The Government and people of Cuba are honouring Fidel Castro, considered by millions of citizens the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of his death being commemorated today.
As in previous years, the University of Havana will host a political and cultural evening, which will serve as the central tribute to the man who led the revolutionary movement on the island that, in 1959, removed the dictator Fulgencio Batista from power.
Convened by the University Student Federation, the tribute on the university steps is just one of the actions scheduled, with an identical purpose, in almost every corner of the Cuban geography.
Likewise, this Tuesday, the imprint of Fidel Castro will be evoked at the Casa de las Américas, through a conversation between creators and intellectuals organised by several institutions and organisations, including the Cuban chapter of the Network of Intellectuals, Artists and Social Movements in Defence of Humanity.
According to the announcement, the meeting at this capital institution will see the participation, via online, of recognised intellectuals from around the world who were close friends of Fidel Castro.
The human and historical significance of his thought and governmental management, plus the continued relevance of his legacy in Cuba, will be the subject of reflections.
From Pinar del Río to Guantánamo, on the Isla de la Juventud and in Cuban diplomatic headquarters, the tribute to Fidel, as he is commonly called in this land, began before the date.
Examples of this are the dedications to his legacy at the recent IX International Meeting on Agroecology and the national voluntary work day last Saturday, or the conversation «Luz de Aurora» at the José Martí Memorial in this capital.
From the official missions, there are abundant accounts of programmes to remember him, including the Embassy of Cuba in Belgium, whose members planted a «tree in homage to the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution,» as notified by the island’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The commemoration even transcends Cuban borders, since personalities and entities from various nations highlight his thought.
One example is the inauguration of a Natural Sciences museum, named Fidel Castro, at the state-run Casimiro Sotelo National University in Nicaragua.
For the Cuban Collaborative Encyclopedia EcuRed, Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, better known as Fidel Castro (Birán, Holguín, 13 August 1926 – Havana, Cuba, 25 November 2016) impelled and directed the Cuban people’s struggle for the consolidation of the revolutionary process, its advance towards Socialism, the unity of revolutionary forces and of all the people.
Furthermore, he led «the economic and social transformations of the country, the development of education, health, sport, culture and science, as well as confronting external aggressions and conducting an active foreign policy of principles.»
With fewer words, however, he is described or qualified by many Cubans, for whom he lies in the Santa Ifigenia Heritage Cemetery and, at the same time, lives on in every battle to vindicate or safeguard the nation.
