While Cuba experiences power outages lasting several consecutive days in some areas and athletes defecting en masse, the regime's propaganda machine 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 volume of 327 pages dedicated to glorifying the figure of Fidel Castro through testimonials from historic athletes.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, 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, can be purchased on the Ruthtienda platform in ePub or PDF format.
It's not exactly new: the original printed edition was launched on August 16, 2025, at the Sábado del Libro space in the Plaza de Armas of Old Havana, as part of the events celebrating the 99th anniversary of the dictator's birth. Now, with the centenary in full swing, the regime is repackaging the tribute in an expanded digital format to reach more audiences—and more screens.
The commercial description of the book on the sales platform does not hold back in its praise. According to the promotional text, the athletes' testimonials "reminisce about that great, imposing, intelligent, humble, human, fun-loving, and demanding person who, like a father, a protector, a friend, has left a lasting imprint on their lives to this day."
The closing paragraph concludes with a sentence that encapsulates the spirit of the entire campaign: "Let these modest lines serve as a tribute to that great man, whose mark remains 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 for decades to break free—literally—by crossing the Florida Strait.
The book is set against the backdrop of the avalanche of official tributes carried out throughout 2026, the year that the dictatorship declared as the "Year of the Centenary 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 in the Avellaneda Hall dedicated to the centenary; and the inauguration of a children's house named "August 13" in Nuevitas, Camagüey. At the University of Havana, an academic proclaimed that "Fidel never sees, Fidel looks, devouring 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 2026, nine of the 12 members of the Cuban rowing team deserted in Montreal. In August, two fencers did not return after competing in the Dominican Republic. In May 2026, the National Baseball Commission suspended the national youth championships for Under-12, Under-15, and Under-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, 2026, with power cuts lasting more than 80 consecutive hours in some areas of Matanzas. However, the official agenda of tributes is not set to stop: it will extend until December 4, 2026, the tenth anniversary of Castro's burial in the Santa Ifigenia cemetery in Santiago de Cuba. There will be tributes for some time to come.
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