On this day, 16 February 1959, Fidel Castro (1926-2016) was sworn in as prime minister of Cuba after leading a guerrilla campaign that forced US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista into exile.
However, as Northeastern University professor Layla Brown (@PanAfrikFem_PhD on IG and X) explained in this video clip, Castro was politically African due to his committing to aiding decolonisation movements in Africa and promoting ideologies that aligned with Pan-Africanism. Castro embodied the principles of revolutionary transformation and justice that resonated deeply within the context of Africa’s fight against colonialism and imperialism. His actions and rhetoric helped forge a connection between Latin America and Africa, emphasising a global struggle against oppression.
In fact, Pan-Africanist Kwame Ture (1941-98), who co-founded the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (@aaprp on X, @aaprpinternational on IG) said ‘Fidel Castro is a Pan-Africanist of the highest order.’ Do you agree?
Video credit: Black Liberation Media (@blacklibelobal Struggle