They recalled his role in strengthening ties between Brazil and Cuba.
This week, during the International Colloquium “Fidel Castro Ruz: Thought and Work” held in Havana, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sent a message of gratitude to Cuba on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the historic Latin American revolutionary leader.
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He recalled that the support he received from Castro during his political career helped propel him to become president of the South American giant three times.
Lula’s remarks come as Cubans celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fidel Castro’s birth amid the tightening of the U.S. embargo. The Brazilian president emphasized that the celebration conveys a message of strength, fraternity, justice and hope to Cubans in the face of adversity.
The relationship between Fidel Castro and Lula da Silva was marked by a deep friendship, forged in the struggle for social justice and the defense of oppressed peoples.
The Brazilian president recalled Castro’s death in 2016, considering him a brother on the path toward Latin American emancipation, sharing ideals of resistance and commitment to his people.
To mark Castro’s birthday, commemorative activities were also held in Brazil, including a screening of the documentary “Comandante,” directed by Oliver Stone, at the Casa dos Saberes in São Pedro da Serra, Rio de Janeiro. The 17th National Youth Gathering of the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) also included events honoring Fidel Castro.
On this day in 1926, Cuban
Revolutionary Fidel Castro was born. He would lead a guerilla campaign with other revolutionaries such as Che Guevara to overthrow the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista.
Before Cuba’s revolution, US financial interests owned 90% of Cuba’s mines,… pic.twitter.com/xlmVBmnU7g
— Going Underground (@GUnderground_TV) August 13, 2026
Dilma Rousseff Remembers Commander Castro
During the International Colloquium “Fidel Castro Ruz: Thought and Work,” former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff recalled that her life was marked by the courage and rebelliousness that emerged in Cuba in 1959, a process that originated with the Revolution and made cooperation between Brazil and Havana possible in the search for more just societies.
“With Cuba and Commander Fidel Castro, I learned that true foreign policy is not made only with speeches, but with concrete acts of solidarity,” she said, recalling a conversation with Fidel Castro during the inauguration of the Port of Mariel.
“That day I was able to see the man behind the myth. And my admiration for him only grew,” the former Brazilian president said.
She highlighted that Castro’s support was crucial to the implementation of “More Physicians,” a program that the Rousseff administration promoted to facilitate access to medical care in Brazil’s most remote areas.
Rousseff highlighted Fidel’s role in the fight against apartheid in Africa and his policy of medical and educational cooperation, which strengthened ties with various African nations, ties that remain in place.
“Fidel Castro left us physically, but his political legacy, his courage and his example remain more alive than ever. I reaffirm our commitment to the ideas he defended,” Rousseff concluded.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: OperaMundi
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