In brief
On November 3, 2026, the Cuban Embassy in Lima organized "Cuban Poets in Peruvian Voices," a celebration of Fidel Castro’s 100th birthday with readings by Hildebrando Pérez Grande and Marco Martos and musical performances by local artists. The program also highlighted Peru’s abstention in the United Nations vote on Cuba’s embargo, while praising Cuba’s recent UN victory. The event underscored Peruvian solidarity with Cuba and served as a Day of Cuban Culture celebration.
The Cuban Embassy in Lima held a cultural show on November 3, 2026, titled "Cuban Poets in Peruvian Voices" to commemorate the centenary of Commander‑in‑Chief Fidel Castro Ruz. The program took place in the Antonio Núñez Jiménez auditorium and featured readings from celebrated Cuban poets alongside performances by Peruvian musicians.
Two high‑profile Cuban voices led the event: Hildebrando Pérez Grande, winner of the 1978 Casa de las Americas Prize and coordinator of the Peruvian chapter of the Network of Intellectuals in Defense of Humanity (REDH), and Marco Martos, a member of REDH and a corresponding member of the Cuban Academy of Language. They delivered selected poems by Roberto Fernández Retamar, Fayad Jamis, Eliseo Diego, Waldo Leyva Portal, Dulce María Loynaz, and Gerardo Soler, the cultural counselor at the Cuban Embassy, bringing Cuban verse to the Peruvian stage.
The musical portion brought together local talent. Antonio Zevallos, Kiri Escobar, and Luis Enrique Alvizuri performed Cuban songs by Miguel Matamoros, Carlos Puebla, and Eduardo Saborit. Video presentations showcased musical adaptations of the poems "Canto a Fidel" by Carilda Oliver and "La Muralla" by Nicolas Guillen, further illustrating the blend of Cuban written and sung traditions with Peruvian interpretation.
In remarks that underscored the political context of the occasion, Pérez Grande spoke on behalf of the Peruvian branch of REDH. He welcomed Cuba’s recent victory at the United Nations, which demanded the lifting of the United States’ economic, commercial, financial, and energy blockade on Cuba, while expressing regret over Peru’s abstention from the vote. The statement was delivered amid a backdrop of heightened Cuban–Peruvian cultural exchange and mutual support.
Attendees included members of the Peruvian chapter of REDH, whose presence highlighted the intellectual dimension of the celebration. The event was part of the Cuban Embassy’s broader Day of Cuban Culture program, designed to reinforce bilateral solidarity and cultural appreciation amid global political tensions surrounding the embargo issue.
According to the embassy’s organizers, the event reaffirmed the “spirit of solidarity the Peruvian people hold for Cuba.” It illustrated how art can serve as a diplomatic bridge, with Cuban poetry resonating through Peruvian voices to both honor a revolutionary leader and comment on contemporary geopolitical developments.
