caller: i wanted to talk in general about trumps campaign promises. transportation, but all the amenities he has promised. has the power to use, the power the people. if any, his manner senator is can ask the, he people to stand at their lobbyists and tell them that they are hurting america, to get with the new administration to fulfill their campaign promises. saying, oh, they wouldn't let me do it or i had to do an executive order so that's my comment. there a rural and urban

divide in terms of the infrastructure need. are the cities more needy than the rule areas or the interstate highway system connects to? guest: yes, the metropolitan centers are the ones that really need the help. centersban centers and that are referred to as freight corridors. so the freight corridor in .rizona, dallas, chicago your cities are the ones that are in the most need of assistance to build and rebuild these roads. another thing to point out about this trunk plan is that it is also called just calling for building new projects and what the states are telling capitol hill is that they really don't need new projects.

what they need is funding to maintain existing projects. that's the problem, that these bridges are ending their service life. roadways have ended. -- they are scrabbling to come up with the funding for these roadways and also, on the rural level, places and rural america that need new projects, aretrump plan, knife we talking about privatizing roadways, that would mean putting tolls. and you are going to have investors -- investors will heart -- will be looking for a project that can return the profit. you do that through volume. if you are an investor and you're looking to make money on a road and you build it in rural -- you, you know that don't need a business degree to know you will not have enough traffic in that road to get your return on investment. you will do it someplace were

there will be a lot of cars. the places where you have a lot of cars is where you have the trucking industry say, we are struck -- stuck in traffic. you put a toll there, you are not only going to tax us twice, but slow down our trucks. host: here is rose from staten island on a democrats line. caller: thank you for taking my call. i really like the things that you mentioned about the tax plans. putting it into perspective, a couple of things that i would like to say that the transparency of money, especially when it comes to taxes, like sweden apparently doesn't use cash bills anymore. they have electronic funds. taxingu mentioned about the employees, the construction workers with -- what their income dollars will pay, if they were not working before and now they are being taxed and there is money from that, it prevents the disparity of immigrants that are being paid off the books.

--there's more transparency the positive train control that approved of,nally amtrak, like you said, the northeast corridor, there's ashley nee train station signs. as you are arriving on the train station, if you arrive in the middle of the night on a seven train, you have no idea what is your stop. just a lot of concern. the luxury tax is a great idea. now i understand why it just doesn't fund it. guest: the whole concept of transparency has come up. transportation groups are bringing that up. reforming the tasco, it will be how much access the lawmakers give to the public on how they

go about tweaking and reforming corporate tax reform. if it is something like, if we see something, like, when they were working on obama care if they put it out in the public so they have debates and markups etc. the flip point of transparency, when we go back to transfer structure plan, there's going to be -- the dot is going to reach out to companies -- let's say it all depends on congress. congress will have to approve the plan. that say they do you have dot reaching doubt to private investors. now you have construction companies that will get these contracts. the one thing about transparency is, when you talk about the trump administration is that we haven't seen before the full dossier of the finances of donald trump. so we don't know if the trump

organization has a stake or equity in a construction company. and if that company wins a bid construction infrastructure project, then dot will see a lot of that profit. transparency is very -- not to be redundant -- very important here. and the critics of this plan misses out on the transparency. host: here is what alfred tweets. what does he mean by the offshore? is that the money they are proposing? yes, the trump plan also theorizes that a way to get the private equity to come in for the plan is through repatriating overseas corporate profits.

is putting a tax -- taxing profits on offshore accounts and then bringing that money at a very low tax rate to incentivize bringing that money back. host: is that a popular idea on capitol hill? guest: is that -- it's an idea that has some support. democrats have touted it. i believe senate leaders have been talking about repatriating. and i think hillary clinton talked about repatriating a little bit and then also her infrastructure ban. the obama administration talked about it. trump was critical of the hillary clinton proposal. and now it's just peculiar that he's talking about repatriation in this plan. -- if leaders go with repatriation, it will be part of the paul ryan plan. on the repatriation issue

-- caller: on the repatriation issue, it was done in 2004 under the bush administration. talk about going to spur economic development. 2007we had the meltdown of -2009. i am a science teacher, but i look at the math of this whole and for structure thing. paul ryan is pushing for a corporate tax cut of 35% to 15%. so tax revenues will decrease there. we are also talking about getting tax incentives to corporations, to big businesses for infrastructure spending. ,y then, on the far end of this it is supposed to be paid for by taxes by people who are supposed to be carrying out these infrastructures, working on these and for structure projects. i don't see how the math works out. thank you for taking my call. guest: your point, the economists that i talked to agree with you.

they don't see how the math works out. i read the plan many times. i shared with colleagues and peers. and then when i really study the interview that wilber off the dead, i explain the plan. about the about the fear radicals. theoreticals third. criticism of this plan is, when you go back to the campaign, trump kept touting the fact that he is a real estate mogul, that he is a builder. that's why he was more equipped than clinton to handle infrastructure. well, we did an analysis of his --m and the trunk campaign i'm sorry, the trump company has not built projects in the last 10 years. what they do is do acquisitions

of projects and they leave the top -- the trump name. trump being af master builder like robert moses in new york city, that is a myth . what trump is is a person who is a very good marketer and he really marketed this plan well. and he has leased his name. but transportation groups never saw this person as this visionary infrastructure man. the 2009ook back at stimulus. this is ron clan who oversaw the status for the white house. writing on the white house post opinion page.

