Cuba marked what would have been Fidel Castro’s 100th birthday on Thursday, with commemorations across the island highlighting the enduring influence of the revolutionary leader whose legacy continues to shape the country decades after his rise to power.
A gala in Havana commemorated the centenary of the communist revolutionary’s birth. [Yamil Lage/AFP]
Published On 13 Aug 202613 Aug 2026
Cuba has commemorated former President Fidel Castro with events including the International Book Fair, art exhibitions, concerts and gatherings of delegates from left-wing organisations across the continent.
The centenary of Castro’s birth, marked on Thursday, comes as Cuba faces an intensifying squeeze that began when the Trump administration imposed a fuel blockade in January, followed by a series of sanctions aimed at pressuring the communist government to make political and economic changes. The measures have deepened a five-year economic crisis, exacerbated by existing US sanctions and a failed domestic financial overhaul.
Fidel Castro ruled Cuba for five decades, from 1959 until he handed the presidency to brother, Raul, in 2008. He remained influential until his death in 2016.
Raul Castro received a standing ovation as he appeared in public at an event on Thursday in Havana to mark the centenary of his brother’s birth.
Raul, the last surviving leader of Cuba’s 1959 revolution, is widely seen as still wielding power on the island, despite stepping down as president in 2018.
In May, he was indicted by a court in the US state of Florida on four counts of murder.
Former President Raul Castro attends the gala marking the 100th anniversary of his brother Fidel Castro’s birth at the Karl Marx theatre in Havana. [Yamil Lage/AFP]
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel paid tribute to his revolutionary predecessor Fidel Castro. [Norlys Perez/Reuters]
Fidel Castro ruled Cuba for five decades, from 1959 until he handed the presidency to brother Raul in 2008. [Norlys Perez/Reuters]
Fidel Castro remained influential until his death in 2016. [Norlys Perez/Reuters]
Cubans leave the Karl Marx theatre after the gala commemorating the centenary of Fidel Castro’s birth in Havana. [Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo]
School workers with posters dedicated to the late Cuban President Fidel Castro. [Norlys Perez/Reuters]
Street vendors push their cart past a mural of Fidel Castro in Havana. [Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo]
Buying books about Fidel Castro in Havana. [Norlys Perez/Reuters]
