Cubans Pack Plaza to Hear Castro Anniversary Speech

Cubans packed the Camaguey plaza on Wednesday, the 36th anniversary of the day Fidel Castro’s guerrilla war began, to hear his first public speech since the execution of an honored comrade of those early days.

The young revolutionary led an attack on a military barracks July 26, 1953, that launched his long campaign against dictator Fulgencio Batista, who fled the island on Jan. 1, 1959.

President Castro uses each anniversary for a major address, in which interest was heightened this year by the trials of four high-ranking officers and their executions two weeks ago. They were convicted of drug smuggling and other offenses in the biggest corruption scandal of Castro’s regime.

Among them was Gen. Arnaldo Ochoa Sanchez, who was with Castro from the beginning. He was made a Hero of the Revolution for his performance as a commander of Cuban expeditionary forces in Africa.

Lesser sentences were given to several other officials convicted on the drug charges.

Except for a speech to the Council of State last month, excerpts of which have been made public, Castro generally has been silent on the subject.

Lower-ranking officials who met with reporters Tuesday, however, made a favorable comparison between Cuba’s record in combatting drug smugglers with that of the United States.

Ricardo Alarcon, a vice minister of foreign affairs, said Cuba had acted decisively against drug dealers while U.S. efforts have had little effect.

He also said the United States and Cuba could help each other curb narcotics traffic, but he declared that the Bush Administration has turned a deaf ear to Cuban proposals for cooperation.

Toured Area

Castro, who will be 63 next month, toured the area around Camaguey on Tuesday, visiting projects built since this agricultural center 300 miles west of Havana was chosen for this year’s July 26 festivities.

His visits were not announced in advance, and people appeared surprised and pleased to see him.

Major investments have been made in housing and social services, and in a project for producing more than 75 million gallons of milk a year.