a different view on twitter on the success of the plan. it's get one more call for our guest this morning. jim is here on the line in san antonio. good morning. thank you. i have been a republican my whole life. my family and everything. office,ce bush got into apparently he went spend crazy. and nobody raised taxes on the rich. i'm hoping that the people who voted for trump will force trump to tax the rich finally. do think that will pay for everything? i'll get off the line.

guest: that's the age-old question. who do you tax? you talk to bernie sanders and he says tax the rich. trump is aheard, rich person, so he will be taxing himself and there was a letter speculation whether he would pay -- whether he paid taxes in the past 20 years. this is something the paul ryan is going to look into during the tax reform issue. host: how soon do you think this debate over infrastructure is spending will get underway?

guest: i'm expecting to see it in the first in the first trump budget proposal. i'm expecting to see most of it there. if it's not there, then i don't see it in the first hundred days. out february, march. it will be within the 100-day even if the trump administration pushes infrastructure early on, who -- there is going to be a traffic jam on capitol hill and other issues. obamacare, the undoing of dodd frank, the supreme court nominations. this is something that transportation proponents were bringing up to may. ok, so you want to talk about infrastructure. but there's going to be a lot of capitol hill. infrastructure was not on his top items on the agenda. host: one way or another, a big and for structure debate ahead. you can follow eugene boleros reporting. thanks for the update. guest: thank you.

>> on the next washington journal, clarence page talks about the 2016 election and shares his thoughts on the legacy of president obama and the future of the democratic party. also, a look at what to expect from a trump presidency and a republican-controlled congress with henry elson from the ethics and public policy center. as always, you can join the and twitter. live at 7:00 a.m. here on c-span. if james madison is the architect of the constitution, and he might be, then george washington is the general contractor. if you go to build a house or addition, you know what the general contractor has in mind. >> tonight, author edward larson talks about president george washington's role in unifying the country and ratifying the

first federal document in his new book "george washington, nationalist." >> hamilton had already talked to washington before about this democracy stuff is not going to work. you're going to have to be parking. washington was a true republican. he believed in a republican government. c-span's you and i. president fidel castro has died at the age of 90. castro was one of the longest-serving heads of state. in 2006, he ceded much of his power to his younger brother raul before formally resigning because of health issues. next, we will give you an address fidel castro gave to the cuban national assembly after stepping down from office. he also answered questions from

members of the assembly. this is an hour and a half. [speaking spanish] [applause]

♪

the message to the national assembly. outset, only eight weeks believed that the

imminent threat of war had no possible solution. scenario wewas the face before us that i saw no perhapsternative than the likelihood of there not being any survival by this reason to bead no . direct target it was very difficult with the knowledge that human beings always cleaning to the faintest .ope despite all of this, i made an attempt. it didn't take,

me long to realize that there was some hope. a very profound hope, in fact. additionally, without taking advantage of this opportunity, then the disaster could lead to the worst possible consequences. there would therefore the the no hope -- there would therefore be no hope for the salvation of the human species. nevertheless, i am now sure that it will not end this way.

and quite the contrary, currently, we see conditions that are developing that could lead to a situation that would have been unforeseeable until very recently. one man will have to make the unprecedented decision, the president of the united states, who surely, because of his multiple concerns, has not yet realized that although his advisers are now beginning to understand this, we can see this unfolding through very simples steps taken.

such as the tortures inflicted on geraldo have stopped. this is a situation that had not occurred in over 12 years of implacable hatred by the efforts against cuba and against him. today, we can state that the next step will be authorizing a adriana to visit him, or his immediate release, or maybe both. i found out from her, that his spirits are more tired than they have ever been in the last 12 years of unjust and cruel

imprisonment. given that iran will not give up one bit to the demands by the united states and israel, and that several of the combat resources available have already been mobilized and an attack will be launched as soon as the deadline has elapsed by the security council on june 9, 2010, stipulating the norms and requirements established. all of man's plans have limits that cannot be exceeded. and in this critical scenario

president barack obama would issue the order of this preannounced and heralded attack following the norms of the large empire. in addition, at that same points, in which the order would be issued -- that is in addition. and could only lead to an

incalculable number of nuclear weapons accumulated in an absurd competition between the powers -- he would be ordering the instantaneous death, not only of hundreds of millions of people. including an incalculable number of inhabitants in his own country, in addition to the crews of all of the ships of the u.s. fleet, deployed on the scenes surrounding iran simultaneously. the conflagration would spread in the near and middle east as well as throughout eurasia.

