My speech at the opening of the Colloquium '100 years Fidel'.
Dear comrades, and friends
I bring you the solidarity of the Party of the European Left.
I bring you the solidarity of our 40 member and observer parties from 27 countries.
And above all, I bring you the solidarity of millions of progressive people across Europe.
Today, we celebrate the life and legacy of Fidel Castro.
A revolutionary.
A statesman.
An internationalist.
A man who changed history.
For my generation, the victory of the Cuban Revolution was more than a political event.
It changed our perception of the world.
It was proof that history is not written only by the powerful.
It was proof that courage can defeat despair.
And dignity can overcome oppression.
That lesson is as important today as it was then.
Fidel never accepted that the world had to remain as it was.
And so do we!
He believed that people could change history.
And so do we!
He believed that solidarity was stronger than selfishness.
And he proved that this conviction changes the world.
For more than sixty years, the US has tried to break the will of the Cuban people.
For more than six decades, Cuba has defended its sovereignty.
It has faced invasion by the United States.
It has faced sabotage.
and terrorism.
It has endured an economic blockade for generations.
Many believed that the Cuban people would surrender.
They were wrong.
It never surrendered.
Because dignity cannot be ‘blockaded’.
Because the will of a proud people cannot be broken.
And that is why Cuba commands respect throughout the world.
Not because it is the biggest country.
Not because it is the richest.
But because it has defended its dignity.
Comrades,
Today, Cuba needs our solidarity more than ever.
The economic blockade, the energy siege and the financial restrictions imposed by the United States is collective punishment.
It is economic warfare.
But solidarity is stronger than isolation.
No nation has the right to decide the future of another nation.
That is why we say, clearly and without hesitation:
End the blockade and the energy siege.
End the aggression.
Respect the sovereignty of Cuba.
Let the Cuban people live in peace.
Dear friends,
We meet at a dangerous moment in history.
Wars are spreading.
International law is under attack.
The authority of the United Nations is being weakened.
The use of force is replacing the rule of law.
We are standing at the verge of an abyss.
Too many governments believe that military power creates security.
History teaches the opposite.
There can be no lasting security without justice.
There can be no lasting peace without respect for sovereignty.
That is why the struggle for Cuba is not only Cuba’s struggle.
It is the struggle of everyone who believes in national sovereignty.
It is the struggle of everyone who believes in international law.
Today, Europe faces historic choices.
Will the European Union follow the path of Trumpism and the Far Right?
Will it continue to apply double standards and, through its silence, support the genocide being perpetrated by Israel in Gaza?
We fight for another Europe.
We oppose the unprecedented rearmament of 800 billion Euro imposed by NATO and the EU the EU-commission to prepare for war.
Europe must never again become the theater of a war.
A war which this time literally would threaten the very existence of the entire human race.
That’s why , the struggle for peace forms the very center of progressive politics.
We want Europe to free itself from U.S. and NATO dominance.
A non-aligned and nuclear weapons free Europe.
That means also:
Europe needs new allies.
It must strengthen its partnership with the countries of the Global South.
Not through exploitation.
But through cooperation and solidarity.
Comrades,
History teaches us another important lesson.
Every empire believes it is invincible.
But no empire lasts forever.
Today, the world is changing rapidly.
US dominance is challenged in every corner of the world.
By those who refuse to surrender.
and who continue to struggle.
The lesson of history is:
The world will belong to those who believe that another world is possible.
In this struggle
Unity is our greatest strength.
Solidarity is our biggest asset.
Hope is our most powerful motive.
Fidel understood this better than anyone else.
He knew that revolutions are defended not only with courage.
They are defended with ideas.
With education.
With culture.
With organization.
With conviction.
And above all, with international solidarity.
His legacy is not merely a memory.
It is a responsibility.
A responsibility for all of us.
To defend peace.
To defend justice.
To defend sovereignty.
To defend human dignity.
That legacy lives in Cuba.
It lives in the Americas.
In Asia,
It lives in Africa.
It lives also in Europe.
It lives wherever people refuse to bend down.
Wherever workers fight for dignity.
Where women fight against violence and for equality.
Where people fight against the climate disaster.
Wherever young people dream of a better future.
We will leave this gathering with confidence.
Let us also leave it with greater unity.
I want to send one clear message to the governments of Europe and the world.
Do not remain silent.
Reject the illegal blockade.
Remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Stand on the side of international law.
Stand on the side of peace.
Stand on the side of the sovereignty of nations.
And let us also send one clear message to the people of Cuba.
You are not alone.
Your struggle is our struggle.
Your future matters to all who believe in justice.
We will stand with Cuba.
As the Cuban revolution is a common of progressive humanity.
Today.
Tomorrow.
And for as long as it takes.
There is no greater tribute we can pay to Fidel.
Not only to remember him.
But to continue his struggle.
The struggle for peace.
The struggle for justice.
The struggle for sovereignty.
The struggle for international solidarity.
Long live international solidarity!
Long live the friendship between the peoples of Europe and Cuba!
Long live the Cuban people, independent, free and socialist!
Thank you very much.
La Habana, 11 de agosto de 2026.
(EmbaCuba Bélgica)