[The Fourth International here is one associated with it's magazine in
Spanish: La Verdad. It has one of the largest Trotskyist pretense in
Latin America and Africa. It is based in Paris, France. It's best
known leaders have been Louisa Hanoune in Algeria, Tafasul Hussein in
Bangladesh and Pierre Lambert in France. This announcement was sent to
us by way of their US section: Socialist Organizer]
--David W.]

Celia Hart: Cuban Revolutionist

We were very saddened to learn of the death of Celia Hart Santamaría
and that of her brother, Abel. Celia was the daughter of Armando Hart
and Haydée Santamaría, early leaders of the Cuban Revolution. We
salute Celia's courage, her freedom of spirit, and her revolutionary
commitment.

Celia's political activity led her to promote the defense of the Cuban
Revolution throughout the world and, at the same time, to campaign for
the rights of all oppressed peoples, including the Palestinian people,
to self-determination. We should recall that Celia participated in the
November 2006 Conference in Algeria in solidarity with the working
women of Nazareth (Palestine).

After that conference, a delegation of the International Secretariat
of the Fourth International met with Celia. Our open and fraternal
discussion covered the fundamental questions of the Cuban Revolution,
the international situation, and the struggle waged the world over by
the Fourth International. Many years ago, Celia declared publicly that
she had become a Trotskyist. Based on this common reference, we found
that we had political agreement on many questions, but we also had
disagreements -- which we agreed to seek to resolve through ongoing
political discussion.

We were in agreement on the need to wage the struggle for the
unconditional defense of the Cuban Revolution against imperialism. We
agreed that revolutionary processes had been unleashed throughout
Latin America, most particularly in Venezuela and Bolivia. We agreed
that it was necessary in Venezuela to support Hugo Chavez at the time
of the recall referendum of December 4, 2007. Of course, Celia was a
critical thinker, including in relation to Chavez. While she supported
all steps forwarded taken by Chavez in terms of nationalizations,she
never hesitated to criticize Chavez when she thought he had made
political mistakes, such as was the case during his trip to Spain in
July 2008 when he went and met with the king.

Celia Hart was not a member of the Fourth International. Still, our
International Secretariat had reached an agreement with her to wage a
common struggle against imperialism and against the "free trade"
agreements (she was an endorser of the Second Continental Conference
held in Mexico City last April). But the discussion with Celia was
still under way on a series of key issues: the role of the
international working class, socialism in one country, the character
of the organizations (trade unions and political parties) constituted
by the working class in its struggles.

In Cuba, Celia followed closely the new policies promoted after the
departure of Fidel Castro's by his brother Raul. The future course of
the Cuban Revolution is a question of central importance for all
revolutionists, particularly those in the Americas. Celia was a full
participant in the discussions about how to defend and advance the
Cuban Revolution in this new situation, and she hoped that the Fourth
International would play its full role in this effort. These
discussions will continue, but unfortunately without her.

We will sorely miss our comrade Celia Hart; indeed, all militants
seeking the road to the workers' emancipation from capitalism will
miss her.

We salute her memory and we send our condolences to her father,
Armando Hart, to all his children, and to all her friends and comrades.

-- The International Secretariat of the Fourth International
(Paris, France)