Havana witnessed a powerful display of revolutionary continuity as thousands of Cuban students filled the streets between the University of Havana and Fragua Martiana for the historic Torchlight March on January 28th. The event transformed the university steps into a sea of flames and political commitment, echoing the same revolutionary spirit that characterized the original march 73 years ago.
The gathering served as both tribute and call to action, with participants invoking the legacy of both José Martí and Fidel Castro in the year marking the centennial of the Commander-in-Chief’s birth. Litza Elena González Desdín, national president of the University Students’ Federation, explicitly framed the event as forward-looking rather than nostalgic: “This is not an act of nostalgia, it is a call to action,” she declared before the assembled crowd.
In a significant announcement, González Desdín revealed that Havana will host the First International Colloquium “Fidel: Legacy and Future” from August 10th to 13th. The event aims to gather global supporters of just causes, including social movements, political figures, cultural icons, scientists, and scholars studying Castro’s legacy. The student leader extended a worldwide invitation to “friends of the Cuban Revolution throughout the globe” to participate in this extraordinary event.
The march itself represented a massive oath-taking ceremony, with Cuban youth reaffirming their commitment to national sovereignty, social justice, Latin American unity, and anti-imperialism. González Desdín articulated the generation’s resolve: “We accept neither new nor old chains and will neither surrender nor sell out.
The political leadership demonstrated strong support for the event, with President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez leading the pilgrimage alongside high-ranking officials including Esteban Lazo Hernández, President of the National Assembly; Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee; and Teresa Amarelle Boué, Secretary General of the Federation of Cuban Women.
The event also served as a platform to condemn recent imperialist aggression against Venezuela and the kidnapping of its President and First Lady, while honoring 32 Cuban combatants who fell in defense of Venezuelan sovereignty. González Desdín pledged continued vigilance: “With the same unity and fierceness as theirs, we swear that there will be no silence or indifference. Serene sentinels of dignity.”