On the Threshold of a 2026 Marked by Essential Commemorations

For Cubans, 2026 opens as a year of profound significance. It will mark the 68th year of the Revolution; the centenary of the birth of the beloved Commander in Chief Fidel Castro—an occasion so exceptional that the year itself has been dedicated in his name; the tenth anniversary of his passing; and the 70th anniversaries of the Santiago de Cuba uprising led by Frank País García, the landing of the Granma, the historic meeting of Fidel and Raúl in Cinco Palmas, and the declaration of Cuba as a Territory Free of Illiteracy.

This year also brings the 158th anniversary of the outbreak of the 19th-century Wars of Independence. In this context, Cubans continue to recall the words of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro during the Commemorative Vigil marking One Hundred Years of Struggle, held at La Demajagua, when he affirmed that “in Cuba there has been only one Revolution: the one that began with Carlos Manuel de Céspedes on October 10, 1868, and which our people are carrying forward at this very moment.”

The nation will honor those who fell 65 years ago during the U.S. invasion at Playa Girón, as well as the proclamation of the socialist character of the Revolution and the decisive victory achieved in less than 72 hours—an operation led by Fidel himself, who directed the full tactical and strategic deployment against the mercenary forces.

Cubans will also commemorate the 65th anniversaries of the historic Words to the Intellectuals, delivered by Fidel in his dialogue with writers and artists; the founding of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC); and the creation in Guantánamo of the Border Battalion—today the Ramón López Peña Border Brigade. The Association of the Saíz Brothers will mark its 40th October this year.

A special celebration will accompany the 95th birthday of the leader of the Revolution and Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, who remains actively engaged alongside the Party and the Government, in close unity with the youth and the Cuban people.

Adding to this collective pride, the Pioneers Organization and its magazine will mark six and a half decades since their founding. The same span of time will have passed since the assassination in the Escambray of the young literacy teacher Manuel Ascunce Domenech and his peasant student Pedro Lantigua. The nation will also commemorate the 155th anniversary of the execution of the eight medical students. As every year, Cuba will pay tribute to General Antonio Maceo Grajales and his aide-de-camp Panchito Gómez Toro, this time on the occasion of the 130th anniversary of their death in combat.

Other major patriotic milestones will also be observed, including the 173rd anniversary of the birth of National Hero José Martí; the 97th anniversary of the assassination of student leader and communist Julio Antonio Mella; the 130th anniversary of the conclusion in Mantua, Pinar del Río, of the Invasion to the West led by Máximo Gómez and Antonio Maceo; the 50th anniversary of the promulgation of the Socialist Constitution of the Republic of Cuba; the 70th anniversary of the proclamation of the Revolutionary Directorate by José Antonio Echeverría and his comrades; and the 65th anniversaries of the founding of the childcare centers by Vilma Espín, the sabotage of the El Encanto department store, and the death of Fe del Valle.

Once again, on the eve of January 28, the streets of Cuba will be illuminated—this time to mark the 73rd anniversary of the Torchlight March carried out by the Generation of the Centenary.

The year 2026 offers the Cuban people a wealth of motivations. There is little need to explain in detail the reasons behind the renewed sense of commitment and determination felt today by those who live in Cuba and take part in its humanist project—a project marked by unquestionable achievements, by the awareness of being bearers of far-reaching rights and duties, and by the enjoyment of a long-dreamed-of and hard-won freedom. It is the expression of a people who stand before the world proud of their roots, their Revolution, and their history, with dignity and heads held high.

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez