Communists Gather For Castro

Thousands of Communist Party faithful streamed into the Cuban coastal city of Cienfuegos Monday to hear the annual speech by President Fidel Castro marking the start of the revolution that brought him to power four decades ago.

"To the plaza with Fidel!" read banners strung over the narrow streets of the provincial capital built on a wide blue bay. "Long Live Cuba!"

The government-controlled media did not confirm until Monday morning that Castro would speak. On several occasions, his younger brother Raul, head of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, has given the July 26 speech.

The content and theme of Castro's speech was unknown. He usually speaks extemporaneously with few or no notes and never releases an advance text.

In recent years, the speeches have focused on attacking the United States, still seen by the government as Cuba's greatest foe. Last year in the eastern capital of Santiago, Castro accused the American government and the Miami-based exile community of planning and carrying out bombing attacks on Havana hotels in 1996.

Much of the tension between the two countries this year has revolved around the illegal immigration of Cubans to Florida. Tension has eased recently as Havana announced fines for Cubans who build boats intended for crossing the Florida Straits and Washington created a task force to combat the smuggling of Cubans.

Although the speech was not scheduled to begin until early evening, security measures were in place Monday morning. Clusters of uniformed police officers gathered along the 160-mile route leading from Havana to Cienfuegos.

The city itself was quiet Monday with little movement in the streets except for the arrival of air-conditioned buses carrying in officials to hear the speech.

"No work today", read a sign outside one tire repair shop.

The yearly ceremony marks the disastrous July 26, 1953 attack by the Castro brothers and their followers on the Moncada army barracks in Santiago that launched the revolution against the dictatorship of then-President Fulgencio Batista.

Although the attackers were all either killed or jailed, the July 26 Movement later regained strength and triumphed on New Year's Day 1959 after Batista fled the country.

July 26 and 27 are official holidays in Cuba and banks and government offices. Many cities hold carnivals each year.

High-ranking Communist Party members from around the island are traditionally brought in for the main speech, and diplomats are invited to attend.

Special guests this year include members of the Venceremos Brigade, a group of young Americans who come to Cuba annually to perform fieldwork or other social tasks.

The site of the central speech varies every year and is chosen from among provincial capitals for economic performance.

This year, Cienfuegos shares the honor with the central province of Matanzas, where a second Revolution Day speech will be held on Cuba's northern coast Aug. 2.

Cienfuego, a city of 125,000, is one of Cuba's major industrial centers, boasting one of the world's largest sugar exporting facilities, an oil refinery, a paper mill, a cement plant, a thermal power plant and much of Cuba's shrimp fleet.