Cuba has been celebrating against all odds and premonitions because there have been too many reasons to celebrate: The New Year’s Eve, the 52nd  anniversary of the Triumph of the Revolution and the beginning of a New Year filled up with optimism and faith, because there are huge challenges and commitments lying ahead.

In these days, in workplaces, educational institutions, parks, avenues, squares and in many other sites in cities and rural areas, as well as in many homes, many Cubans danced, sang and toasted the welfare of their country, health and happiness of their beloved ones, the whole society and especially a toast for Commander in Chief Fidel Castro and Army General Raúl Castro.

The Revolution leader´s public reapperance, his meetings with scientists, economists, students, workers, foreign dignitaries, combatants and thousands of men and women in Havana, was a estimulating political and moral issue for the people and humanity, to whom and which he warned of the dangers of a new nuclear war that U.S. imperialism and Israel would unleash in the Middle East.

Besides this subject he dealt with others in his Reflections, or in such contacts, and became priorities, including the the cessation of the criminal economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba, the five antiterrorist fighters´s demanded return to their homeland, and against terrorism.

While the international solidarity of peoples, governments, labor unions, student and community organizations as well as diverse personalities and groups grew and once again the island was not alone, it is worth remembering how in the midst of economic difficulties Cuba was able to continue assisting other  countries such as Haiti; first, affected by a devastating earthquake, and recently a cholera epidemic.

In 2010 the economic struggle -and in particular  food production - was the most important task undertaken by Cubans, along with a continued import substitution policy, increased exports, savings in power and in other resources as needed . These will be top priorities in 2011.

And in the midst of US blockade, the impact of global crisis, the imbalances in food and other basic product prices, climate change, our nation closed 2010 with a modest GDP growth, a result that could have been better if we had worked with a better organization, productivity, rationality, discipline and foresight.

In tune with the changes being undertaken by our nation in search of efficiency, and that in turn they should put an end end or reduce deep rooted evils in society like state paternalism, over-inflated payrolls, high subsidies, and improper gratuities and egalitarianism, in 2010 there was a new strong and outspoken trend of the need to update the Cuban economic model.

Many Cubans thought it would be only about the sensitive and complex decision on job and wage reorganization, followed by a promotion of self employment and a new tax policy,  which in 2011 will show its first results. However, as it soon came out,  many other issues in all spheres of society will be addressed.

In their anti-Cuban campaigns several media and spokespersons of the U.S empire and the European Union tried to make believe that Fidel's thought was no longer in tune with the policy undertaken by President Raul Castro, or vice versa, knowing that the slightest division would do an enormous damage to the country and in progressive governments and forces.

As Raul Castro stated before the Cuban parliament in  August 1st : " During the days prior to and after the 26th of July event, several news agencies and self-titled "analysts" on the subject of Cuba wrote countless news reports and articles in which, distorting our reality, they stridently anticipated the announcement of supposed reforms to our economic and social system and the application of capitalist formulas to channel the economy; some even dared to describe the existence of a struggle between tendencies in the leadership of the Revolution, and all of them agreed on demanding from us more rapid and profound changes along the lines of dismantling socialism”.

However, once again they were too far from the truth because as it happened, for example, in his meeting with university students, on ocassion of the fifth anniversary of his historical speech at the University of Havana Main Hall, the Commander in Chief drew up a balance regarding deficiencies hampering the country's development and the improvement of the population´s quality of life.

Besides, as Raul has put it,  Fidel's ideas are very present in the Draft Guidelines for the Economic and Social Policy of the Party and the Revolution.

This document, submitted to popular debate since early December to late January in order to enrich it with opinions and considerations on the people´s part, includes essentially the principles and goals regarding the economic model updating and will be adopted at the Sixth Party Congress to be held in April.

This month will mark half a century of Cuba's historic Literacy Campaign and the first defeat of US imperialism in Latin America, on the sands of Playa Giron, and such celebrations will be devoted to the youth.

As Cuban president stated in his convincing speech on December 18th:  ”Equally great have been the challenges and also the dangers since the triumph of the Revolution and the proclamation of its socialist nature, and particularly, starting from the Bay of Pigs victory, but no difficulty has ever brought us to our knees. We are here and will be here on account of the dignity, the integrity, the courage, the ideological steadfastness and the revolutionary and sacrificial spirit of the Cuban people, which a long time ago made its own the concept that socialism is the only guarantee to continue being free and independent”

Si el 2010 fue histórico por los múltiples acontecimientos que vivieron o fueron protagonistas los cubanos, el 2011 se presenta también

While the year  2010 was historical due to the many events involving Cubans, the 2011 will also be commemorative.

Trying to sum up, in some pages, the extraordinary efforts on the part of the people and the Cuban authorities in a difficult and defining year as 2010, it will usually be an unfinished task, as well as trying to predict the challenges in 2011, the first year of the economic model updating.

But it is better to run such risks in order to recognize outstanding achievements and successes of this island, always rebel and hospitable with Third World nations, despite the fact that those trying to be world policemen include her on a list of surrogate states,  or are still in favour of a criminal and unjustifiable blockade that has lasted more than half a century.

In the Cuban context the impact of this economic war criminal, commercial and financial war cannot be forgotten, a policy still intact in Barack Obama Administration, which was again denounced at the UN General Assembly and where its removal was urged  by the vast majority of the Member States.

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