Cuban Youth Reaffirm Historical Continuity in Torch March

FEU President Calls for Upholding Legacy of Martí and Fidel
The national president of the University Student Federation (FEU), Litza González, today called for continuing the legacy of José Martí and Fidel Castro during the traditional March of the Torches.

Before President Miguel Díaz-Canel and thousands of young people gathered on the steps of the University of Havana, González stated that "Martí is not a motionless statue nor a name in books," but a living presence that "still thunders against the empire, against oppression, against injustice."

"We do not come only to remember; we come to continue the work and to reaffirm that Martí lives, that Martí struggles, that Martí guides us," declared the student leader, who emphasized that anti-imperialism constitutes "profound love for freedom" for the new generations.

Announcement of International Colloquium on Fidel Castro
In her speech, González announced the call for the first International Colloquium "Fidel: Legacy and Future," organized by the Fidel Castro Ruz Center, which will take place in Havana from August 10 to 13, on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution.

Condemnation of U.S. Aggression and Tribute to Fallen Combatants
The FEU president vigorously condemned "the cowardly military aggression by the United States against Venezuela" and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, while paying tribute to the 32 Cuban combatants who fell during those events on January 3.

"They are constant inspiration for our generation, paradigms of the history of struggle for a united America," she said, and assured that Cuban youth "will not allow the sacrifice of Martí, Mella, José Antonio, Raúl, Fidel, and their comrades to be betrayed."

Definition of the Current Generation
González defined the current generation as "anti-imperialist, which does not kneel, does not sell out, does not stay silent," and called for defending sovereignty, building more social justice, and raising the flag of Latin American unity.

Event Details and Historical Context
Under the slogan "Centennial Anti-imperialist Torch," the parade paid tribute to the legacy of the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro.

The procession set off from the steps of the University of Havana and concluded at the Fragua Martiana, the site of the former San Lázaro Quarries where Martí was imprisoned at the age of 16.

The March of the Torches was first held at midnight on January 27, 1953, to await the arrival of the centenary of José Martí's birth.