Cuba marks Fidel Castro’s 100th birthday as his shadow still shapes a nation in crisis

HAVANA (AP) — Fidel Castro would have celebrated his 100th birthday on Thursday, and his enduring influence continues to shape Cuba as it grapples with a severe economic crisis and a U.S. energy blockade.

This week, the island nation honored Castro with a range of events, including the International Book Fair, art exhibitions, concerts, and gatherings of leftist organizations. Castro's image is ubiquitous, adorning posters in hospitals and billboards across the country, while slogans like "Homeland or Death" remain etched in public spaces.

Cuban writer Miguel Barnet, a National Assembly member, praised Castro as a legacy of dignity, morality, tireless work, and concern for the poor, attributing his philosophies to concrete policies in areas such as education, culture, and public health.

Castro's centennial arrives amid a worsening economic crisis driven by previous U.S. sanctions and a failed domestic financial reform. The effects have been far-reaching, with prolonged power outages, shortages of fuel and medicine, declining industrial and tourism activity, flight cancellations, transportation restrictions, and reduced working and school hours.

Born on August 13, 1926, Castro rose to power through a guerrilla campaign that ousted dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. He governed Cuba for five decades, implementing radical reforms like agrarian reform, a massive literacy campaign, and nationalization of private businesses. These policies positioned Cuba as a symbol of anti-colonial and revolutionary movements in Latin America and beyond, but also fueled opposition from wealthy Cubans who fled to the United States and those who opposed the Communist Party's political monopoly.

While Castro remains a controversial figure, his influence is felt more profoundly by older generations who lived under his leadership, with many younger Cubans no longer experiencing him as an active leader.