“I am Fidel Castro and we have come to liberate Cuba.”
- August 13, 1926 – November 25, 2016
- Cuban
- Revolutionary, Prime Minister and President of Cuba, Communist Leader
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Quote
“I am Fidel Castro and we have come to liberate Cuba.”
Explanation
This quote captures Fidel Castro’s bold declaration of revolutionary purpose, likely spoken during the early stages of the Cuban Revolution, such as the Granma landing in 1956 or another critical moment when Castro introduced himself to allies or locals under dangerous conditions. By stating, “I am Fidel Castro,” he affirms his identity not as a hidden rebel, but as the public face of a revolutionary cause. The follow-up—“we have come to liberate Cuba”—proclaims the moral and political mission of the movement: to overthrow dictatorship, end corruption, and restore national dignity.
Historically, this declaration must be understood within the context of opposition to Fulgencio Batista’s U.S.-backed regime, which was marked by repression, inequality, and foreign dominance. Castro’s claim to “liberate” Cuba was both nationalist and socialist, aiming to empower the Cuban people through land reform, universal education, and health care—goals that stood in direct contrast to the country’s prior neocolonial reality. His statement positioned the revolution not as a grab for power, but as an act of historical justice.
In today’s context, the quote stands as a symbol of revolutionary conviction, leadership, and the audacity to claim change before it has been realized. It reminds us that movements often begin with declarations that are as much about vision as about action, and that liberation, as Castro saw it, is not imposed from outside but carried out by those who commit themselves to their nation’s future—publicly, defiantly, and without retreat.
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