Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Havana, November 22.- The discussion "Light of Dawn", dedicated to Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz on the eve of the ninth anniversary of his death, took place at the José Martí Memorial in this capital.
The meeting was attended by several collaborators of the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution: the Cuban intellectual Abel Prieto Jiménez, president of Casa de las Américas, Cosme Dennis and Fermín Ricardo, members of the team that accompanied him in his last years, and Gloria Álvarez, who worked for him for an extended period.
The exchange had as listeners students from the José Miguel Pérez Urban Pre-University Institute in the capital municipality of Plaza de la Revolución, workers from the structure of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, and other guests.
The moderator of the event, journalist Yunet López, introduced the collaborators after the interpretation of the words in form of verses of the also deceased Corina Mestre, dedicated to Fidel.
Gloria Álvarez highlighted the Commander's greatness through an anecdote: she recalled him visiting the kitchen and interacting with the service staff.
"He greeted and conversed with everyone. That has stayed with me for life", she emphasized.
Cosme Dennis and Fermín Ricardo began working with Fidel in 2009, along with other colleagues, and offered detailed testimonies of their daily work alongside the leader.
Ricardo highlighted, first of all, his erudition: “The Commander was a genius, he could recite Martí’s poems from memory”, he added.
He also noted that "all those years with him were a continuous learning process", to the point that Fidel pushed him to master complex topics.
Thus, he recounted an anecdote in which, after a meeting with visitors, Fidel practically forced him to speak about the Bretton Woods agreements.
He detailed how, afterward, he received a few pats on the shoulder from Fidel, "as if telling me: 'you passed'".
They explained that, while it was possible to make a mistake, he didn't reprimand him for it; but “early warning” was fundamental.
"Regarding any issue, you had to tell him", they affirmed.
He also revealed that, since no one on the team had studied to be an assistant, much less in agriculture, they supported him in his experiments because he always planted the first seed himself, especially in his later years dedicated to the study of protein-rich plants.
Cosme Dennis, for his part, expressed his loyalty: "I am and will be one of those who do not let him go. The Chief has enormous greatness. He treated us like his children, he assigned us tasks and said please, even though he was the only one who could change our work plan".
He also emphasized that with the Commander, one only needed to be disciplined; when he gave a path, you had to follow it, because he had already walked the others and returned, he pointed out.
To conclude, he shared a vital lesson: "We learned five languages that everyone should know: to speak the truth, to speak frankly, to speak with courage, to speak with honesty, and to speak with integrity".
Abel Prieto focused his intervention on the conceptual legacy and the continued relevance of Fidel's thought.
He emphasized the importance of the speech to university students where he warned that only Cubans from within could destroy the Revolution.
He also highlighted that Fidel was ahead of his time, especially in the analysis of media manipulation.
In his view, Fidel anticipated today's debate surrounding digital networks with his concept of conditioned reflexes.
He also reflected on how being a communist is stigmatized on social media: “For us, being a communist is a source of pride. But in the realm of digital networks, it is seen as an offense”.
Prieto Jiménez recalled that Fidel Castro defined “the greatest mistake a human being can make is not to think”. And, consequently, he quoted him: “Our greatest challenge as humanity is not to let ourselves be manipulated, to achieve emancipation through ourselves and our own efforts”.
Prieto finally warned about the “induced amnesia” that, in his opinion, digital networks inoculate, and concluded with a call to action.
“We must follow Fidel’s ideas. We must defend Cuba and Socialism”. (Text and photo: ACN)
