The 26th of July stands as irrefutable proof of the fighting spirit of a people determined to remain sovereign, stated Manuel Marrero Cruz, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and Cuban Prime Minister, during the central act for National Rebellion Day held in Ciego de Ávila.
Led by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution, and Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and President of the Republic, 10,000 Avilanians gathered at the Major General Máximo Gómez Báez Revolution Square, representing all Cubans in honouring this historic date.
The Moncada epic taught us to turn setbacks into victory, emphasised the Cuban Head of Government. Therefore, the nation will not abandon its goal of remaining just, democratic, and free from external influence, upheld by internal unity as a protective shield and the anti-imperialist consciousness of its citizens.
In 2026, marking the centenary of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, the State will prioritise increasing national production, securing foreign currency, restoring the energy system, and strengthening socialist state enterprises to address issues undermining the people’s welfare.
Julio Heriberto Gómez Casanova, First Secretary of the PCC in the province, congratulated the Avilanians—undisputed protagonists of the region’s achievements—for their hard work throughout the year, which has borne fruit despite the intensified economic, commercial, and financial blockade and other interventionist measures imposed by the United States.
The central province’s selection as host for the anniversary celebrations stems from sustained progress in economic, political, and social spheres, with indicators spanning agro-food production, retail trade, tourism consolidation, and local development through science and innovation.
He also highlighted the province’s role in the Caribbean island’s history of struggle—as the epicentre of the strategy to extend the war for independence to the west, its revolutionary tradition, and the unbreakable spirit of its people during the tyrannies of neocolonialism.
The event, bridging a glorious past with a present of continuity, was attended by Revolution Commander Ramiro Valdés Menéndez and José Ramón Machado Ventura, Commander of the Rebel Army, both part of the historic generation.
During the solemn ceremony, tribute was paid to the heroes and martyrs of the 26th July 1953 uprisings—young members of the Centenary Generation, including Ramón Paz, Raúl Cervantes, Ricardo Pérez Alemán, José Ascanio Pérez, Patricio Sierralta, and others.
Demonstrating solidarity with the Caribbean island, 370 members of eight friendship projects from 23 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe joined the historic commemoration.
Osmael Omer, an Ethiopian who completed his university studies in Cuba, shared with the ACN his profound love for the nation that welcomed him as one of its own, as well as for Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, who enabled his professional training to contribute to his homeland’s development.
The central act recalled the Political Bureau’s resolution granting Sancti Spíritus province the status of «Outstanding,» alongside recognition for Guantánamo, with both territories’ highest authorities in attendance.
Also present were Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organisation of the PCC Central Committee; members of the Political Bureau and Secretariat of the Central Committee; representatives of the Council of State and Council of Ministers; leaders of youth and mass organisations; and other political and governmental officials from the nation and the province.
