By: Akealii Hall
Aug 19th, 2026
On August 13th, 2026, Diplomats, cultural figures and friends of Cuba gathered at the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre on Thursday evening to commemorate what would have been the 100th birthday of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
Hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Barbados, the August 13th ceremony blended music, historical reflection, archival footage and recitations of Castro’s speeches while examining his influence in Cuba, Barbados and further afield.
Cuban Ambassador to Barbados Her Excellency Yanet Stable Cardenas focused much of her remarks on Castro’s humanitarian legacy, highlighting the expansion of healthcare and medical facilities in Cuba under his leadership as well as Cuba’s deployment of doctors and other medical professionals to communities around the world.
Healthcare became one of the most internationally visible elements of Cuba’s foreign cooperation during the Castro era, particularly across the developing world and the Caribbean. Castro himself highlighted the scale of Cuban medical cooperation with CARICOM during a 2002 address, when he said hundreds of Cuban healthcare workers were already serving across the region.
Barbados’ Ambassador to CARICOM David Comissiong brought the commemoration closer to home, recalling Castro’s historic visit to Barbados during a period when Comissiong and the Clement Payne Movement were campaigning to elevate national recognition of Emancipation Day.
Archival footage shown during Thursday’s ceremony transported the audience back to August 1, 1998, when thousands participated in a Walk for Freedom that culminated at the Emancipation Statue.
Contemporary reports from the event show an extraordinary cross-section of Barbadian political and Pan-African leadership sharing the occasion. Castro addressed the gathering alongside then Prime Minister Owen Arthur, then Opposition Leader David Thompson, Comissiong and other regional and international figures. A young Mia Amor Mottley, who at the time held the portfolio of Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture, chaired the event and also appeared in the archival presentation show Thursday.
Castro’s connection with Barbados was also revived through Akil Ifill, who delivered dramatic recitations from the Cuban leader’s speeches throughout the programme. The Cuban Embassy described the presentations as bringing Castro’s oratory back to life through Ifill’s voice.
Among Castro’s enduring words from his 1998 visit was his declaration of solidarity with the region:
“Barbados and the Caribbean can count with Cuba as a tree counts with the sap that flows through his veins.”
The historic ties between Cuba and Africa were then given a distinctly Barbadian voice by The Most Honourable Anthony “The Mighty Gabby” Carter, whose performance of Well Done drew on Cuba’s role in African liberation struggles.
“Fidel you are a hero, Fidel you sent soldiers from Cuba to Africa to fight for liberation … the Creator will say to you, ‘Well done,’” Gabby sang.
The programme also featured performances by Knomaad, Demiko Newton and Shaunelle Neverson, and Onika Best and Band, along with additional tribute videos and reflections.
The evening concluded with the screening of Cabalgando con Fidel, followed by a vote of thanks from Ambassador Stable Cardenas and a reception.
More than a birthday tribute, the ceremony became a reflection on the historical threads connecting Cuba, Barbados, Africa and the wider Caribbean — from liberation and Emancipation to healthcare, education and decades of regional solidarity.
