New York, 13 August 2026. - The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations opened this Thursday a photographic exhibition dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, with moments from his historic visits to the United States during the first years of the Cuban Revolution.
The commemoration, as part of the activities honoring the 100th anniversary, was held at the Cuban diplomatic representation in New York, and was attended by Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina J. Mohammed, along with diplomats from different countries, officials of the United Nations system and American friends of solidarity with Cuba.
At the opening of the exhibition, Cuba’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, emphasized that the photographs transcend the documentary value of a time and allow us to approach the life of the leader who deeply marked Cuba’s history and also left a mark in the great international debates of his time.
Soberón emphasized that, 100 years after his birth, Fidel’s historical legacy remains closely linked to the defense of Cuba’s sovereignty, independence and dignity, as well as a conception of social justice that placed the human being at the center of the priorities of the Revolution.
The Cuban diplomat also emphasized the international dimension of his thinking. He recalled that for Fidel solidarity was not an act of charity, but a duty among peoples who share the aspiration to build a more just world. This view was expressed in the cooperation of thousands of Cuban professionals from health, education and other branches, as well as in Cuba’s contribution to the struggles against colonialism and apartheid in Africa.
He also highlighted Fidel’s strong defense of multilateralism and the role of the United Nations as a forum for expressing the concerns and aspirations of the developing world. His interventions before the Organization, he noted, were marked by the defense of the sovereign equality of states, self-determination of peoples, cooperation, dialogue and peace.
The exhibition gives special relevance to Fidel’s relationship with the American people. Soberón recalled that, even in the midst of profound differences that have characterized the bilateral relations, the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution knew how to distinguish between the policies of the governments of the United States and the feelings towards its people, while defending the possibility of dialogue and peaceful coexistence on the basis of mutual respect and sovereign equality.
In that context, he recalled the words spoken by Fidel on the eve of his first trip to the United States after the revolutionary triumph: "This visit is a continuation of Operation Truth to defend the Revolution against all slander." During that visit, he used the various spaces at his disposal to explain the reality of Cuba and confront the disinformation campaigns against the nascent Revolution.
The celebration of the exhibition in New York also has a particular symbolism. The city was the scene of important moments in relations between both countries and was deeply linked to the life and work of José Martí. In this scenario, the photographs invite not only to look back at the past, but also to think about the possibility of building relationships between peoples with different political systems and visions on the basis of respect, cooperation and peace.
The images show different facets of Fidel: the revolutionary leader, the statesman, the internationalist, the speaker and the man of thought, as well as his ability to listen, dialogue and establish ties with people from very diverse backgrounds.
The Permanent Representative also referred to the complex scenario that currently faces the Cuban people as a result of the policy of "maximum pressure" of the United States against the island. He pointed out that understanding the resistance of the Cuban people requires understanding the dimension of the work of the Revolution and the fundamental role played by Fidel in its construction.
In this sense, he affirmed that the exhibition is also an opportunity to better understand the reality of Cuba and a call to strengthen international solidarity against policies that seek to provoke suffering and suffocate the Cuban people.
At the end of his speech, Soberón recalled the words spoken by Fidel on May 1, 2003:
“Never have a people had such sacred things to defend, nor such deep convictions to fight for, that it would rather vanish from the face of the Earth than renounce the noble and generous cause for which many generations of Cubans have paid the high price of the lives of their finest sons and daughters.”
One hundred years after his birth, the exhibition offers a journey through moments of a life dedicated to Cuba and allows us to approach a legacy associated with independence, sovereignty, social justice, solidarity and the conviction that a better world is possible.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations.