Anti-fascist International Kenya issues statement commemorating the centennial of Comandante Fidel Castro
The statement reads:
On the occasion of the centennial of the birth of Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz, the Antifascist International Kenya Chapter joins the people and Government of the Republic of Cuba in honouring the life and revolutionary legacy of one of the most consequential leaders of the twentieth century.
We remember Fidel as a visionary leader whose lifelong dedication to justice, sovereignty, equality and international solidarity inspired generations across Latin America, Africa and the wider world. His legacy continues to resonate in every struggle for dignity, independence and the right of peoples to determine their own future.
Fidel Castro demonstrated that a small nation does not have to surrender its sovereignty because powerful countries demand submission. In 1959, the Cuban Revolution confronted the puppet Batista and challenged the political, economic and military domination of the United States. Cuba then chose to defend its independence, even under immense pressure, sanctions, threats and isolation. That example carries a profound lesson for Kenya today.
Fidel showed the world that sovereignty is not a gift granted by powerful states. It is a right that peoples must organise, defend and exercise. He also showed that internationalism means standing with others when doing so is dicult, not only when solidarity is convenient or profitable.
Modern-day Kenyans can draw inspiration from Fidel by defending public healthcare, education, food sovereignty, workers’ rights, constitutional freedoms and the right of African countries to pursue independent development. We must reject the idea that Kenya is destined to remain a market for foreign goods, a source of cheap labour and raw materials or a strategic outpost for the interests of the West.”