With the participation of Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, the traditional Torchlight March took place Tuesday evening in the Cuban capital.
Stepping off from the steps of the University of Havana, this year’s march was further motivated by the centennial of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz.
From his profile on the social network X, the Cuban president stated: “As we did 73 years ago, we light torches on the eve of the birthday of José Martí, Apostle of Cuban independence and anti-imperialism.”
“Tonight, another motivation unites us: we march for Fidel’s Centennial, from the University where he became a revolutionary,” the president wrote.
Raúl Palmero Fernández, first secretary of the Young Communist League (UJC) in Havana, shared that this year’s March is guided by the slogan: “Anti-Imperialist Centennial Torch,” concepts that underscore the enduring relevance of the thought of National Hero José Martí and Fidel, while also confirming the march itself as an act of cultural and political resistance against the growing threats of the U.S. administration.
The Torchlight March, in memory of National Hero José Martí, was first held at midnight on January 27, 1953, on the eve of his centennial.
Seventy-three years after that event, another centennial invites us to this gathering, guided by the enduring ideals of justice and sovereignty among new generations of Cubans.
IMAGE CREDIT: José Manuel Lapeira Casas | Photo: @DiazCanelB