it was a coincidence that at this specific moment, the president of the united states is a descendent of african and white, of muslims and christians. if this is achieved, then we need to be aware, and that is what we are doing here. the leaders of the most powerful nation on the planet, both

allies as well as adversaries, with the exception of israel would urge him not to do this. the world would then render all of the honors he deserved. the current order the current world order would not survive, and inevitably, it would collapse. it would collapse. immediately. the so-called convertible currencies would lose their value as instruments of the

system that has imposed both sweat and sacrifice without limit on the people's, new modes of distribution of resources and services, education, and the direction of social processes would come to the surface peacefully. but if war were to break out, then the current social order would suddenly disappear, and the price would be infinitely greater. the planet's population may bury

the nonrenewable resources. climate change could be prevented. the useful effort of all human beings could be in short -- could be insured. the sick could be attended to. the essential body of knowledge, culture, science that is at the service of mankind could be insured. children, adolescents, and the young throughout the world, would not perish in a nuclear holocaust. this is what is desired, esteemed comrades of our national assembly.

now, i am here to respond for my comments. i am also here to respond to any questions you may have. and i am ready to listen to your opinions. thank you very much. [applause]

>> before i offer the floor to those representatives that would so ask for it, i would like to say one thing. i am fully convinced speak on behalf of all of us. i am going to say this as briefly and as specifically as possible.

as brief and specific as gerardo hernandez at the time said, and i quote, "thank you, commander, for giving you the pleasure of hearing you and seeing you as large as life as ever." and now i would like to offer the floor to our representatives. >> dear commander in chief, raul, distinguished representatives, guests. today, we participate in an historic event in our national assembly. the commander-in-chief, representative fidel castro, is here seated in his place.

he was never absent. he was always here as a shining beacon supporting us, guiding us from his sick bed as he was convalescing. always identifying himself with the people through his remarks. who is present here, addressing and announcing -- denouncing terrible events for the fate of our country and mankind are threatened. this is not the first of the third world's we are speaking of. the threat is faced by our entire planet and is only you as an internationally prestigious figure who does not know lies, only you can denounce these events. with the certainty that you know the empire will never be satisfied with the reality of its defeat.

it is ready for any infamous act, including the holocaust. comrade, in 1985 -- 1885, jose martin said i know the monster because i live within it. in july, 1958, from the sierra muestra, a letter appeared in the headlines of the newspaper and was always in the office of the minister, hanging on her wall, that was an inspiration according to her for working until the very end. having seen the rockets that were launched, i swear the americans will pay dearly for what they are doing when this war ends. there will be a new and longer war of greater -- the war i will launch against them.

i realize that will be my true destiny. currently, a ferocious blockade from the time our revolution triumphed until the present, a genocidal policy, imperialist policy against our country that helps to defeat us by creating hunger and disease. my question, commander, is with the u.s. government incapable -- will obama be capable of committing the cruelty of giving orders to launch a nuclear war given the imminent likelihood of the collapse of the empire? and also freeing the five heroes? >> not if we can persuade him. [applause]

>> comrade josefina heredia. >> i am the representative from guantanamo. dear commander-in-chief, alarcon.tro, raul representatives, today we feel profoundly pleased because our commander's health has improved as he recovers. every day he shares his knowledge and examples to help us develop our social socialist programs and our triumphs of the cuban political system.

commander, receive of the half of the people of cuba and guantanamo our love and admiration of being with you. the youth that see you as a guide, that are still never abandoning the ideals of our leader after some pretty deep 100 anniversary. -- after celebrating the 100 anniversary. you would, all of you and your colleagues, continue to live in the hearts of the cuban people. the people remember and render tribute to you. we still maintain our expressions defending our principles, your words are manifest in our daily lives. among our children and adults, in our urban centers, among our people, these ideas came from the deepest depths of your heart

and continued to be disseminated through your example of dignity, brotherhood. we wish you utmost success and congratulations working for our country. we know your colleagues in the barracks, these ideals continue to remain current in your book a strategic victory recalling the victories in the sierra muetra. it is a continuous struggle recognizing the commanders, the captains, the lieutenants, those who have participated. their ideals, principles disseminated with transparency recognizing those who launched efforts against the enemies. this book is a source of pride with us and we are sure everyone will be familiar with the struggles, our history, your struggles on behalf of our people. it will be passed on to the next

generation. i would like to ask that we hope to receive this great gift and when will we be able to analyze this book. we want to express our heartfelt love and appreciation. thank you,. [laughter] >> comrade pablo has the floor. >> dear comrade, commander-in-chief, commander of our armed forces and the president of the council of ministers. esteemed representatives of the

national assembly and special guests, based on the recent information -- can you hear me better? let me reiterate as a result of recent leaks provided through wikileaks, which has a broader public in the u.s., we have learned about the lies regarding wars. the crimes that have been committed as well as the corruption this has led to. it has become a concern within the u.s. as well as the major financial crisis that has been manifest with many closures of businesses, bankruptcies, loss of jobs, loss of homes, of social security. and that we're seeing a disappearance of the middle

class. also it threatens the american way of life. although it is true as a u.s. member of congress said, "wars are a disaster." that the afghan government is corrupt and the u.s. troops could die in greater numbers. on the other hand, an increase in number of u.s. members of congress, although they are still a minority, but a minority that is honest about their own roles, a group of them, 52 out of 514 stated the wars in iraq and afghanistan have cost the u.s. more than $1 trillion in direct costs and more than $3 trillion in total.

