Spotlight: Fidel Castro celebrates 90th birthday amid greetings from home, abroad

Cuba's revolutionary leader and former President Fidel Castro celebrated his 90th birthday on Saturday, receiving good wishes from his people and the world.

CASTRO THANKS CUBA, CRITICIZES U.S.

"I want to express my deepest gratitude for the show of respect, greetings and praise that I've received in recent days which give me strength to reciprocate through ideas," wrote Castro in an article titled "The Birthday" published by Cuban official media.

In the article, the former head of Cuba reminisced about his childhood and youth on a family plantation in eastern Cuba, his father's death and the revolution he led that overthrew U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

Castro also wrote about the importance of preserving peace, saying "no power has the right to kill millions of people," which was regarded as apparent criticism of his old foe, the United States.

He mentioned China and Russia as "great powers that cannot be subjected to threats of deploying nuclear weapons."

Recalling his half-a-century confrontation with the United States, the leader wrote in the article: "I almost laughed at the Machiavellian plans of U.S. presidents."

According to Cuban intelligence agencies, the revolutionary leader faced more than 600 plots, including assassination attempts, from his foes since he took power in 1959 after the Cuban revolution till his retirement in 2008.

NATIONWIDE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

To commemorate his birthday, cultural and recreational activities are being held throughout the country.

A gala in honor of the birthday was held Saturday evening at the Karl Marx theater in Havana. Castro made a rare public appearance but did not give a speech.

Dressed in a white Puma tracksuit and green shirt, the old Cuban leader was accompanied by his brother, President Raul Castro, and his regional ally Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Over 5,000 spectators attended the gala broadcast live on television and gave him a standing ovation, chanting "Fidel, Fidel, Fidel" and "Congratulations, father."

Tributes to Castro have been overwhelming, ranging from the conventional, such as photo exhibits about his life, to the unusual, with one cigar maker rolling the longest cigar in the world, measuring 90 meters, in Castro's honor.

On the streets of Havana, banners and billboards with images of Fidel highlight his 90th birthday.

A group of 50 traditional Venezuelan folk singers, who arrived in Cuba with Maduro, will perform a concert on Sunday to honor the Cuban leader.

LASTING POLITICAL LEGACY

Although Castro has retired from the public eye for almost a decade, Cubans still remember his historical legacy and significance.

"Everywhere in Cuba, the driving and inspiring hand of Fidel is felt," Roberto Valera, a musician and composer, told Xinhua. "Fidel created a clear mark between the Cuba after him and that before him. He will be greatly remembered in the history of Cuba for leading so many projects in different fields, such as arts, sciences, technology."

For the young, Castro's ideas will endure in the future despite the economic and social changes taking place in this Caribbean country over the last five years.

"Today, he is an inspiration. I think that is the main message on the 90th birthday of Fidel, that he is an inspiration for young people to follow his example and his legacy," said Sergio Guerra, a young Cuban worker.

Castro was last seen in public on April 19 at the closing session of the Cuban Communist Party Congress. In a surprise speech, he backed reforms spearheaded by his successor, Raul, to modernize the Cuban economy.

On that occasion, he said: "Soon I will be 90 and my turn (death) will come like everybody else. But the ideas of Cuban communists will live on to prove that if a country works with dignity and fervor, we can produce the necessary goods for our nation."

Born in 1926 as the son of a wealthy, Spanish-origin farmer, Castro grew up in the Cuban countryside, before being sent to study with the Jesuits and later studied law at the University of Havana.

After the Cuban revolution, he built a socialist model that marked the history of the 20th century in Latin America and the beginning of one of the most profound national transformations in history.

Fidel Castro handed over his presidential duties to his younger brother Raul Castro in 2006 after suffering from gastrointestinal illness, and formally retired in 2008.

Since then, Castro has remained active, having published over 400 articles on historical and international affairs, many books and an autobiography. On various occasions, he referred to himself as "a soldier of ideas."

Cuba restored full diplomatic relations with Washington on July 20, 2015 after 54 years of cold war and a trade embargo imposed on the Caribbean country. The move is expected to bring more wealth and opportunities to Cuba. Endi