Translated “Avante!” article by Ângelo Alves, member of the PCP Political Committee and member of the International Department
The news was released early morning. “One of our own” had just passed away, a History giant, and that, at the same time, was always so near, “ as one of our own”. One of the greatest revolutionaries of the XX century history had just died, and whose struggle and life inspired and ought to carry on to inspire successive generations of fighters for freedom, justice, progress, peace and socialism.
Comrade Fidel left us, the Cuban Revolution historical leader, a notable statesman, a fighter of arms and ideas, a communist that joined courage, determination and firmness to his ideas and revolutionary action, an outstanding humanism, extreme sensitivity, a no-boundary creativity, not only the principles and justice, but a love for his people and his homeland, unto the limit of his own life.
The date was very special. Sixty years before, on November 25th 1956, Fidel embarked, together with 82 revolutionaries, belonged to the Movement 26 July (1)- among which Che Guevara, Raul Castro and Camilo Cienfuegos – in the Granma yacht, on its way to Cuba. They left Mexico, where they lived in exile, in the sequence of a violent repression, following the attack to the Moncada Barricks., in order to, a week after, land in Cuba and begin the heroic armed struggle from Sierra Maestra, which had as an outcome the taking over of Havana, on December 31st 1958, unto the Revolution and the liberation of the people of Cuba, from one of the most ferocious and corrupt Latin America dictatorships and the submission unto the USA.
Fidel’s life trajectory is confounded with the history of the free and independent Cuba building. Following Marti’s liberating ideals, that inspired him, Fidel and many other revolutionaries built what was and is currently, its greatest deed: the Revolution and an independent Cuban homeland, a sovereign people, aware of its historical role, concerning the society revolutionary change.
In more than half a century, the people of Cuba, the socialist Revolution, the Communist party and Fidel changed a decadent island, a giant casino and brothel, at the service of USA corrupt elites, into a world symbol of resistance, hope and dignity. A country built by its people, according with its collective decisions.
Illiteracy, poverty, and under- development gave place to a country, that although with problems and under a criminal blockade, as long as the Cuban revolution, is currently the 44º country in the world with the highest index of human development, where illiteracy and child labour are eradicated, child mortality and unemployment are residual, holding some of the most developed and efficient education and health systems, in the world.
Cuba inspired and inspires revolutionaries throughout the world, to proceed with confidence, the struggle towards socialism, teaching them, at the same time, there are not Revolution models, and the greatest critics of these revolutionary processes, are the revolutionaries themselves, as Fidel was.
Fidel left us, but his work, his tireless and passionate struggle, remains amid the reality of the people of Cuba and the legacy he left Humanity. During these days, the world of freedom, justice, progress and peace bow with respect , admiration and confidence before this man´s trajectory that became an icon, for his ideas and project , he fought for ,till the end of his days. The rest, is insolence and hatred, not to be mentioned in these lines.
To the Cuban people and comrades, a solidarity embrace! Viva Fidel! Viva Socialist CUBA! Hasta Siempre, Comandante! We shall overcome”!
(1) The underground revolutionary movement, which led to the Moncada Barricks attack, on July26th 1953, against Fulgêncio Baptista dictatorship, and dissolved in 1961, within the framework of the political process that conducted to the creation of the Cuba Communist Party, in 1965.