In tribute to the Cuban Revolution

Sixty-six years of socialist construction

Sixty-six years ago, in the early morning hours of January 1, 1959, the U.S.-backed Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista fled Cuba, setting the stage for the peaceful occupation of Santiago de Cuba on January 1 by the rebel column led by Fidel Castro; the formation of a Provisional Revolutionary Government on January 1-2; and the triumphant movement of the revolutionary leadership across the island in a “Caravan of Freedom,” which arrived in Havana on January 8. The triumph of the Cuban Revolution was an exemplary event, which indicated the real possibility for the transformation of the neocolonial situation by the people.

I today commemorate the event with an edited synthesis of two previous commentaries: “In commemoration of the Cuban Revolution: The sixty-fourth anniversary of its triumph on January 1, 1959,” January 1, 2023; and “Cuban President explains economic crisis: Chronicle of a blockade intensified and an arbitrary list,” May 17, 2024.

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In previous columns, I have tried to descr…