Colombian Edition of "History Will Absolve Me" Presented in Bogotá

The Colombian edition of the book “History Will Absolve Me,” Fidel Castro's self-defense plea, will be presented today at the National University. The event pays homage to the leader of the Cuban Revolution, marking nine years since his passing.

The reading and free distribution of the work will take place in the Law Faculty auditorium. The event will be attended by members of the Solidarity Movement with the largest of the Antilles, Cuban residents, members of trade union organizations, and diplomats from the island accredited in the South American nation.

A Tribute and Gratitude

As previously announced here by the Fidel Castro Chair, this tribute constitutes an act of gratitude from the Colombian people to the Cuban revolutionary for his tireless struggle to achieve peace. The event will also feature performances by artists Rodrigo Jaramillo and Andrés Rodríguez.

The Historical Context of the Text

“History Will Absolve Me” is the self-defense plea delivered by Fidel Castro during the trial against him, which began on October 16, 1953. The trial followed the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes barracks in the eastern cities of Santiago de Cuba and Bayamo, respectively, which occurred on July 26 of that same year.

During this judicial process, the then-lawyer in Civil Law decided to assume his own defense, a speech that was later turned into a book. In the document, he outlined what he considered the ills of Cuba at the time, summarized in six fundamental problems: land, industrialization, housing, unemployment, education, and health.

Plans for the Castro Centennial

The Fidel Castro Chair recently announced it is promoting a campaign in Colombia to commemorate the Centennial of the Cuban leader's Birth, to be celebrated on August 13, 2026. The chair described several activities planned for the coming months.

These include an initiative to collect donations for the Fidel Castro Center in Havana and the creation of a bronze sculpture of the revolutionary. Additionally, book presentations in different cities, discussion forums, activities with children from Cuba and Colombia, an illustration contest, and a photography exhibition are planned, among other tribute actions.