Centenary of Fidel Castro Commemorated Through Philately

Cuba’s José Martí National Library served as the venue on February 18 for a commemoration of the centenary of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro through philately.

As part of the Camino al Centenario series, Professor Juan Hernández Machado—recipient of the 2012 National Philately Award and secretary of activities of the Cerro Philatelic Circle—presented the lecture Lo más importante: la niñez y la juventud. In his remarks, he emphasized how the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution gradually became aware of the importance of these stages of life and everything he carried out to promote the development of these age groups, as well as their incorporation into the revolutionary project.

Hernández Machado, also a member of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) and the National Union of Historians of Cuba (UNHIC), spoke before a group of twelfth‑grade students from José Miguel Pérez Pérez Pre‑University Institute. They were accompanied by their teachers and by Yahíma Huerta, ideological secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Young Communist League in Havana. The students found this first experience of approaching history through philately highly instructive.

Also in attendance were Roque López Ruiz, president of the Cuban Philatelic Federation; Víctor Manuel Falcón, president of the Cerro Philatelic Circle; representatives of the Fidel Castro Ruz Center and the Cuban Postal Museum; as well as philatelists, historians, literacy campaign veterans, revolutionary combatants, and philately enthusiasts from Havana’s Cerro municipality.

Gabriel Vega Acosta, president of the Federation of Secondary Education Students at the school, expressed his gratitude, on behalf of his classmates and himself, for the presentation, through which they learned important episodes of the life and work of the Commander in Chief that had previously been unknown to them.

The importance of such encounters with history for young people was underscored, and another event considered highly beneficial for students will be scheduled.

In this way, organizers put into practice what Fidel stated on May 11, 1959, during an event held at the University of Havana: “Our youth must strive to acquire the knowledge that is most useful to the nation at every moment.”