August 15, 2013 (TSR) – Cuba was celebrating former leader Fidel Castro‘s 87th birthday, which falls on Tuesday, with concerts, book presentations and other cultural events.
Celebrations were kicked off on Monday by a grand concert in the eastern city of Camaguey, with about 100 singers and poets from 12 provinces performing.
Castro’s biography, “Fidel Castro, Soldier of Ideas”, was presented in his hometown of Biran.
The book includes selected extracts from his speeches and interviews on freedom of speech, Internet access and brain drain, among other topics.
Also on Tuesday, Cuban media featured tributes to the 1959 Cuban Revolution spearheaded by Castro and leading to the overthrow of dictator Fulgencio Batista, who fled to the Dominican Republic on June 1 the same year.
“Fidel is watching everything, as days pass he becomes wiser. His wisdom is growing along with his white beard,” the state daily Granma reported on its front page, citing late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
The Cubadebate website cited prominent Brazilian theologian Frei Betto as saying “he is a man who lives his life in accordance with Utopia, because he believes heaven is possibly on earth.”
Castro served as Cuban president until 2006, when he handed over power to his brother Raul for health reasons.
