A Sea of Torches for Action 

Once again, the steps of the University of Havana were a tightly packed scene, a sea of ​​torches.

Martí, the Apostle of the Cuban people, called for action, as he did 73 years ago. It was then the centennial of his birth. Now, Fidel, the Commander-in-Chief, in the very year of his centennial, was also a source of inspiration. Before lighting the torches, the words "I am Fidel" were spoken, and the participants were invited to continue embodying that spirit through their actions and accomplishments.

 “This is not an act of nostalgia, it is a call to action,” declared Litza Elena González Desdín, national president of University Students' Federation, before highlighting what “we learned from Martí and Fidel,” which is now our legacy: “It is up to us to defend sovereignty, build greater social justice, and raise the banner of Latin American unity and anti-imperialism.”

Also in homage to the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, the student leader extended an invitation: from August 10 to 13, in Havana, the First International Colloquium “Fidel: Legacy and Future” will be held.

“We call upon young people who support just causes around the world, social movements, political figures, cultural figures, scientists, and other professionals, scholars of the life and work of the Commander-in-Chief, and friends of the Cuban Revolution throughout the globe, to join this extraordinary event.”

Speaking on behalf of the youth, González Desdín declared that the current generation "accepts neither new nor old chains" and "will neither surrender nor sell out."

In her remarks, she reaffirmed the strong condemnation of the recent imperialist aggression against Venezuela and the kidnapping of the President and his wife, and paid tribute to the 32 Cuban combatants who fell in its defense. "With the same unity and fierceness as theirs, we swear that there will be no silence or indifference. Serene sentinels of dignity," she asserted.

The historic Torchlight March once again took to the streets between the University and the Fragua Martiana. It was, in itself, a massive oath of Cuban youth, a commitment to the defense of the Homeland, and an affirmation of its anti-imperialist character.

Leading the pilgrimage and the tribute at La Fragua was the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.

 He was accompanied by members of the Political Bureau: Esteban Lazo Hernández, President of the National Assembly of People's Power; Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee; Teresa Amarelle Boué, Secretary General of the Federation of Cuban Women; José Amado Ricardo Guerra, Secretary of the Council of Ministers; as well as Yuniasky Crespo Baquero, Head of the Ideological Department of the Central Committee; Meyvis Estévez Echevarría, First Secretary of the National Committee of the Union of Young Communists; and other leaders of the Party, the State, and the Government.