Key facts
- Cuba is commemorating the 100th anniversary of Fidel Castro's birth.
- The island is experiencing one of its most severe economic and political crises.
- U.S. oil embargo and sanctions have worsened the situation.
- President Miguel Diaz-Canel referenced Castro's legacy as a guide for current challenges.
- Widespread power outages are impacting food production, transportation, and tourism.
- Cuba approved measures to open its economy to private and foreign investment.
Cuba is marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of its revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, amidst a severe economic and political crisis, exacerbated by U.S. oil embargoes and sanctions. President Miguel Diaz-Canel invoked Castro's legacy as a guide for overcoming current challenges, while more than 1,500 activists from over 60 countries gathered for commemorative events.
The island's economy is struggling with widespread power outages, exceeding 20 hours daily in most provinces, which have crippled food production, transportation, and tourism. The national electricity system experienced three nationwide failures in July alone. In response, the Cuban government approved 176 measures in June to open its socialist economy to private and foreign investment, a significant shift from Castro's decades-long rule.
Some residents in Havana expressed nostalgia for Castro's leadership, believing he might have found solutions to the current crisis. Historians note that invoking Castro's name is an attempt to sustain consensus, but many citizens feel that if he were still leading, Cuba would be a different country.