On August 13, 2026, it will be a century since the birth of an indispensable man for the history of his country. Heir to the most genuine of revolutionary thought, promoter of socialist society and undisputedly responsible for a small Island, 90 miles from the United States, to have managed to build a society different from the stigmas established for the so-called Third World nations.
We will celebrate his life and main legacy: example. We will return to Fidel with poems, songs and tributes. We will fill public spaces and media with images and activities. But will it be enough?
Starting with the interview as a literary genre, such as Fidel and Religion, conversations with Brazilian theologian Frei Betto; A Grain of Corn, by Nicaraguan Commander Tomás Borge; One Hundred Hours with Fidel, by journalist Ignacio Ramonet; and more recently Fidel Castro. Guerrillero del tiempo (Guerilla Fighter of Time), by Katiuska Blanco, just to mention a few, Fidel transmitted us the vision of his evolution as a human being, the family and social environment that conditioned his childhood, the student struggles, the transcendental moments of greatest rejoicing and the most distressing ones of the revolutionary process, from the assault to the Moncada barracks, until reaching the triumph on January 1, 1959; and then, the events that have marked the imprint of the Revolution in power.
The value of these testimonies is exceptional; first, because it represents the perspective of his life, and second, because it allows to define milestones and breaking points to appreciate the evolution of his strategic thinking.
Those who study him can count on an extraordinary volume of speeches and interventions, interviews, appearances and messages, in which he did not skimp on providing precise elements, at the time of explaining, of convincing, about certain circumstances and events, which allowed him to establish a surprising connection with the people.
We can also turn to the books and reflections he wrote, with the intention of warning about controversial, strategic and crucial issues, to banish any misrepresentation, and in which his will to defend the truth at all costs prevailed. The team of researchers of the Fidel Castro Ruz Center has been working for two years in the selection of his Selected Works and the corresponding annotation of these, a collective effort in which we have counted on the contribution of institutions and experts: more than 600 documents of diverse typologies, arranged in 23 volumes. The challenge of such an important work will be its socialization, its use in digital platforms and its subsequent translation.
Within our historiography there is a large number of texts on different events and historical periods related to Fidel. Until today, the greatest attention has fallen on the events that took place before the revolutionary triumph. However, there is still a debt with the history of the Cuban Revolution and its transforming work.
On the occasion of its centenary, the main axioms of its political, philosophical, military, social and cultural thought should be analyzed in depth; the dimensions of its intellectual organization, its anti-imperialism and profound Latin Americanism should be valued. In addition, to examine his contribution to the search for unity among revolutionaries and the role he granted to the Communist Party of Cuba as the political vanguard of the nation. In Fidel there is an organic symbiosis of Marxism and the revolutionary thought of José Martí, which condition his leadership in the construction of a socialist society, just and adjusted to our realities and conditions, not a copy or a copy of other models in the world.
Necessarily, we must delve into the essence of his thought, his reflections on the present and future of Cuba and the human species; the unity of the leftist forces for the long-awaited continental revolution. Fidel optimistic and supportive, convinced that only Cubans can build a better future, without retreating one iota in the principles that sustain a Revolution of more than six decades.
To unveil his resolute character, sensitivity and deep sense of humanity; to do so, it will be necessary to get rid of any hint of exaltation or mythification that would create indelible barriers between the Commander and his people.
Another premise should be to investigate his sense of friendship, his respect for opposing opinions, his capacity to establish relations with people of any origin, idiosyncrasy, cultural level or political affiliation, and to cover them with a veil of admiration, even those who did not share his ideas.
In the same sense, to privilege the study of strategies for the development of science, economy, agriculture, livestock and many other essential branches for socioeconomic development, in addition to his extreme confidence in the potential of the country and its people.
It is necessary to analyze the way in which he faced, timely and consciously, the mistakes of the revolutionary project, his courage in publicly acknowledging his errors, and his unavoidable respect for the people of Cuba.
There is still much to be studied about his contributions to the international policy of the Cuban Revolution, with special attention to the relations with the United States. We cannot forget his support for social movements, national liberation movements and leftist forces around the world in the search for independence, equity and social justice, as well as his exceptional sense of solidarity in all its dimensions.
There will hardly be an event of which he has not alerted us before from his deep knowledge of history, peoples and imperialism. It is essential to continue delving into his strategic-military thinking, the conceptions of guerrilla warfare, that of the whole people, and the principles of full freedom and national sovereignty.
Special attention deserves our children and young people, who did not have the opportunity to coincide in historical time with Fidel, who grow up subject to the distortion of history that abounds in social networks. We must reach them without empty slogans, with the codes and resources of these times.
The fundamental challenge is to encourage people to get to know Fidel, to love Fidel, to defend Fidel. There will be no better analysis than the one that each one, from the experience and the construction of knowledge, can make.
We historians must contribute with understanding, put in context, and make objective analyses that allow us to value the role of one of the most important revolutionaries of the 20th century, in all its dimension and in correspondence with the events that marked his life.
The mission is colossal, timeless and essential. The world needs today, perhaps as never before, men like Fidel.
* Deputy Director of the Fidel Castro Ruz Center
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