Official Media Calls for Turning to Fidel Castro's "Genius" to Address Cuba's Crisis

The Cuban regime's propaganda machine is reviving its veneration of the late dictator Fidel Castro amid one of the most severe economic, health, and social crises in recent history. This time, the appeal comes from the pro-government portal Cubadebate, which published an article titled "It Was Worth Living in Fidel's Century," requesting the nation to turn to "the horse, the genius" of Fidel Castro to tackle Cuba's current difficulties.

The piece, authored by Marxlenin Pérez Valdés, partner of Fidelito Castro Smirnov, Fidel Castro's grandson and son of Fidel Ángel Castro Díaz-Balart, was released on November 17, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Castro's speech at the University of Havana in 2005.

In the article, Pérez Valdés argues that it is essential for all revolutionaries to look to Fidel today, asserting that "when times get tough—and these certainly are—it is our duty to turn to 'the horse,' 'the genius.'" The author urges new generations to follow his "legacy as a compass for a revolutionary path" and concludes that "it was worth having been born and lived in Fidel's century."

Social Media Backlash and Satire

The Cubadebate post on Facebook, which shared this excerpt alongside an image of Fidel in the Aula Magna, sparked an immediate wave of public disapproval. Within hours, it gathered hundreds of interactions, mostly critical or outright mocking, as seen in the Cubadebate post.

Many Cubans ridiculed the message in the comments, highlighting the country's reality. One user noted, "The horse, the genius, left a debt bigger than a mountain goat can leap over." Another added, "In just three years, 10% of the country has emigrated, but everyone is grateful to have lived in Fidel's century." Some simply laughed at the message's messianic tone, while others were more biting, noting that "He was such a genius he achieved what no leader ever did: destroy a country to its foundations and leave his descendants wealthy."

The frustration also came through in political sarcasm and emotional exhaustion. "Noooooo, next question," one reader joked, while another commented, "Oh dear, why remind me, all I want is to fall into a coma and wake up when this is over." Only a handful defended the post with hashtags like #FidelPorSiempre or #100AñosConFidel, contrasting with a torrent of criticism summarizing the general sentiment: "It was a misfortune that Fidel was born in Cuba" or "The genius died and left his spell: Cuba turned into ruins."

Propaganda Strategy in Motion

The Cubadebate article is part of a series of recent actions confirming the regime's attempt to reignite the cult of Fidel Castro as his centenary approaches in 2026. In recent weeks, the Communist Party's Organization Secretary, Roberto Morales Ojeda, has repeatedly invoked the late dictator to justify the regime's management, asserting that "the only one who can solve the country's problems is the Revolution," as he declared amid the crisis caused by Hurricane Melissa and criticism over poor government management.

Days later, the same official praised the "revolutionary medicine" promoted by Fidel, amidst an unprecedented health crisis. This was followed by a poetry contest honoring the dictator launched by Cubadebate, which was met with widespread ridicule and public outrage.

Symbolically, the cult has spread to other areas. During the Fiesta de la Cubanía, military personnel paraded a cap of the dictator in a glass case, openly violating the law prohibiting the use of his image. In that same city, residents conducted a spiritualist ritual invoking "Father Fidel," an episode many interpreted as a grotesque caricature of political worship.

In the cultural sphere, troubadour Amaury Pérez Vidal publicly remembered his "friend Fidel" while receiving a state award, a gesture that stirred controversy even within the artistic community.

Fidel as a "Solution" for a Nation on the Brink

The call to "turn to the horse" comes amid widespread blackouts, runaway inflation, food and medicine shortages, and an unprecedented exodus. For many Cubans, the insistence on looking to Fidel offers no inspiration. "The times got tough precisely because of him," one user commented on social media, while another summed it up with irony: "If they're talking about Fidel, they've lost, because nobody wants him anymore thanks to the Internet."

The official propaganda tries to recast Fidel Castro as a savior, while for the majority of Cubans, he symbolizes the root of the problems burdening them today. As Cubadebate invites people to seek the "genius," the populace turns to more urgent matters: the line, the blackout, or the airport. In a Cuba increasingly impoverished and disillusioned, revolutionary nostalgia no longer serves as solace or faith.