Despite Harsh Blockade, Culture in Cuba Has Not Stopped

Abel Prieto Jiménez, President of Casa de las Américas, in an enriching dialogue with the 120 friends from 23 countries comprising the “65 Years of Love for Cuba” brigade, stated that the word blockade no longer fully captures reality, as it truly constitutes a ruthless economic war. Despite this suffocating siege, culture in Cuba has not halted, citing as examples the recent International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, along with ongoing artistic presentations and projects.

He explained the cultural policy of the Revolution, tracing it back to Fidel’s June 1961 speech known as “Words to the Intellectuals,” which established an anti-dogmatic and anti-sectarian directive, paving the way for conceptions of art and culture meant not for elites but for the people.

Prieto recalled José Martí’s axiom, “To be cultured is the only way to be free,” the conviction of the Commander in Chief that “without culture there can be no freedom,” and his words: “We do not tell the people to believe, but to read.”

In his address, Prieto Jiménez thanked the brigadistas: “You have come to Cuba in very difficult times; we have just finished an extremely tough year and are working to move forward in 2026.” He highlighted the history of Casa de las Américas, evoking its origins under Moncada Barracks assault heroine Haydée Santamaría (1922–1980), whom he described as an extraordinary person and an interlocutor for the artistic vanguard of Latin America and other regions.

He elaborated on the institution’s history, whose main mission has been to unite intellectuals and artists from Latin America and also the United States, bringing peoples closer together. He emphasized the Casa de las Américas Literary Prize, “which has maintained its enormous prestige at a time when literary prizes have become marketing operations and have lost credibility,” he asserted.

Culture: The Main Antidote Against Manipulation

Prieto commented that Fidel analyzed the issue of mind manipulation early on, “anticipating the debate on social networks and informational and emotional manipulation.” He added that the Commander in Chief, in his November 17, 2005 speech at the University of Havana, stated that propaganda and manipulation machinery create conditioned reflexes that strip away the capacity to think.

Prieto Jiménez emphasized that culture is the main antidote against the manipulation of minds.

Accompanied by Noemí Rabaza Fernández, First Vice President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), questions from brigadistas from Australia, Colombia, Germany, and other nations were also answered by Marta Bonet de la Cruz, President of the Union of Cuban Writers and Artists (UNEAC), and Yasel Toledo Garnache, head of the Hermanos Saíz Association of young writers and artists.

Other topics addressed at the meeting—held at the Casa de las Américas headquarters—included the creation of Cuba’s artistic education system, the network of art schools, art instructors, the amateur arts movement, campaigns to promote reading, and other projects.

The friends, convened under the motto “65 Years of Love for Cuba,” have carried out other activities since last Monday, such as agricultural work in citrus greenhouses, attending lectures on the national current affairs, and visits to the Fidel Castro Center and the José Martí Memorial.

For December 26, they have scheduled productive work at the Quisicuaba Assisted Living Camp in San Antonio de los Baños municipality; beautification tasks in areas of the Julio Antonio Mella Camp where they are staying; and an artistic-literary evening in homage to the Commander in Chief, featuring poetry readings, anecdotal storytelling, and songs by the brigadistas.

Starting this Saturday, they will participate in special events for the 65th anniversary of ICAP from December 27 to 29, including a panel on Fidel and solidarity, the presentation of a book on the institution’s history, a volunteer work marathon, and a cultural festival at the Casa de la Amistad. The activities will culminate on Monday with the central ceremony for the anniversary.