古巴本周举办书展、艺术展览和音乐会等活动，纪念已故领导人菲德尔·卡斯特罗100岁诞辰[1]。卡斯特罗生于1926年8月13日[1]，从1959年执政至2008年将权力移交给其兄弟[1]，并于2016年去世[1]。在其长达半个世纪的统治中，他推行激进改革并成为反殖民象征，但其遗产的评价高度分化。
支持者对卡斯特罗的政治遗产持肯定态度。作家米格尔·巴内特称卡斯特罗遗留"尊严、道德、不懈劳动和对穷人的关怀"[1]。然而批评声音同样尖锐，27岁青年克里斯蒂安·科埃略表示"卡斯特罗留下的是虚无，绝对的虚无"[1]。
这种分化的背景在于当前古巴所面临的严峻危机。古巴正经历五年经济衰退，症状包括长期停电、燃料和药物短缺、航班取消、工作学校时间减少[1]。特朗普政府于1月实施燃油禁运并随后追加制裁[1]，进一步加剧了古巴的经济困境。在这种困顿之中，对卡斯特罗遗产的反思也映照出古巴社会对历史和未来的不同想象。
Cuba this week is observing the centennial of former leader Fidel Castro's birth with book fairs, art exhibitions, and concerts across the island [1]. Castro, born on August 13, 1926, governed Cuba for nearly half a century from 1959 until 2008, when he ceded power to his brother [1]. He died in 2016 [1]. His political legacy remains deeply contested: supporters credit him with establishing a legacy of "dignity, morality, tireless work and care for the poor," as writer Miguel Barnet has stated [1], while critics point to the authoritarian repression that accompanied his rule and the absence of political freedoms.
The commemoration arrives at a critical juncture for Cuba, which has endured a five-year economic crisis marked by prolonged blackouts, shortages of fuel and medicine, cancelled flights, and reduced working and school hours [1]. These hardships stem partly from a U.S. fuel embargo implemented in January by the Trump administration, followed by additional sanctions [1]. Public sentiment toward Castro's political legacy has become increasingly polarized. A 27-year-old named Christian Coello articulated this frustration, saying Castro "left behind nothing, absolute nothingness" [1].