters and their Namibian comrades. They dealt the South African Army, a resounding defeat and paved the way for the independence of Angola, Namibia and the decisive decline of the Apartheid regime. As Comrade Fidel Castro declared: “From henceforth, the history of Africa will be divided into Before and After Cuito Cuanavale!”
The Filipino people and their revolutionary forces express their gratitude to Comrade Jorge Risquet for the forging of bilateral relations of solidarity and cooperation with the Philippine revolutionary movement in the late 1980s during a visit of a Philippine revolutionary delegation to Cuba. Comrade Risquet was then assisted by his able aide, Comrade Tania Masseira.
In the course of fraternal cooperation between the Cuban and Filipino people, the Chairman of the Kilusang Mayo Uno, May First Movement, Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran attended the May One Celebration in Havana, Cuba in the 1990s. Other forms of solidarity were developed to the mutual benefit of the Cuban and Filipino people.
Long live the proletarian revolutionary spirit of Comrade Jorge Risquet!
Long live the heroic Cuban people and their socialist achievements!
Long live the solidarity between the Cuban people and the Filipino people!
Long live the worldwide anti-imperialist solidarity!
LUIS G. JALANDONI
Chief International Representative
Member, National Executive Committee
