The Cuban scholar Alina Bárbara López Hernández recently shared a snippet from the Diario de la Marina on her Facebook profile, dated November 19, 1959. The excerpt includes a quote from Fidel Castro that, according to her, the Cuban state media deliberately avoids highlighting as his centenary approaches.
Under the title "Fidel's Words" on page 8-B of that publication, the newly empowered Castro acknowledged his own limitations and warned about the dangers of governing without preparation, humility, or the ability to accept criticism.
"As Fidel Castro's centenary nears, official media outlets circulate many of his sayings and speech excerpts. However, they rarely choose those from the first year of the Revolution. This omission is understandable when you read assessments like this, published in November 1959 in the Diario de la Marina, and more applicable to today's leaders," López noted.
Historical Context and Irony
In the recovered text, Castro stated, "We are not infallible, and I believe the wisest man was the one who said: 'I only know that I know nothing,' because he knew something."
The revolutionary leader compared governing to other professions that require specific training, openly acknowledging that in Cuba, "any fool with a tie"—a Cuban idiom for an ignorant person in a significant role—could run for senator.
Castro also admitted that none of the revolutionaries had ever been a "Minister, governor, or leader of anything," drawing a distinction that resonates strongly today: "Goodwill doesn't just mean being honest and not stealing. Goodwill means not being capricious, vain, or stubborn. Because one can be very honest and not listen to anyone, become defensive when criticized, and want to crush the critic."
López's Insightful Reflection
López concluded her post with a poignant irony: "The Commander was prophetic. Gabriel García Márquez once said that Fidel could travel to the future and know what would happen; it seems he was right."
The post's underlying paradox has a historical twist: the Diario de la Marina, where Castro's words appeared in November 1959, was shut down by the revolutionary government just six months later, on May 12, 1960, after 128 years of operation.
Current Propaganda Efforts
This publication emerges amid an official campaign for Castro's birth centenary—August 13, 2026—which the regime has turned into a propaganda centerpiece of the year under the theme #100YearsWithFidel, featuring international colloquiums, political events, and a carefully curated selection of the Commander's quotes.
On July 1, Miguel Díaz-Canel led an event at the National Library to celebrate the 1961 speech "Words to the Intellectuals," whose phrase "Within the Revolution, everything; against the Revolution, nothing" has historically been used to justify decades of censorship on the island.
On July 11, marking the fifth anniversary of 11J, López described Díaz-Canel's regime as a "terrorist state against its own people," a stark contrast to the image the official machinery seeks to project during the centenary of its founder.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fidel Castro's Legacy
Why is Alina Bárbara López's post significant?
López's post is significant because it highlights a quote from Fidel Castro that raises questions about the current Cuban leadership's ability to govern, a perspective not often shared by state media.
What did Fidel Castro admit in his 1959 quote?
In 1959, Fidel Castro admitted that neither he nor his fellow revolutionaries had prior experience in governance, emphasizing the importance of humility and the capacity to accept criticism.
How is Castro's centenary being observed in Cuba?
The Cuban regime is marking Castro's centenary with a propaganda campaign featuring international events, political gatherings, and a selective dissemination of his quotes under the theme #100YearsWithFidel.