The Cuban Rebellion Festival, an event that combines culture, internationalist solidarity and political debates about the resistance of the Caribbean island, will be held next Sunday (26), starting at 10 am, at Espaço Cultural Elza Soares, in Campos Elísios.
The activity is officially part of the Journey for the Centenary of Fidel Castro. This is one of several initiatives organized by popular movements throughout Brazil to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the historic commander of the Cuban Revolution and reaffirm the commitment to national sovereignty.
In a video published on social media, João Pedro Stedile, leader of the MST, called on supporters: “Let’s bring everyone together, activists and supporters, for a beautiful celebration. Is there a more pleasurable way to honor the Cuban revolution and the resistance of the Cuban people than to meet around their culture?”
The program will begin at 10:30 am, when a panel debate is scheduled on Fidel’s legacy and the current situation in Cuba, bringing together Stedile himself, the journalist and writer Fernando Morais, the activist Lina Noronha and the Cuban ambassador to Brazil, Benigno Pérez Fernández.
The debate will address the serious economic challenges faced by the country today and the historical relevance of the struggle of the people of the Global South who seek sovereign paths of development, self-determination and social justice in the face of external pressures.
From 12:30 pm, participants will be able to enjoy a lunch with a menu and typical Cuban drinks. Afterwards, from 3pm onwards, the cultural program gains momentum with live music performances, traditional dance and a soiree with an open microphone for artistic interventions.
In addition to its political and cultural character, the festival has a solidarity goal. All financial resources raised from the consumption of food, drinks and cocktails throughout Sunday will be fully donated to the campaign to purchase basic medicines destined for Cuba.
The collection aims to mitigate the shortage of essential medical supplies on the island, such as dipyrone, paracetamol and aspirin. This shortage is caused by the economic, commercial and financial blockade maintained unilaterally by the United States government for more than six decades.
Recently, US hostilities escalated with the application of new sanctions against ten Cuban state entities. The measures directly affected the Ministry of Tourism and foreign trade and port transport companies, such as Gecomex and Gemar, aiming to stifle the economy and cut foreign exchange.
This siege has caused daily impacts on the population, with emphasis on the infrastructure crisis and widespread blackouts generated by the suffocation of fossil fuels. In response, Cuba has accelerated the transition to renewable energy, especially solar, in partnership with China.
In the face of the crisis, international solidarity has acted in a practical way. Last Sunday (19), the sailboat Astral, from the Spanish NGO Open Arms, docked in the port of Havana bringing seven tons of humanitarian aid, including medical supplies and children’s books collected by European movements.
The Open Arms donation prioritized the sending of solar panels and replacement batteries to guarantee the energy autonomy of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the clinical laboratory at the Juan Manuel Márquez Pediatric Hospital, reducing the impacts of the siege on children’s medical care.
In an exclusive interview with Brazil in factthe president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, reaffirmed the country’s dignity and refusal to submit to Washington’s dictates: “We are not a nation in dispute, we are not a colony, nor are we a possession for someone to appropriate from us.”
Rebellion Day
National Rebellion Day, celebrated annually on July 26, recalls the historical memory of the assault on the Moncada barracks, in Santiago de Cuba, and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, in Bayamo, carried out in 1953 by a group of young revolutionaries under the leadership of Fidel Castro.
Although the bold military action was defeated at the time by the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship, the episode politicized Cuban youth and served as the driving force behind the armed insurrection in the Sierra Maestra, culminating in the victory of the Revolution on January 1, 1959.
Service
Children’s Activities: Storytelling with Chiara Beltrame, inspired by the book “Che Guevara: the values my father taught me”, by Aleida Guevara.
Saturday (25), 11am; and Sunday (26), 10am
Location: Elza Soares Cultural Space
Address: Alameda Eduardo Prado, 474 – Campos Elíseos, São Paulo (SP)
Cuban Rebellion Festival
Date: July 26th (Sunday)
Time: From 10am
Location: Elza Soares Cultural Space
Address: Alameda Eduardo Prado, 474 – Campos Elíseos, São Paulo (SP)
Entrance: Free (with consumption of food and drinks donated to charitable purposes)
Schedule
10h30: Debate table on Fidel Castro’s legacy and the current situation of the Cuban Revolution – with João Pedro Stedile, Fernando Morais, Lina Noronha and Cuban Ambassador Benigno Pérez Fernández.
12h30: Lunch with typical menu and Cuban drinks.
15h: Live music, dance, artistic expressions, sports and soiree performances.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
