Árainn Mhór, County Donegal, Ireland, April 24, 2026. Invited by the “Trademark Belfast” organization, the Cuban Ambassador to Ireland, Bernardo Guanche Hernández, spoke with more than 130 participants about current events in his country, dedicating his presentation to the centenary of the birth of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, which will be celebrated on August 13.
This year, the event will be dedicated to themes such as the climate crisis, anti-imperialism, Palestine, the rise of fascism, and alternatives to capitalism. The Cuban diplomat approached all of these topics from the perspective of Fidel Castro's political and social thought, an essential reference point for exploring them in depth. In the case of the first, for example, he recalled his relatively brief speech at the Summit on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro 1992, when he warned: "An important biological species is at risk of disappearing due to the rapid and progressive liquidation of its natural living conditions: man."
In addressing the current situation in Cuba, the diplomat referred to the consequences of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba since the early 1960s, its unjustified inclusion on the State Department's List of State Sponsors of Terrorism, and the worsening of the situation in his country since January 29, when President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order declaring a “national emergency” based on the fallacy that Cuba constitutes an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security and foreign policy.
He pointed out that this is a comprehensive strategy encompassing all spheres of Cuban society, exacerbated in a context of global crisis, with the avowed objective of provoking ungovernability, subverting the internal order, and overthrowing the Revolution through a genocidal economic, commercial, and financial blockade. This new embargo, he added, described by analysts as a “surgical blockade,” is distinguished from previous phases by its precision in targeting sectors crucial to national survival: fuel, remittances, tourism, and medical cooperation.
The ambassador quoted Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, who has reiterated Cuba’s willingness to engage in dialogue with the United States on an equal footing and with respect for its sovereignty and independence, while also reaffirming the Cuban people’s commitment to defending their Revolution.
'Scoil Chois Claí 2026' is a collaborative political education project that brings together activists from political parties, social movements, and unions to foster renewed efforts in the self-education of the working class.