at one point where our national debt according to the statement exceeds $13 trillion, we cannot allow for any more of these wars to take place. it is time for congress to reject any funding that is not focused on returning our men home. the message is wars lead to adverse situations. aren't there moral, ethical and political considerations to oppose war? in this context it would appear that war does not concern as

much, that it has generated crimes, corruption, that the economy is gone from bad to worse. that bankruptcies have taken place. unemployment levels have increased. people have lost their homes. we see a diminishing of the middle class. and young americans have been lost. would it be different if the war were successful, if it were not a disaster and that casualties were like and only in combat there were no corruption by any parties, that the economy were prosperous, that the middle class remains stable and found, we would ask ourselves if it were successful, with it be a justification to continue with wars? when we oppose wars, as was done

from the very beginning by barbara lee from california? the u.s. has lost these wars within their own boundaries. what they need to do is withdraw from these territories of countries that have been attacked. we forget that wars of aggression per se are crimes against people, where more civilians always die than combatants. especially those most vulnerable. it is true that the possibilities that fidel castro and his comments of august 3 indicated the world could be free of nuclear and conventional weapons. worst of all would be the possibility of a nuclear war, with virtually could be

unavoidable. today we remember that we think of the launching of two atomic bombs in the history of mankind. we should remember the words of president franklin delano roosevelt on january 6, 1941 when he gave his address to congress about the state of the union where he explained he understood that by being free from fear, free from fear which translated in global terms meant a reduction of weapons to the point and to such a specific level that no nation should have the capability of launching acts of aggression against neighboring countries.

no matter where on the planet. the americans should read more their history. be more aware of the recommendations made by their own past leaders. we need to avoid wars. that is only possible through total disarmament. we need to conquer wars and economic be done by practicing peace. if this does not happen, we will not be standing on the hill to be able to see the new dawn of mankind. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you.

before i offer the floor to other representatives who asked to speak -- can you hear me? i am going to offer the floor to those who asked to speak. let's try to be as concise as possible. i think i gave an example of how this could be done. i just want to say -- >> let me clarify.

obama would not issue the order if we persuade him. that effort to persuade the president of the united states is something we are hoping to serve as a contribution to that persuasive effort. today, for example, we are doing something that is never done. we are broadcasting this assembly meeting through cubavision.

we are broadcasting this event through all of our media. is not just the cuban media. we have invited the most renowned journalists, tv journalists from venezuela. we have walter. they are broadcasting this event simultaneously. [applause] >> mario is also here. he is also broadcasting this live through venezuelan television. we have alisa, who is broadcasting live the proceedings here. the first half hour was even being broadcast by cnn. the major news networks, the ones who want to listen to this are broadcasting this.

i can give you a quick calculation. i would say if we were to -- this broadcast would probably cost $100 million a minute if we had to pay for it. we are aware of that. we could continue speaking here so we can ensure our words will have these repercussions, these impacts. [applause] >> thank you. comrade, dear commander-in-chief, commander, one thing i don't want to lose

sight of as we first of all wish you a happy birthday. we know to continue to be younger and younger, and all of our young people are supporting you and that our -- we are their heart and soul supporting you in this struggle. you asked if we had questions. i want to ask one. commander, based on the experience of the flow of exchange from groups that come from the united states that show solidarity with cuba we would like to say we agree that within that society there are significant values. we believe this is one of the reasons why we agree with your comments, this message you have conveyed. this is the time for persuasion and president obama should hear

us. in u.s. society, commander, we continue to hear people from different political and ideological groups. they all agree ultimately, although they express themselves differently, but they agree there needs to be a new perspective, vis-a-vis the rest of the world. today, you said president obama, he has in his own makeup as a citizen, he represents two different cultures. don't you think this is the time where we need to intensify the dialogue between civilizations? delve further into this and as a result finds solutions for many of the challenges the world is facing today? thank you, commander. let me respond by saying we had little time. i consider them to be indispensable, but they need to be brief, without wasting a moment. i tried to explain in my message

that everybody should work in that direction. i have no doubt that the chinese are also moving in that direction. they are very aware about the current international situation. i have no doubt the russians are also moving in that direction. i see it, i perceive it, i feel it. i am talking about two major powers. in addition, in the case of the ussr, they are currently facing a major disaster as a result of climate change.

the same thing we stated when we addressed the documentary produced by the french filmmaker where he worked with everybody's cooperation, we have another example of real disaster. i have more detailed information here. looking at it, we have temperatures of 40 degrees centigrade in that country. they are suffering the consequences of this. this is seen worldwide -- and we need to make sure the world moves forward. we have made some progress along these lines. that is our duty. it is not something that should be praising us for this. this is our responsibility.

