Several Italian radical left organizations arrived in Cuba this weekend to participate in the official events commemorating the centenary of the birth of the dictator Fidel Castro, which will be observed on August 13.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry celebrated the arrival with a social media post under the hashtags #100YearsWithFidel and #CubaIsNotAlone.
The delegation is made up of members of the Red de los Comunistas (Rete dei Comunisti), the party Poder al Pueblo (Potere al Popolo), the student organizations Cambiare Rotta and Oposición Estudiantil de Alternativa, activists from the campaign Let Cuba Breathe, and representatives from other groups.
According to MINREX, the groups are departing in "various waves" from Italy, carrying medicines and supplies collected over months of mobilization.
Poder al Pueblo justified the trip with a message on social media: "Once again we are heading to Cuba with the convoy organized in the context of Fidel Castro's centenary, and we bring with us the medicines collected over these months and all our support for the government, the people, and the Cuban revolutionary process."
One of the most visible spokespersons for the initiative is the academic Luciano Vasapollo, leader of the Rete dei Comunisti, who stated to the newspaper Il Faro di Roma before departing: "Remembering Fidel does not mean cultivating nostalgia, but reaffirming the relevance of national sovereignty, social justice, and internationalism."
The delegations will participate in the I International Colloquium "Fidel: Legacy and Future," which will take place from August 10 to 13 at the Palace of Conventions in Havana, and in the central event for the centenary planned in Birán, Holguín, Castro's birthplace.
The visit occurs while Cuba is experiencing one of its worst energy crises of the year: this Saturday, the Electric Union forecasted a deficit of 2,280 MW against a demand of 3,300 MW, and the country has already experienced seven total collapses of the National Electric System so far in 2026.
The highest deficit of the year was recorded on August 5, when the figure exceeded 2,400 MW.
The contrast between the celebrations of foreign visitors and the daily reality of Cubans —with blackouts of over 20 hours a day in some areas— has sparked criticism on social media, where many label these visits as “ideological tourism”.
This is not the first delegation of this kind in 2026. In March, the Convoy Nuestra América arrived with up to 650 activists from 33 countries, who met with Miguel Díaz-Canel. In April, a second Italian convoy with 60 activists landed on the island with food, medicines, and medical equipment.
The official Cuban program for the centenary extends until December 4, 2026, a date marking a decade since Castro's interment at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery in Santiago de Cuba.
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