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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, June 17, 2002

Referendum Starts in Cuba on Constitutional Reform

Thousands of Cubans Saturday participated in the first day of a referendum on a constitutional reform that would enshrine socialism in the country's constitution.


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Thousands of Cubans Saturday participated in the first day of a referendum on a constitutional reform that would enshrine socialism in the country's constitution.

In a televised speech before the referendum, Cuban leader FidelCastro said the imperialist control and the capitalist system should never come back to Cuba.

"We'll be faithful to the homeland, to the revolution and to socialism," Castro said in front of 50,000 people gathered in the sector of El Cacahual, Havana.

The commanders of the Revolutionary Defense Committee Ramiro Valdes, Juan Almeida and Guillermo Garcia, and other Cuban leaderscast their ballots.

Castro called the referendum on Thursday in response to a petition filed by mass organizations to the National Assembly of People's Power, the highest legislative body in the island country.

The referendum, which will continue until Tuesday, is in response to U.S. President George W. Bush, who had in an earlier speech conditioned a possible lifting of the 40-year-old blockade by Washington on the inside changes in the island.

More than 9 million Cubans, or 86 percent of the country's population, demonstrated on Wednesday around the country to denounce the Bush speech.


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