we need to move forward. that is what we are trying to do. the dialogue between civilizations is wonderful, but that is a dialogue over four years. we are talking about a dialogue that must be addressed in just a few weeks, at least that is my opinion. it is not going to be done right away. it is not just these problems that need to be addressed with this new scenario. the number of problems are infinite. i hope that the most outstanding, most intelligent human beings do what they can and at least make those first steps a reality and not grope in the dark. otherwise what is going to happen? do we see the end of the empire? the empire that has been sustained through the use of force and wars.

the advantage with obama is that he is not a nixon. nixon was a cynic. country has had presidents, many of them were cynical. others were ignorant. reagan was a total ignoramus. we had president carter, who was a decent human being, or president roosevelt. 2 atom bombs would not have been launched over hiroshima or nagasaki. it was done by truman, who was ignorant and irresponsible. he did not drop these weapons against military objectives. there was no need to drop these bonds. the japanese were already defeated.

the emperor had already made the decision to put an end to that war. before nuclear weapons were dropped, one was dropped, then a second one. do you know the power that nuclear weapons possessed, accumulated worldwide? for example, just comparing the destructive capacity of those first two bombs and those that are today stockpiled by mankind, the u.s. and russia, the explosive power of the weapons accumulated worldwide are equivalent to 450,000 times greater power than the two weapons that destroyed hiroshima and nagasaki.

it does not seem very meager. it is so destructive. what is left after that destructive power? nothing. thank you. >> dear commander fidel, comrades, we feel enormous satisfaction to be here, once again seeing you, after all the time that has elapsed since your recovery. we have always been thinking of you. we have always had here with us day by day. throughout this time, you have been our open reference that we can consult. you have maintained us up today

about the world. you have kept us informed about the evil causes and effects of current capitalism. you have warned us of the dangers that the human species faces with the deterioration of the environment, and in recent days, you have also reflected upon the real possibility of the unleashing of a large-scale conflict. we still can't imagine its ultimate consequences, as we are well aware in this very complex world of contradictions. commander, we have placed all of our hopes inside the caribbean. that is why we would like like you to discuss your perspectives about the political scenario for latin america over the next few years. that in some countries, we will

see presidential elections coming up. thank you very much. pres. castro: well, comrade, i at the outset thought that the war would be unleashed, and on the basis of that, i thought it would be unavoidable. and i tried to imagine who would be spared this? who would be spared the immediate total destruction? and i realized there was one region -- one reason nuclear weapons does not threaten anyone, and there was no reason to launch any bombs against this region -- i am referring to latin america and the caribbean. stretching from the u.s. border all the way to patagonia.

i don't think the falklands will merit being hit by bombs. i don't know. but latin america does not possess any weapons, as well as a part of africa. we had our medical brigades deploying near australia, in east timor. there we have deployed physicians and hope they will not be affected. what are the effects of the spread of radioactive emissions? we know that in the desert in the united states, in arizona, nevada, throughout that region, the americans conducted many atmospheric tests without telling anyone. i remember once when khrushchev,

he exploded a 20 megaton bomb, which is 100 times more destructive than the bombs over hiroshima and nagasaki. and it was launched into the atmosphere. there were radioactive emissions over many areas. but how many of those kinds of tests have taken place? i don't know. when i spoke with economists for the center of the global economy, they are asking, what can be done given a situation like that?

a very challenging situation. one of my colleagues said, what do you think about this scenario? this sounded like a science-fiction scenario -- what if everything were destroyed? but what of the latin american countries were spared? if you are in a situation like that as an economist, what would you recommend? that was the question i posed to these economists. i continued to reflect further on this. i reached this conclusion. and i have absolutely no doubt when you ask me a question with the scenario i have assumed, and i met with this center a month ago, and i have been reading constantly news coming from other areas. today the objective has to be even greater and more lofty. if there is a nuclear war and we

are able to preserve our scientific knowledge, never have we seen such a history. there has never been another instance where we have seen any other species like human beings -- human beings are the first that only date back a few thousand years. we know that we also have the big bang theory. all of these scientific advances have, the religious theologians know this, the theory is harder

and harder to sustain, they have to reinterpret their teachings. i have pointed this out in an article, who talked about the evolution of man. evolution doesn't just go back 18,000 years. 18,000 years ago, there was just fire and matter. evolution begin on the planet with the first microorganisms. that does not diminish the theologian's interpretation.

but regarding the notion of time -- what is the notion of time? time is something invented by men. man invented time. and how do we explain the beginning of time? that is what science has tried to contribute to. we know that the sun is not eternal. even the angels talk about the final extinction of the sun. of course that would end our sources of energy. therefore, if we are going to situate ourselves properly, some of these previous concepts were mentioned don't contribute to a solution by the problems.

we all hope that we are realistic in the way we view the problem. let's not try to focus our solutions and approaches with old ideas. we need to look at the real nature of these threats. we need to find new approaches to the problem. >> thank you, good morning. commander, i just wanted to say that i, just as everyone else who has come here to listen and learn from you, and frequently you have sent that if hitler's had had a people like the cuban people, he would never have done what he did.

i think it is only through your examples, through your teachings, through your inspiration, and with a highly educated people, you can overcome the most malicious threat, which is u.s. imperialism. [applause] pres. castro: well thank you. you reminded me -- yesterday you sent me a picture with your children. i want to thank you for that. i heard you at the monument to jose martin. you spoke there, and you have picked up on these new ideas. that is the issue.

