Cuba marks centenary of Fidel Castro’s birth amid deepening economic crisis

Cuba commemorated the 100th anniversary of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro's birth on Thursday, amid one of the most severe economic and political crises in its history. Over 1,500 activists and solidarity representatives from 60 countries arrived in Cuba for the international conference marking Castro's legacy. President Miguel Diaz-Canel emphasized the relevance of Castro's guidance for overcoming current challenges.

The US has imposed an oil embargo and tightened sanctions since January, exacerbating the crisis with power outages exceeding 20 hours daily, crippling economic activities, and pushing the national electricity system to brink of collapse. To address the situation, the Cuban government approved an array of 176 measures to introduce private and foreign investment in the economy.

While some reforms have been implemented, such as increased US fuel exports to private businesses, social and economic inequalities have deepened. Some residents in Havana expressed nostalgia for Castro's leadership in the face of economic crisis and political uncertainty. However, history professor Fabio Fernandez noted that current leaders have not fully lived up to Castro's example, and many believe the country would be different if Fidel were still leading.