It’s not often repeated that President Castro stood-down as President in 2008 after almost 50 years as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Revolution. He stood down eight years before he died, paving the way for his succession, first by his brother Raul and later by current President Miguel Diaz Canel -the youngest Cuban leader and first born after the January 1, 1959 revolution.

   After his death at 90, local traditional cigar makers hand-rolled a Cuban cigar 90-feet-long, in Fidel’s honour.

   The day Fidel died, Cuba went into eternal mourning -and now that his 99th birthday is registered, Cuba last week launched a one-year observance to conclude in his 100th birth anniversary next year.

   Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that the number 26 has special meaning for Fidel, Cuba and Sant Lucia:

•          Fidel was born in 1926 and he led the July 26th Movement, named after attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba in 1953.

•          July 26 is also celebrated as the date of the ‘Bussa’ Revolution in Barbados in 1937.

•          When July 26, 2021 was announced as the date for the last General Elections, friends of Cuba were somehow elated.

•          The election result on July 26, 2021 was a resounding endorsement of the then opposition.

•          July 26 then took added significance in Saint Lucia, where the Labour Party was not just re-elected to office, but with a significantly sizeable victory margin of 13-4.

•          July 26, 2021 therefore also marked another new beginning in the ties between Saint Lucia and Cuba, with the new government continuing to engage with Havana in ways that showed the island’s appreciation of the good that Cuba has done since diplomatic ties were established by the new Labour administration after the July 2, 1979 General Elections.

   In the 46 years since Saint Lucia and Cuba established diplomatic ties, the relationship has been steady and fruitful for both sides, Saint Lucia offering and benefitting from solidarity as the two islands, governments and people walked through the decades of development of mutually-beneficial ties, irrespective of circumstances.

   Saint Lucia’s ties with Cuba have traditionally wavered according to which party is in office, one more interested in certain aspects of the relationship than the other.

   Truth be told, ties between Saint Lucia and Cuba preceded diplomatic relations, starting with preparations here (in 1976 and 1977) for Saint Lucia’s participation in the 11th World Festival of Youth And Students in Havana, from July 26 to August 5th, 1978.

   The Workers Revolutionary Movement (WRM), a progressive political movement for change (that came into public existence from August 17, 1976), led the way, working with local youth and students to form a National Preparatory Committee (NPC) for the 11th World Festival in Cuba.

   The NPC then selected a five-member delegation to attend the festival, comprising: Trade Unionist Lawrence Poyotte, Journalist Earl Bousquet, Teacher Virginia Alexander, lawyer Mario Michel and Allan Amedee (representing Soufriere).

   On their return from Havana, the NPC decided to transform itself into the Saint Lucia-Cuba Friendship Association (SLCFA).

   The WRM and the SLCFA secured the first set of Cuban scholarships for local students, followed later by the SLP and the Government of Saint Lucia -and in the four decades since then, hundreds of Saint Lucian youth and students of all walks of life have studied in Cuba.

   Countless Saint Lucian families have benefitted from private health services at affordable prices in Cuba and over ten thousand (10,000) Saint Lucians have benefitted to date from services of Cuban professionals at the popular eye clinic at the Baron’s Wing of the former Victoria Hospital (now the Betty Wells Polyclinic.  

   Today, hundreds of Saint Lucian professionals who graduated in Cuba are manning the nation’s health services alongside scores of Cuban doctors, nurses and other medical professionals at hospitals, polyclinics and wellness centres around the island and across the country.

   Every year -irrespective of the crippling effects of the 63-years-old series of US trade, commercial and other embargoes against Cuba- Saint Lucian and Caribbean youth and students religiously get scholarships offered by the Government and People of Cuba -with eleven local students last week securing scholarships for the 2025-2026 academic year.

   But it’s not only in health and education, Cuba’s assistance over the years has seen Dr Kenneth Louisy as the first trained in sports Medicine in Havana (starting in 1980), returning home and attending to the medical care of certain sports disciplines, including boxing.

   A Cuban boxing trainer (who’s long been here) is also accredited with much of the success of those he trained, many of who keep Saint Lucia in focus on the regional boxing map -including during the recent OECS Boxing championships.

   Saint Lucians especially remember the welcome arrival here of Cuban doctors and nurses as part of the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade that protected nations the-world-over from COVID-19 -from the Caribbean to Italy and Africa.

   Saint Lucia has not received any official information from the US about supposedly ‘punishing’ leaders of nations CARICOM with Cuban nurses and doctors present, so the government says there’s no reason for alarm.

   However, Caribbean leaders who’ve responded to alleged threats they could lose their visas if they opted to keep their arrangements with Havana for the presence of Cuban doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, said they didn’t mind losing their US visas to save lives at home.

   Meanwhile, Castro’s 100th birth anniversary will provide more opportunities to study his life and contribution to Humanity. But until then, his name remains inscribed in Caribbean and world history as one of the greatest leaders of his time.