you have your own ideas. all i'm saying, i am warning, we need to make sure we make the most of our time. sometimes we talk and talk, and we are at the midnight hour, and we have not addressed the true challenges. i never thought i would have to rate. -- have to reiterate this often. that is why i would like to offer the floor to the next speaker. >> i am from the rio province. comrades, esteemed colleagues, i am going to be brief.

we have, over the last few days, been reviewing some historic documents. i have found the biography of alfred nobel. i just want to read two lines from his writings, in his will and testament. he said "what is left of my fortune will be distributed in the following way: the capital will be invested in stocks, and this will serve as a fund, whose interests will be distributed every year, and that during the prizes will be for those who the previous year have an responsible for providing the greatest benefit to mankind.

another part of his last will and testament, after he talked about literature, he said "part of my will will be given to those who have worked most arduously and diligently in strengthening brotherhood, and for reducing or eliminating existing armies, and celebrating and promoting peace processes. and now we find a nobel peace prize that mankind is facing. we have simone perez from israel, who is also facing threats, and in our own country's hemisphere, we are facing a situation in costa

rica, where we also have a nobel laureate. we know that many challenges are being faced in terms of weapons of destruction. you, comrade fidel, without being a nobel laureate, you are working and struggling to spare mankind from these threats. and i also ask, what is the role of all of the nobel laureates worldwide in this struggle that you are so involved in? and what with the nobel foundation say? i also think that walter who is with us, we heard his program --

he says our only -- i think walter is going to have to add to his report, and in my opinion commander. pres. castro: thank you. that is very interesting. let me be specific on this point, a point that we need to analyze. i am being very straightforward. i have three questions. these, i think everything hinges on these three questions. this is a question for all of you who are present here, the representatives, those who

represent the press, just to consider -- this is a question for everyone, those you are here in the plenary. you can respond. just jot this down. that the powerful empire, if it were to withdraw his demand that iranian merchant ships the inspected? that is a question. my next question, for all of the cubans that are at this meeting,

does anyone think that the iranians, a 1000-year-old culture which is much more closely associated with the cult of death than we are, you think they would not show the courage that we have shown to of those the demands of the united states? let me reiterate. does anyone think that the iranians, a 1000-year-old culture which is more closely

related to the concept of death than we are -- do you think that they will not show the same courage that we have shown in opposing the demands of the united states? and next, a third question would be for everyone that is present here. are there any solutions to this contradiction? and i would add -- well, i won't say exactly what i added, but i like to have you try to answer these questions. i think everyone hinges on

these. >> miguel gonzalez has the floor. >> commander, my family, my son and i, we feel totally committed to our people, the world, and to the american people. on behalf of my family, i would like to convey to the american

people, and to the president of the united states, if they could hear me or my son, that they ensure that families throughout the world, the families of our 5 heroes will hopefully be able to come back and join their families as we do. thank you. [applause] >> i like to offer the floor to representative ortega suarez. >> commander in chief, fidel castro, president of the council state raul castro, representatives, special guests,

friends -- you, commander, have discussed the need to persuade barack obama. you have given us the inspiration we need for effecting this change. what you said this morning, you provided us with a change for renewing our hopes to ensure that things can change. i would like to just briefly refer to what happened during the previous people's assembly mating -assembly meeting, where our comrade called upon us to mobilize urgently. as we did that.

we received interview held very quickly almost an immediate call to action. we received the document passed by the congress in english, french, and spanish. we were able to distribute that too many organizations worldwide. these messages were quickly disseminated. it was a very rapid mobilization. the results were obvious. you, commander are calling on us to mobilize in order to prevent this nuclear war. that is the call to action. we need to ask ourselves, what needs to be done? those three questions you posed are very clear. currently the world council of churches and secretary-general, on the basis of what you mention in hiroshima and nagasaki, have

issued a declaration against nuclear war. and the commission on international affairs has also addressed these issues very directly. last year, the evangelical women's conference sent a letter to barack obama. because on thanksgiving, the u.s. president can issue a release for our five heroes. we thought in november, the release would take place. but we will reiterate, because we have the next thanksgiving coming up this year. we will once again ask that our five euros be released -- five heroes be released. i don't know if the international commission on affairs, if a special commission could guide us in terms of the mobilization efforts conducted

immediately after this assembly, with all of our resources. what specific actions need to be implemented, that includes answering the questions you already posed, that refer to the resistance i the iranian people? and those people will resist the way we did. we need to focus on new commissions. on our affairs as cubans, all of the efforts that we need to move forward with after your inspiring words this morning, where you call upon us almost with the same urgency as the efforts for combating illiteracy that cuba was involvedin.

yes we can. we can mobilize many forces today to prevent nuclear war, to join ranks with those countries that are on the verge of war, and to do what we need to do. i would like to hear you, to hear your words, and perhaps guide us on the kind of initiatives we could undertake today as members of the assembly, as members of the party, or as citizens of this country. thank you. [applause] pres. castro: you responded very well. i am very satisfied with the answer. you have pointed out what needs to be done.

