While more than 80% of Cubans endure extreme poverty and some provinces experience power outages exceeding 20 hours daily, the Cuban regime's propaganda machine, along with its international allies, continues its relentless efforts. A new book celebrating Fidel Castro, titled "Voices with Fidel: Memory and Revolutionary Legacy," has been released with institutional backing from the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) and the Fidel Castro Ruz Center in Havana.
This compilation, featuring works by 44 Cuban and international authors, was edited by Spanish journalist Pascual Serrano and activist David Rodríguez Fernández, and published by the Valencian publisher L'Encobert, according to the website cubainformacion. The promoters of the book openly declare its purpose, describing it as "a stockpile of ideas for the cultural battle" and "a political tool to preserve the revolutionary memory."
The publication is part of the "Year of the Centennial of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz," declared after the official approval by the regime at the X Plenary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba in July 2025 to commemorate the centenary of the dictator's birth on August 13, 2026.
The book's synopsis, as cited by its authors, brazenly claims that "the 20th century has left several leaders who will go down in history, but none like Fidel Castro," with 44 individuals writing about him to ensure that "his legacy is never forgotten." Judging by the volume of books, murals, conferences, and campaigns the regime dedicates to the dictator, this seems to be a daunting reality coming to fruition.
The contributors to the volume include familiar names from the officialist sphere: Silvio Rodríguez, Aleida Guevara, René González, Abel Prieto, Rosa Miriam Elizalde, and Enrique Ubieta from Cuba; and internationally, Evo Morales, Atilio Borón, Vijay Prashad, actor Willy Toledo, and journalist Ignacio Ramonet, Castro's official biographer and author of "One Hundred Hours with Fidel," which was the most-read book in Cuba in 2018 according to official media. Ramonet, a frequent propagandist for the regime, was named an honorary member of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. He will present the book in Valencia on May 13 and in Alicante on May 14.
The book is enhanced with intimate photographs by Álex Castro, the dictator's son, and a cover designed by Javier Parra, creator of the mural "The Giant" in tribute to Fidel. The authors assert that "visual art is also part of this cultural trench against neoliberalism." It is priced at 20 euros.
Proceeds from the sale, they have stated, will be allocated to the solar electrification of the William Soler Hospital in Havana, indirectly acknowledging the island's energy collapse: the same regime that floods bookstores with hagiographies cannot keep the lights on in its hospitals. The energy deficit reached 1,885 MW in March 2026, with blackouts lasting up to 25 hours or more in some areas.
This contradiction is not new. When Cubadebate invited people to download books about Fidel Castro at the end of 2025, social media users responded by requesting food and medicine. One comment succinctly captured the public sentiment: "1926–2026, 100 years of slavery."
Meanwhile, Cuba's humanitarian crisis shows no signs of abating: five provinces—Havana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Guantánamo, and Santiago de Cuba—are experiencing extreme levels of food insecurity, and 33.9% of households reported hunger in 2025, nine points higher than the previous year. The regime, true to its tradition, responds with more printed paper about the Commander.
The book will also be presented in Havana during the First International Colloquium "Fidel: Legacy and Future," scheduled from August 10 to 13, 2026, at the Convention Palace, as part of the solidarity brigade organized by the Valencian Association of Friendship with Cuba José Martí. By then, the regime will have accumulated decades of expertise in the art of revolutionary hagiography, while the Cuban people continue to wait for light, food, and freedom.
Understanding the Context of "Voices with Fidel"
What is the purpose of the book "Voices with Fidel"?
The book is intended as a political tool to preserve Fidel Castro's revolutionary memory and is described as a cultural arsenal for the ideological battle.
Who are some of the contributors to this book?
Contributors include Cuban figures like Silvio Rodríguez and Aleida Guevara, and international supporters such as Evo Morales and journalist Ignacio Ramonet.
How does the book's release align with Cuba's current situation?
The book's release occurs amidst severe economic and humanitarian crises in Cuba, highlighting the regime's focus on propaganda over addressing critical issues like food and energy shortages.