On the occasion of Fidel Castro's centennial, Cuba's government held a political-cultural event at Havana's Karl Marx Theater where President Miguel Díaz-Canel made a vow to uphold social justice. Despite this promise, millions of Cubans are enduring power outages lasting up to 25 hours a day, along with severe shortages of food and medicine.
The unpopular leader declared, "We will defend Cuba's social justice," during the event, which was broadcast on the state-run Canal Caribe and attended by Raúl Castro.
The official celebrations concluded with the closing of the first International Colloquium "Fidel: Legacy and Future," held from August 10 to 13 at Havana's Convention Palace, gathering over 1,500 delegates from 63 countries.
In his speech, Díaz-Canel invoked the legacy of the founder of Cuba's dictatorship to justify the regime's continuity, attributing the ongoing crisis to the US embargo, labeled by him as a "genocide" against the Cuban people, in the regime's customary rhetoric.
"From Fidel, we learned that we must always preserve three non-negotiable principles: the country's independence, the revolution, and the values and achievements that socialism represents," stated Díaz-Canel, quoting Castro directly.
Under this premise, he announced that Cuba is embarking on a "challenging process of economic and social transformations prioritizing the people's welfare and the social justice Fidel so ardently defended."
The speech followed a familiar pattern in 2026: using Fidel Castro's centennial as an ideological tool to legitimize the regime while the population grapples with one of the worst crises since the Special Period of the 1990s.
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) projects a 6.5% decline in Cuba's GDP for this year, with independent estimates pushing this contraction to 7.2%.
Official annual inflation reached 15.89% in May 2026, though independent calculations put it at nearly 70% in the informal market. Electricity outages extend to 20-25 hours daily in some areas, with a power generation shortfall of 1,800 to 1,955 megawatts.
Díaz-Canel also extended his gratitude to the foreign delegates at the international colloquium, presenting them as a symbol of support for the regime.
"The presence of so many people in a besieged, blockaded, harassed, and accused Cuba by the empire to prevent its example from inspiring others is the best monument we can raise to the memory of Fidel Castro Ruz on his first centenary," he stated.
Raúl Castro's appearance at the Karl Marx Theater was particularly significant, given his gradual retreat from public life. His most recent documented appearance before this was on May 1, during the Workers' Day event in Havana, where he was noted to be visibly frail.
The regime declared 2026 as the "Year of the Centenary of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz" in December 2025, organizing a comprehensive agenda of commemorative events—youth caravans, tree planting, and museum restorations—while the economic and energy crisis continues to deepen with no real signs of recovery.
Reuters confirmed that Cuba marked Fidel Castro's centennial on Thursday amid a severe economic crisis, with official events offering no concrete solutions to the population's plight.
Cuba's Economic and Social Challenges
What are the main challenges facing Cuba today?
Cuba is currently facing a severe economic crisis marked by persistent power outages, acute shortages of food and medicine, and high inflation, compounded by the US embargo.
How is the Cuban government responding to the crisis?
The government is pledging to undertake economic and social transformations emphasizing social justice, though many view these measures as insufficient in addressing the root causes of the crisis.
What was the significance of Raúl Castro's appearance at the centennial event?
Raúl Castro's presence was noteworthy as he has been increasingly absent from public life, making his appearance at the event significant in terms of symbolic support for the regime.