based on Hsinhue
American T.V. viewers brought up on a diet of soap-box opera, and whose brief acquaintance with T.V. politics is restricted to vote-catching platitudes from the Republicans and Democrats, must have found Che Geuvara quite a contrast when he spoke on the Columbian Broadcasting System on December 13th. He was interviewed by newsmen in his capacity as the head of the Cuban delegation to the 19th session of the United Nations General Assembly. To a question on the possibility of the "peaceful transition" to socialism, he said: "In America this is very difficult and practically impossible, Therefore, when dealing specifically with America, we must say that in all countries and with all people, the road to the liberation of the people, that is, the road to socialism, must go through bullets."
He pointed out, "Revolution is not of our owm making. It is the making of the imperialist system and its allies in various countries. answer to another question about relations with the U.S., he stated: "we do not accept any condition imposed by the United States." ‘hen asked whether Cuba would agree to inspection by the United Nations or the OAS (the Organisation of American States), he answered that the OAS was an American front and that inspection by OAS meant inspection by the United States. Guevara told the American newsmen: "You said that the United States did not feel itself safe. “fe would like to ask the United States: can we feel ourselves safe, can we be sure that there is no missile (in the United States) trained on Cuba?...Let us inspect each other,"
Guevara. continued: "%e say that the United States tries to make us pay dearly for the non-peaceful co-existence which confronts us today, while we can only pay within the bounds of dignity, and not beyond themeece We will not bend our knees for a peaceful life, unless they kill us first. If they do not want to go to such lengths, we shall go on living as best we can. Such is our non-peaceful co-existence with the United States."
Asked if Cuba felt itself alone in America, Guevara replied: "We have lots of friends, but not friends in the Government. These friends are among the people. And in the final analysis, the peoples will come to power in these countries." ‘Speaking of his country's industrial development, Guevara said: "We shall strive to rely on our ow raw material resources to develop our industry, and lessen our dependence on markets abroad."