May 1, 1963 - The Soviet Union saluted Premier Fidel Castro today in a huge May Day celebration in Moscow and accused the U.S. of aggression against his Cuban regime. In a militant speech to troops in Red Square, the Soviet Defense Minister, Marshal Rodion Malinovsky, asserted that the U.S. and its allies were pursuing a “provocative policy” that risked the outbreak of nuclear war. Castro, who stood on the tribunal of the Lenin Mausoleum beside Premier Khrushchev, heard the marshal denounce the U.S. in vehement terms. “Crudely violating the elementary norms of international law, the imperialists continue to carry on a policy of aggressions and provocations toward Cuba, supporting and encouraging the piratical activities of enemies of the Cuban people,” the Defense Minister charged. Hailing “the heroic Cuban people who are building Communism,” Marshal Malinovsky greeted their “national hero and leader, Comrade Fidel Castro.” Castro, in a dress khaki uniform and blue beret, was attentive during a 10-minute parade of rocket carriers, atomic cannon tanks, and other armored vehicles. Among the rockets displayed were several long-range types, possibly similar to those placed in Cuba and removed without Cuba’s approval by Premier Khrushchev after the confrontation with the U.S. last October.
