While Cuba experiences blackouts lasting dozens of hours and even consecutive days, and athletes are deserting in large numbers, the regime's propaganda machinery does not rest: Editorial En Vivo has launched in digital format the book The Senior Athlete: Memories of the Glories of Sports in Cuba, a 327-page volume dedicated to celebrating the figure of Fidel Castro through testimonies of historic athletes.
The announcement was made on August 26 through the social media of the publishing label, which is part of Cuban radio and television. The work, authored by Irma Cáceres and Ovidio Cabrera with the guidance of Pável Otero, is available for purchase on the Ruthtienda platform in ePub or PDF format.
It's not exactly news: the original printed edition was presented on August 16, 2025, at the Sábado del Libro space in Plaza de Armas in Old Havana, as part of the events for the 99th anniversary of the Cuban dictator's birth. Now, with the centenary in full swing, the regime is recycling the tribute in a digital and expanded format to reach more pockets — and more screens.
The book's sales description on the platform offers lavish praise. According to the promotional text, the athletes' testimonials "recall that great, imposing, intelligent, humble, human, fun-loving, and demanding person, who, like a father, a protector, a friend, has left an indelible mark on their lives to this day."
The closing paragraph concludes with a statement that encapsulates the spirit of the entire campaign: "Let these modest lines serve as a tribute to that great man, whose imprint still lingers in the soul of a people that still does not want to let go of his hand." A people that, in any case, has been trying to break free—literally—by crossing the Straits of Florida for decades.
The book is set against the backdrop of the onslaught of official tributes launched throughout 2026, which the dictatorship declared as the "Year of the Centennial of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz." Among the most recent events are the I International Colloquium "Fidel: Legacy and Future," held from August 10 to 13 with over 1,500 delegates from 63 countries; a special gala by the National Ballet of Cuba at the Avellaneda Hall dedicated to the centenary; and the inauguration of a children's house named "August 13" in Nuevitas, Camagüey.
Meanwhile, at the University of Havana, an academic went so far as to proclaim that "Fidel never sees, Fidel gazes, he devours the world with the depth of his gaze."
The contrast with the reality of Cuban sports borders on surrealism. While the book celebrates the "deep imprint" of the "Atleta Mayor" on athletes, in July nine of the 12 members of the Cuban canoeing team defected in Montreal, and this month, two fencers did not return after competing in the Dominican Republic.
In May, the National Baseball Commission suspended the national youth championships for Sub-12, Sub-15, and Sub-18 due to the energy crisis.
All of this is happening while the electrical deficit reached a historic record of 2,411 MW on August 4, with outages lasting more than 80 consecutive hours in some areas of Matanzas.
The official agenda of tributes to Castro, however, is not set to stop: it will continue until December 4, 2026, the tenth anniversary of the interment of his remains at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery in Santiago de Cuba. There will be tributes for a while.
Related videos:
Filed under: