The historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, stood out throughout his life as a fervent defender of multilateralism and a tireless promoter of world peace.
The struggle for equity and justice for all was the central axis of his revolutionary action, for Cuba and for the rest of the nations.
For him, justice did not only refer to a legal framework, but was intrinsically related to the morality and ethics of actions undertaken in favor of the general welfare.
He always emphasized, in the international events in which he participated, that achieving peace and true justice at the global level required a radical change in the structure of power and a profound transformation of the United Nations system, allowing for the real inclusion of countries, regardless of ideology, political system, or religious beliefs.
In this way, he promoted equality in global decision-making. Let us recall his speech at the UN General Assembly on September 26, 1960, in which he vehemently denounced neocolonial practices, the economic domination exercised by the great powers, and the injustices suffered by developing countries.
In a speech that lasted more than four hours, he warned that true peace would only be achievable if the philosophy of dispossession, war, and exploitation were eradicated.
"Let the philosophy of dispossession disappear, and the philosophy of war will have disappeared! Let the colonies disappear, let the exploitation of countries by monopolies disappear, and then humanity will have reached a true stage of progress!" Fidel emphasized.
That speech marked a milestone in the participation of Southern countries in the multilateral system and in the defense of national sovereignty, and had a profound and lasting influence on the struggle against colonialism and global imperialism.
He always argued that peace was inextricably linked to social justice, the end of colonialism, and respect for sovereignty. His speeches at the UN (especially in 1960, 1979, and 2000) are benchmarks of his defense of a democratic international order.
In his closing speech at the meeting of the World Peace Council presidency on April 21, 1981, in Havana, he stated that "without development and a minimum of justice for the peoples, there will be no peace."
He reiterated this two years later: "The struggle for peace is the struggle for the survival of humanity. And that struggle can only be collective, multilateral, or it will not be," he said at the opening of the Meeting of Intellectuals for the Survival of Humanity on February 4, 1983, in the Cuban capital.
The meeting brought together more than 2,000 intellectuals, artists, and scientists from 100 countries, convened to discuss the dangers of nuclear war and global threats. There, he once again denounced the arms race and defended international cooperation as the only way to avoid a nuclear catastrophe.
FROM WORDS TO ACTIONS
Throughout his career, Fidel, a Martí devotee in heart and soul, was a man of action, not just words. He combined his powerful oratory with concrete actions in defense of the ideas he espoused, supporting liberation struggles in Africa and various parts of the world.
Under his leadership, Cuba sent doctors, educators, builders, and soldiers on internationalist missions, promoting aid to regions affected by colonization or underdevelopment, especially in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The Commander-in-Chief turned his principles in defense of multilateralism into concrete actions through various diplomatic, political, and humanitarian initiatives that promoted solidarity and international cooperation.
He was a key figure in the Non-Aligned Movement, in which he called for unity to defend independence and international justice, denouncing the new economic and financial colonialism imposed by the countries of the North.
The struggle he led against discrimination and racism reached its peak when Cuban internationalists, together with Namibian and Angolan fighters, defeated the apartheid regime in South Africa.
In this regard, during his visit to Cuba on July 26, 1991, on the occasion of the 38th anniversary of the assault on the Moncada Barracks, Nelson Mandela said: "The defeat of the apartheid army served as inspiration to the fighting people of South Africa! Cuito Cuanavale marks a turning point in the struggle to free the continent and our country from the scourge of apartheid!"
There are hundreds of examples of solidarity actions undertaken by the Cuban leader; for example, the creation of the Latin American School of Medicine, west of Havana, which allows young people from the poorest regions of the planet to train as doctors.
Thousands of students from the Global South study in schools and higher education centers on the island, completely free of charge, and many of them are now at the forefront of the labor and scientific sectors in their countries of origin.
A LEGACY THAT LIVES ON
For Cubans, the struggle for peace transcends the mere absence of conflict; we learned from Fidel that it is an active commitment to save humanity from destruction, protect the most vulnerable, and build an international order based on equity and cooperation.
His legacy in the field of multilateralism and peace is recognized today as a moral beacon for social movements, progressive leaders, and countries of the South.
The Revolutionary Government of the largest of the Antilles defends inclusive multilateralism, as well as the sovereignty of peoples and world peace, with equal passion and consistency, a cause to which its historic leader dedicated his entire life.
Cuba's entry into the BRICS, the battles fought in international forums, and the consistent defense of solidarity and internationalism are, together with every doctor, every nurse, every health technician who leaves their mark in the poorest corners of the earth, visible traces of the Giant's legacy.
His powerful voice can still be heard at the United Nations calling for solidarity to advance toward a more equitable world free of imperial domination, to save the human species from disaster.
FIDEL'S QUOTES ON PEACE AND MULTILATERALISM
Peace is not just the absence of war. Peace is social justice, equality, the right of peoples to self-determination (6th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, Havana, 1979).
We defend peace with dignity, not peace on our knees. True peace is based on respect for the rights of all (Speech at the UN, on the 50th anniversary, 1995).
Globalization must be multilateral and democratic; it cannot be the heritage of an empire or a club of rich people (10th Ibero-American Summit, Panama, 2000).
No country can be the guardian of the world. Peace is built through cooperation, not through interventions or preventive wars (Response to the invasion of Iraq, 2003).
