At a young age, when life is still a promise and not a certainty, Juan Almeida Bosque knew how to sing the call of his land to conquer or die.
He was an early soldier of the homeland, arriving on the illustrious yacht that heralded freedom. Later, he became a fearless guerrilla fighter, then a military strategist. There was no difficulty that diminished him, nor any responsibility he did not assume with exemplary conduct and nobility.
In Almeida, the Commander, art also resided. The delicate sound of his songs, the joy of his music, his constant flirtation with creation showed him to be one of the most complete revolutionaries of his time.
Today, on his 99th birthday, we are invited to remember him. But not as someone leafing through an old photo album, but as someone seeking strength for new missions. Examples like his never perish.
We must think of him whenever the task seems too great, when we need to reaffirm our commitment to this work that leaves no one behind. That certainty was born in him on that unforgettable night when Fidel ordered the yacht to stop and risk everything for the life of one man. There, Almeida understood that the cause was others.
When strength, paradigms, and dreams are needed to go in search of others, we must remember Almeida. When the path becomes more difficult, when weariness tries to take hold and an annexationist chorus calls for discouragement; then, from the Sierra, from history, from every trench, Almeida's virile voice will resound: "Here, no one surrenders!"
