Cuba marks Fidel Castro centenary amid rising tensions with US

Cuba on Thursday accused the United States of imposing a “brutal and immoral” blockade on the island at a gala marking the 100th birthday of late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, as Washington continues to pressure Havana over political and economic reforms.

Fidel Castro, who led Cuba’s 1959 revolution and ruled the country for decades, died in 2016 aged 90. His younger brother, former president Raúl Castro, 95, attended the event at Havana’s Karl Marx Theatre, marking his first public appearance in several months. The crowd chanted “Long live socialism!” and “Fatherland or death, we will win!”

The anniversary came amid heightened tensions between Havana and Washington. The US embassy in Cuba quoted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a post on X as saying that “all options are on the table, including military options” and that Cuba should take seriously President Donald Trump’s willingness to use US strategic powers.

Trump has threatened Cuba with a “takeover.” A US oil blockade and sanctions have further aggravated the island’s already severe economic crisis in recent months.

Castro’s revolution overthrew the US-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1959. His socialist policies and decades-long confrontation with Washington have shaped Cuba’s political and economic system ever since.