The Apostle of Independence “distinguished himself in all aspects of the struggle for national liberation and against Spanish colonialism,” emphasized Bundith Phathomvanh, Vice President of the Laos-Cuba Friendship Association, who also recognized him as a fighter against the threat of U.S. expansionism and power in Latin America.
Bundith also referred to his immense preparatory work for what he considered “the necessary war,” and to his role as founder of the Cuban Revolutionary Party and inspiration for the so-called Centennial Generation, which, led by Fidel Castro, restarted the armed struggle for definitive independence in 1953.
In another part of her speech, the deputy head of the organization stated that the bust erected just over five years ago at the Laos-Cuba Friendship High School in Dong Bang is yet another reflection of the developing fraternal friendship between the two countries.
For his part, Leonel González, counselor at the Cuban Embassy in Laos, noted that the tribute to the fervent Cuban patriot comes just weeks after the 105th anniversary of the birth of the extraordinary leader Kaysone Phomvihane was commemorated here.
He also highlighted that 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, a faithful follower of Martí's ideals, who revived his revolutionary spirit with the attack on the Moncada Barracks, just when it seemed that the Apostle would die in the year of his centennial and his memory would be extinguished forever.
González urged that “this date and the thought of Martí, Kaysone, and Fidel Castro continue to inspire the search for a better world, founded on the values of peace, justice, solidarity, and brotherhood.”
The diplomat also called for the denunciation of the U.S. blockade against Cuba, the demand for its immediate and unconditional end, and the removal of the island from the spurious list of alleged state sponsors of terrorism to be an enduring banner and symbol of the Cuban-Laotian brotherhood and solidarity.
Embassy of Cuba