The inspiration of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz (1926-2016) for new generations marked the central event for International Students’ Day, held this Monday in the Aula Magna of the University of Havana (UH).
Led by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the National Defense Council (CDN), Miguel Díaz-Canel, the event was further commemorated by the 20th anniversary of Fidel’s historic speech delivered in that very same venue on November 17, 2005.
In that speech, the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution warned of the risks to the revolutionary process and how it could be destroyed from within.
Litza González Desdín, national president of the Federation of University Students (FEU), evoked the enduring relevance of Fidel Castro’s thought at the university where he began his revolutionary training.
She reflected that although the socialist achievements of the first three decades of the Revolution seem more distant to the current generation, and amidst economic difficulties stemming largely from the United States’ imperialist blockade of the island, young people have found ways to continue swimming against the current, overcoming obstacles, and writing their own epic story.
“For this, the study of history, the work, and the thought of the Commander-in-Chief has been indispensable, making this generation feel like the bearers of the main challenges of our time and committed to living up to the historical generation to which they owe their allegiance,” he noted.
He said that this is an unprecedented time, “but, just as challenging as these times are, so too is the firm conviction of Cuban university students and young people to be of service,” he added.
González Desdín emphasized that this is the generation that is mobilized to the eastern part of the country to help in the recovery of affected Cuban families as quickly as possible, for which each student center has contributed with donations and a permanent willingness to undertake any other mission.
Soon we will be discussing, in our brigades and grassroots committees, the government program to correct distortions and revitalize the economy, remembering that genuine participation is vital for unity in the Revolution. The discussion will be based on our perspectives, and “Above all, with the will to promote, without delay, what we must do to make it a reality,” he affirmed.
In a previous ceremony, members of the FEU (Federation of University Students), the FEEM (Federation of Secondary School Students), and the Union of Young Communists (UJC) laid a floral offering at the monument that holds the ashes of student leader Julio Antonio Mella (1903-1929), a site where they reflected on the complexities and responsibilities of being young in Cuba today.
The commemoration recalls the cause of the Czech students who were arrested on this day in 1939 by the Nazi occupation forces and were subsequently murdered or sent to concentration camps.
The president was accompanied by members of the Political Bureau of the Party and the CDN (National Defense Council): Manuel Marrero Cruz, Prime Minister of the Republic, and Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization, as well as Miriam Nicado García, Rector of the University of Havana. Rebel Army Commander José Ramón Machado Ventura, along with other authorities from the Central Committee, the UJC and the university community.
IMAGE CREDIT: Photo taken from ACN (Cuban News Agency)
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
