Cuba marks Fidel Castro’s birth centenary amid economic and political crisis
Cuba commemorated Fidel Castro’s 100th birth anniversary as an oil embargo and tightened U.S. sanctions intensified the island’s crisis.
Havana, Cuba. Cuba on Thursday marked the 100th anniversary of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro’s birth amid a severe economic and political crisis, exacerbated by Washington’s oil embargo and tightened sanctions.
More than 1,500 activists and representatives of solidarity organisations from over 60 countries travelled to the island for commemorative events, according to the Cuban government.
International conference
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel opened an international conference on Castro’s legacy on Monday.
“Fidel’s legacy speaks to us today with greater force than ever,” Diaz-Canel said. He said Castro should be remembered not only as a historical figure but also “as a guide for overcoming the challenges before us today, in the real Cuba of 2026.”
Sanctions and energy crisis
Relations between Havana and Washington have become increasingly strained. In January, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump imposed an oil embargo on Cuba to pressure the Cuban government and also tightened sanctions.
The Cuban government has described the measures as an unprecedented attempt to cripple the country’s finances and operations.
Power outages exceeding 20 hours a day in most provinces have disrupted food production, transport and tourism, placing the national electricity system near technical collapse. The grid suffered three nationwide failures in July alone.
Economic measures
In June, the Cuban government approved 176 measures aimed at opening the socialist economy to private and foreign investment.
If fully implemented, the measures would mark an unprecedented shift towards free-market capitalism and contrast with the socialist model that defined Castro’s rule for decades.
Some reforms are already under way. U.S. fuel exports to Cuba’s private businesses have risen sharply this year, contributing to the growth of a black market and widening social and economic inequality.
For some Havana residents, the economic crisis and political uncertainty have prompted nostalgia for Castro’s leadership.
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