Venezuelan government's official event commemorating the 99th anniversary of Fidel Castro's birth, Caracas, August 13, 2025. Photo: Venezuela Presidential Press.
Venezuela commemorated the 99th anniversary of Fidel Castro’s birth with an official ceremony at the headquarters of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Casa Amarilla (the Yellow House), entitled “Fidel, always Fidel: Towards His Centenary.”
The event, held on Wednesday, August 13, highlighted the relevance of the thinking of the leader of the Cuban Revolution on Latin American integration and emphasized his legacy in diplomacy, social justice, and anti-imperialism.
Venezuelan and Cuban authorities and representatives of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) participated in the event.
The executive secretary of ALBA-TCP, Rander Peña, gave a presentation entitled “The Significance of Fidel for Latin American Integration.”
“Today marks a journey to commemorate the centenary of Commander Fidel Castro Ruz, but it is not a passive commemoration; we remember him for what he is and what he will continue to be,” said Peña.
He also pointed to the embrace between Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez in 1994 as the beginning of a historic alliance. This gesture marked the beginning of ALBA, founded on December 14, 2004 and referred to as “the daughter of infinite love between the peoples” of Cuba and Venezuela.
The Cuban ambassador to Venezuela, Dagoberto RodrĂguez Barrera, presented the talk, “The Relevance of Fidel’s Thought.” He highlighted Fidel Castro’s humanism, altruism, and commitment to social justice and freedom.
He also highlighted Castro’s anti-imperialist stance and his defense of environmental protection and peace. RodrĂguez emphasized that Fidel’s thinking continues to inspire struggles for self-determination and equality.
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The former Cuban ambassador to Venezuela, Germán Sánchez Otero, shared “Fidel’s Testimony and His Relation with Venezuela.” He spoke about Fidel’s visit to Caracas in 1948, when the revolutionary leader called on Latin American students to confront dictatorships and colonialism.
“Fidel had in mind the Cuban revolutionary project based on the history of Cuba and Latin America,” Sánchez said.
He also highlighted Fidel’s quote about BolĂvar: “BolĂvar must be followed, not by erecting statues, but by keeping him alive in history lessons.”
Cuban parliamentarian Elián González Brotons—who as a child was abducted by US authorities in Miami after his mother died at sea while trying to reach the US—and was returned to his father in Cuba after a diplomatic battle led by Fidel Castro, participated in the event, with the presentation “Comandante, Hope of the Peoples.”
González expressed his pride in being in Venezuela and highlighted the support of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez in his battle for return to Cuba. “What can bring more hope to a people, what can bring more hope to a father, than knowing that the leader of a country is concerned about a child?” he asked.
He emphasized that Fidel conveyed hope through solidarity, exemplified by the Cuban international medical program and the defense of the rights of oppressed peoples.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil presented “Fidel, Architect of Latin American and Caribbean Diplomacy of Dignity,” highlighting Fidel Castro’s influence on national liberation processes and Cuban internationalism.
He emphasized that Fidel’s teachings, along with those of BolĂvar, MartĂ, and Chávez, will remain relevant for centuries. He highlighted Fidel’s struggle for independence, justice, and human rights as pillars of his legacy.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SL
