Fidel unites us
With the dawn’s first light, and the placement of a floral wreath beside the monumental boulder where the ashes of Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz rest, in Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, the tribute to the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution began on the third anniversary of his physical disappearance

Author: Eduardo Palomares Calderón | palomares@granma.cu
december 5, 2019 09:12:57

Photo: Eduardo Palomares
Santiago de Cuba – The city he called “the strongest stronghold of the Revolution,” marched again with Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz, on the third anniversary of Army General Raul Castro Ruz’s farewell.

The people of Santiago reiterated their response to U.S. imperialism that the tightening of the blockade brings greater unity among Cubans. Such determination marked the procession of thousands of workers, youth, students, and the city’s people in general, from Antonio Maceo Plaza de la Revolución, along Patria Avenue to the cemetery, re-enacting the journey of the small cedar urn bearing five letters: Fidel, with all the glory of the world.

The first tribute was the placement of a floral wreath before the monumental boulder in Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, in the name of the Cuban people, accompanied by Brigadier General José Solar Hernández and medical student Josefina Pósper Bruff, in the presence of Lázaro Expósito Canto and Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, members of the Party Central Committee and top party and government authorities, respectively, in the province.

“I think paying tribute to the father we had, and will always have, is a real honor,” said young musician Juan Guillermo Almeida.

Thus, once again, the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution has convoked the Cuban people, and, representing the entire nation, the city he visited on more than 150 occasions has marched en masse to show the world that continuity in Cuba means determination, loyalty, and unwavering commitment.

Fidel’s Cuba takes on the impossible
A reflection on the occasion of Fidel’s birthday – August 13, the 92nd anniversary of his birth – and a life well lived

Author: Yeilén Delgado Calvo | nacionales@granma.cu
august 13, 2018 09:08:26

Fidel delivers a speech circa 1960.

Photo: Osvaldo Salas
Life seems short to humans. We are but specks of light in the infinity of history. Death puts an end to material existence and inexorably arrives for all.
Defeating it, despite all the efforts of those have tried for centuries, can only be accomplished two ways: leaving love, sowed with kindness and devotion, or by developing ideas that surpass the personal to become shared property.
Few men and women have been able to do both and reach a sublime form of immortality. They cease to exist to become a people, and as the date of their deaths recedes in time, their presence continues to spread, like a fire.
Just saying their names is enough to feel their closeness, to sustain and encourage us in the joyful times and those of sacrifice. Thus Fidel remains in our hearts, and as always speaks to us of what makes our country great: the unity of our people facing the impossible.
We must believe in humanity despite the dark sides, to make a Revolution, and understand that the struggle does not end with the victory, but rather truly begins at that moment. This vision is what makes Fidel so magnetic: his caliber as a leader and his unquestionable authority had as their foundation great faith in the will of human beings to grow, and the analytical ability to see beyond the evident.
Amidst our current effort to achieve a Constitution that works for us, not only putting the society we are on paper, but also the society we want to be, it is no accident that today’s date marks the beginning of a time period when we are called upon to speak loud and clear, knowing that politics is the people’s business – something else Fidel taught us.
August 13 does not mark the beginning of a life that lasted 90 years, but rather of a spiral that will continue upward as long as there is someone repeating what has become a moral conviction: Comandante en Jefe, at your orders!

UN General Assembly honors Fidel
Organized by Cuba’s permanent commission to the UN, the special tribute was requested by a group of countries from several continents
Author: TELESUR | internet@granma.cu
december 21, 2016 09:12:32
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Fidel speaking at the UN in 1979. Photo: Jorge Oller

The United Nations, New York.— On December 20, the United Nations General Assembly paid tribute to the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, who died last November 25.
The special tribute was organized by Cuba’s permanent commission to the UN, following a request by a group of countries from several continents.
Representatives speaking on behalf of global and regional organizations recalled Fidel and his legacy, according to reports by Telesur.
Venezuela’s permanent representative to the UN, Rafael Ramírez, noted that his country is eternally grateful to Fidel for his support of the Bolivarian Revolution. “I had the privilege of hearing him speak, of meeting and working closely with this globally renowned politician,” he stated.
Ramírez described Fidel as a wise, modest man, loyal to his people and his socialism. “On behalf of Venezuela we pay heartfelt tribute to a giant of Latin America and the Caribbean, as Nicolás Maduro said, Fidel has fulfilled his task, history has absolved him, and now it’s our turn to uphold his name.”
Likewise, Dominican Ambassador, Francisco Cortorreal, speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), highlighted the importance of Fidel’s legacy for regional integration, based on the principles of sovereignty, peace, and solidarity among peoples, reported Prensa Latina.
Meanwhile, the Group of 77+China described the leader of the Cuban Revolution as an extraordinary statesman.
The UN’s solemn tribute to Fidel Castro began with a minute’s silence, after which Assembly President, Peter Thomson, highlighted the vision of the revolutionary leader, with his call to save the world from war, underdevelopment, hunger, poverty, and the destruction of natural resources vital to the survival of the human species.

Russian Institute grants 2016 Man of the Year award to Fidel
During a ceremony in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Orthodox Church, the Russian Biographical Institute grants award to the leader of the Cuban Revolution in memoriam

Author: Prensa Latina(PL) | internet@granma.cu
december 23, 2016 09:12:14

The Russian Biographical Institute granted its Man of the Year award to Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro in memoriam, in the category of international relations, for his brilliant contributions of international significance, diplomatic sources reported yesterday, December 22.
The ceremony took place in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Orthodox Church, according to Prensa Latina.
Cuba’s ambassador in Russia, Emilio Lozada García, received the recognition from the institution’s president, Sviatoslav Rybas, who emphasized Fidel’s role in revolutionary processes around the world, and in strengthening relations between Russia and Cuba.
He noted that the Biographical Institute’s expert council, which selects prizewinners, was planning to make the award in recognition of Fidel’s 90th birthday, when his lamentable death occurred.
The Cuban diplomat expressed gratitude for the award in the name of his people and government, and described Fidel’s November 25 death as a loss for Cuba, Latin America, and all of humanity.
For the last 24 years, the Man of the Year award has been granted to important figures in politics, culture, and science by this prestigious institution.
In the category of international relations, also recognized this year were Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation; Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China; and Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan.