Cuba marks 72nd anniversary of assault that launched the revolution

Revolutionary leader Raúl Castro arrived at Ciego de Avila's Plaza Saturday to kick off the 72nd anniversary celebrations of the Moncada Barracks assault.

Despite the failure of the attack and the arrest of the fighters, it is widely regarded as the beginning of the Cuban Revolution.

Castro, dressed in his usual olive green, is one of the few remaining revolutionaries who took part in the in the 1953 assault.

It was led by his brother, Fidel Castro, then a young lawyer, and earned him recognition as the leader of the opposition.

Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero, told the crowds that they were there "to tell the world that the Cuban revolution continues to fight".

“And without giving up on building a sovereign, independent, socialist, democratic, prosperous, and sustainable society, with its head held high and its dignity intact.”

The anniversary coincides with a period of economic stress, one of the worst in decades, marked by food shortages, power outages, and high inflation, which are fuelling a wave of emigration.

Last week, Cuba reported a 25 per cent decline in tourism for the first half of the year. It acknowledged that the island's gross domestic product fell by 1 per cent in 2024, resulting in an accumulated decline of 11 per cent over the past five years.

“Despite all the problems we have, we must always unite as a country and move forward because in unity there is strength,” said Laura Cobas, a young teacher attending the celebrations.

The Moncada attack and its aftermath including the execution of captured rebels, fuelled public resentment against the regime of Fulgencio Batista who had come to power in a 1952 coup.

He was overthrown in 1959 and Fidel Castro went on to rule Cuba until 2008.