and that is, we need to continue with the maximum amount of energy following what you said, spreading the word with as many people as possible to convey that message. you also talk about specific dates. you were hoping for example that comrades would have been released by that date. i thought that one week is too little time. december is too long. [applause]

>> i wanted to take the floor cubaneak on behalf of the university students who are very joyful to see our commander here once again leading our people in -- complexcts challenges. i think of our athletes who

represented our country in our recent international competition. they were a little while ago crowned champions. in the international year of use, students and progressives around the world are waiting to 16th anniversary of the students for peace and solidarity and social transformation. will overcome imperialism. we will develop in particular content, south africa, uneventful that will be devoted to two very important figures in history who are nelson mandela and fidel castro. [applause] commander, what message would you impart on the thousands of young people, students that will

be in that continent? well, it would be the same message more or less that i conveyed to the cuban youth leaders, that i conveyed when i spoke with them. [applause] -- rcon about where are you? >> here i am in the last row. >> you asked for the floor. >> i'm here, back here. >> did you ask for the floor? >> i'm just reflecting on your three questions and i will respond to them. [applause]

suarezando fernandez has the floor. commander in chief, hernando fernandez swears, i represent the people's council. commander, specifically, very you thinkwhat do could be the role of the european union to try to prevent conflict? and i would like to get your opinion regarding the importance .f russia and china

after not having vetoed the security council resolution, but how significant is that? gerardo, i don't want to judge events that took place, whether they were done correctly or not. what is important is what will be done now. and i know that they are decisively carrying out efforts to prevent war. and i think that is very positive. i think that answers your question. [applause] ramirez.anuel

>> dear commander in chief. i have taken a lot of notes. your comments. that's one thing you said you have to be an analyst and ,ot look at things with old traditional ideas. you need to find new approaches to these challenges. so there were a couple of things the that made me reflect in province -- made me reflect. heade province, i am the of the teachers association. and we were able to establish .elations with u.s. teachers we received a large delegation of teachers from the u.s. in our

province. cuba,isited santiago de provinces. other and i come as part of the leadership, i was able to establish contact with many american educators. now communications have broken off. perhaps i need to make enough for it to restore many of these contacts and friends. and i realize in this analysis, in the ideal and put the struggles, where people need to know one another, i think this is something we need to focus. and i found outstanding educators who have a great deal of admiration and experience in our country. i met with 10 educators who had been selected to go to the

united states. and my family was, like, are you going to do this? finally, i was not given the authorization to go. but now i am ready to try to establish that closer cooperation. i know that many educators who theird and show showation and they will the struggle we are facing now. the other question you addressed had to do with -- and this is for all of the cubans at this meeting. do you believe that the iranians , who are much more facing death than we do, do you think that they would not have the courage to face the u.s.?

we, the cuban people, who love life, love life more than death, we have struggled for many years and we continue to love life. .e continue to struggle and we ensure that those who -- and we know that this is very important. that the doubt resists will be able to for as long as necessary. they will never yield to the demands of the u.s. government. that is what i wanted to say, commander. and i wish you the best of health on behalf of the people of granma.

commander in chief. long live our nation. long live our revolution. [applause] >> i represent the municipality. i would like to congratulate you on your upcoming birthday. do you think israel could be persuaded to not attack iran that would then unleash a war? thank you. >> no. [applause]

>> frank fernandez has the floor. >> dear fidel raul and all of our comrades here. i share the same emotion of everyone else by seeing you here. you know how much we admire you and how much we are pleased to see you here so strong and clear. sometimes many of us feel we're in awe at the brilliance of your memories and your comments. could you guide the assembly? there's something very important that concerns me. among the artists, there's no doubt that there's majority of artists have always been against war. and they have used their talents

and their talents to go -- to show their antiwar sentiments. but many people, many citizens, who -- and sometimes we believe that by saying something, that that's enough. and you know -- not all, but a significant portion of the world knows that what comes out of cuba are always censured, they are not disseminated by the mainstream media. so i was thinking about this. and i asked if all of the admirers, the fans of artists would like to send a letter, what means could be used? i know that in some cases they may not have internet services. they may not have the information. but what could you suggest to make that dissemination effective?

because you might think, well, i agree with this. i have the same desire to save the world. and to do what has already been discussed to prevent the destruction of the planet, to prevent war, to address economic and financial crises. as you have explained and i think it's understood by almost everyone, but how could we convey these messages? how can we tell the average person that shares the same feelings as we do? and sometimes we ask ourselves, how can i send a letter to obama? how can i ensure that my ideas are disseminated? is there any possibility? could you just provide us with any suggestions? that's my question. >> well, i would not advise that you send a letter to obama because millions of letters are sent.

and he'll never read what your comments are. now, you asked me a question. what can be done -- what can you do to disseminate your opinions? that are positive ones. and i would just ask you to continue to think about how to resolve this problem because i don't have an answer, a specific answer to your question. i don't have an answer. i can't say how to do it. i'm sure there's thousands of ways to do it. i think you've already enumerated some. you must know many people that have internet, the internet. and that's what i suggest. that you find those ways. >> comrades, i ask that we need to be even more brief brief, and we need to now conclude our meeting because this meeting should convey a very clear message.

