Aleida Guevara March, the eldest daughter of revolutionary figure Ernesto "Che" Guevara, became emotional and broke down in tears while discussing dictator Fidel Castro during a seminar held in Havana to celebrate his legacy. The moment, captured in a video by Canal Caribe, quickly spread across social media platforms.
The brief 35-second clip reveals Guevara visibly moved as she uses a Portuguese word to express her feelings for Castro, nearly a decade after his passing.
"There's a word in Portuguese that's very beautiful, which doesn't exist in Spanish, but it's a blend called saudade. And that's what I feel for Fidel, an immense saudade," the pediatrician shared with the event's attendees.
Her words further highlighted the lasting influence Castro has on her life: "I can talk about my father with ease, but talking about Fidel is still difficult for me." She added, "I still need him to discuss, to see how we're doing, the path we're forging, and those are things only he could do."
The video was recorded during the 1st International Colloquium "Fidel: Legacy and Future," held at the Havana Convention Palace from August 10 to 13, 2026, as part of the official events marking the centenary of Castro's birth on August 13, 1926.
Over 1,500 delegates from 63 countries gathered for the event amid a national crisis.
The Stark Contrast with Cuba's Reality
Guevara's tears for the dictator, who passed away on November 25, 2016, starkly contrast with the harsh reality faced by millions of Cubans.
In 2026, the island is enduring one of its worst economic crises in decades: endless blackouts, shortages of food, medicine, and fuel, and a GDP decline estimated at up to 6.5%, according to independent analyses.
Cuba's economy has contracted by approximately 15% since 2020, according to data from Infobae, making the nostalgic declarations of regime figures a difficult contrast to ignore for those suffering from the crisis daily.
A Controversial Figure on the Rise
Far from being an isolated incident, Guevara's tears for Castro add to a series of public appearances that have sparked controversy in recent months.
In August 2025, she was spotted shopping in a Havana dollar market, a privilege denied to most Cubans.
At the end of January 2026, Cuban activists confronted her in Seville during the 4th International Meeting Europe for Cuba, where activist Brayan Infante told her, "your father was a murderer," to which she responded, "that's not true."
In March 2026, she appeared on a channel aligned with Iran, defending Hamas and Hezbollah. In June, she tearfully called Ramiro Valdés, a historic Cuban Revolution leader who passed away on June 21, 2026, at age 94, "uncle."
Just days before this latest incident, she labeled self-employment as "a small cancer within our society."
Nostalgia for Power While the People Suffer
Aleida Guevara's words reveal the worldview of an elite mourning their historical leaders while the population they ruled faces blackouts, hunger, and an unprecedented exodus.
For Guevara, Castro was the irreplaceable interlocutor guiding the way. For millions of Cubans, that path resulted in 67 years of dictatorship, structural scarcity, and repression. This divide, more than any tear, defines the true legacy of the regime she defends.
Insight into Cuba's Current Crisis
What is the current economic situation in Cuba?
Cuba is currently experiencing one of its worst economic crises in decades, with long blackouts, shortages in food, medicine, and fuel, and an estimated GDP decline of up to 6.5%.
Who attended the International Colloquium "Fidel: Legacy and Future"?
The event was attended by over 1,500 delegates from 63 countries, held in Havana as part of the centennial celebrations of Fidel Castro's birth.
How does Aleida Guevara view Fidel Castro?
Aleida Guevara sees Fidel Castro as an irreplaceable figure, describing her feelings for him as an immense saudade, and expressing difficulty in discussing his legacy.