in addition to the comments -- the comments by fidel is that we need to urgently take action, to do it in a creative way as well. over the last -- we've spoke at length about this and ofelia already gave an example about the action we took with herardo. we know she's a representative that honors this legislature. she's a member of the world council of churches. in fact, once i called her to ask that she take some steps in addressing the many challenges faced by the group of five. we know ofelia had been sending a lot of e-mails and getting in

touch with so many people around the world. that is what needs to be done. and what i said to the members of the commission on international relations, not just to approve a formal document or declaration, you need to think of new creative ways to think how we can replace that machinery of misinformation generated by the empire that can use all of the cutting-edge technology. but that cutting-edge technology is at our fingertips as well. we need to use that to the utmost effectiveness. i don't think this is the time to formulate a work plan, but it

is the time to at least assume a specific commitment that we will do everything possible, just with an example. herardo hernandez, i've always said the same thing, that whatever we do for the five, the group of five, is not enough compared to what the group of five has done for themselves. and they've done that in isolation, in the case of herardo, he didn't have any technology available. just the phone and written correspondence. letters that they tried to answer. they have contacts with thousands of people throughout the planet and from prison, they respond to each and every letter. so if they can do it with their limitations, imagine what those of us who are free can do.

as my colleague, celia, once said, the idea is to add love and devotion to what we do. i hope that this is what the discussion would conclude, the message that we would conclude with. once again, not just -- i want to thank you for not just having come to the national assembly, to discuss issues and listen to us and to respond to such vital issues, this has been going on for quite a long time. in fact, no one on this planet is doing so much for peace and for the salvation of our planet than comrade fidel. [applause] >> i understand that he has other things he has to do. his appearance here is not the

only task he has today to do. he has many other tasks. 'and he fulfills, carries them out with the revolutionary passion and energy that characterizes him. so i'd like to ask fidel, comrade fidel, to provide us with the final conclusions for this special assembly. excuse me, commander. commander. commander. you have asked three questions. and i was just saying that i was responding -- and please excuse me since elarcon had the floor. i don't want this assembly to

end without having stated the commitment that we have, the weapons of the empire, we know they may be deployed, but the conflict with iran is going to be very serious. we see in the cemetery an empire. and when fidel calls us with his firm body of knowledge, we have enough arguments to convince obama, but we have to determine whether president obama is intelligent enough to be convinced. he can resolve these enormous contradictions. he has the solution, but he needs to move quickly and show himself willing to shed himself, to make himself free of these limitations. thank you. [applause] >> well, i would like to ask if you've had an opportunity to get a copy of the book, "victory and strategy." all right.

i know several of you do have it. others who don't, i know it's not easy to get because it's still being published. i think we have up to 60,000 copies printed. the book is now being sold. for every book that is sold, five will be distributed or sold

either in pesos or will be gifts. so we'll resolve this. i also -- i committed myself once the book was launched that i would have the second book published, the strategic counteroffensive, and i've been working on this. i've been working on the book over the last few days. and it's almost ready. many of the ideas are already written. and i'm not going to describe the events of a battle that i wrote about and who participate.

obviously, i need to use a lot of historical materials, documents and put them all together. but that's almost ready. and i hope that there's going to be enough time to publish that book and be able to submit it to you. the other day i was saying -- obviously my most important concern and activity was to hold this meeting. this is the culmination of my efforts. tomorrow i'm going to have the pleasure of meeting with visiting venezuelan journalist walter mario vanessa. that has already been agreed upon.

and others who are also coming to visit. and i think it's going to be a very useful meeting so that we can discuss the same questions that i already posed to you. and except for other issues that may arise, i'm also going to discuss the official launching of the book. for now i have nothing else to do, and i think i have extra time. we have to start thinking, all of us, as the poet said, we need to -- what's the literary prize that was given? i know that pays a major reward. now, i believe that because of the humor, the profound ideas, i think we need to disseminate that poem.

well, that's all i had to say. nothing else, comrades. just thank you very much. for your attention and hopefully we will see each other again soon. [applause]

>> in a written statement, president obama reacted to the death of fidel castro by offering condolences to the castro family and saying -- and the following statement comes from president-elect donald trump. >> c-span, where history unfolds daily. in 1979, c-span was created as a public service by america's cable television companies. and it is brought to you today by your cable or satellite provider. >> coming up next to a

discussion on the state of civil rights after the 2016 election. "washingtonowed by journal" with your phone calls in today's headlines. then at 10:00, newsmakers with vivek ecca murphy -- dr. murthy and addiction in the u.s.. earlier this month, several leaders and scholars gathered to discuss 2016 election results and the state of civil rights, including the right to vote. this conference took place in newark, new jersey, hosted by the institute of the black world 21st century. this is two hours. >> as-salamu alaykum. praise the lord. and every greeting that we know as a people. i think the mic can just stay up.