15/04/2026
🇨🇺[JOIN: PUBLIC DISCUSSION]🇨🇺
Internationalism Against Imperialism
Fidel100 & the 65th Anniversary of the Victory at Playa Girón
For this month’s Anti-Fascist Friday we invite you to a powerful public discussion and strategic gathering as we commemorate two monumental milestones in the history of anti-imperialist resistance: the Centenary of Fidel Castro and the 65th Anniversary of the victory at Playa Girón. The discussion will be led by renowned South African anti-apartheid activist and veteran struggle stalwart Comrade Ronnie Kasrils, and Jesús Perz, Minister Counselor on Political Affairs for the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in South Africa.
🗓️Date: Friday, 17 April 2026
⏰Time: 17h30
📍Location: The Forge, 87 De Korte Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Why We Gather:
Sixty-five years ago, the Cuban people defeated a US-led mercenary invasion at Playa Girón in less than 72 hours. This victory proved that imperialism is not invincible. Through the construction of socialism in Cuba—through mass literacy, land reform, and popular mobilisation—the island nation created a fortress that no empire could breach, from 1959 until today.
We gather for this discussion at a time of extreme global peril. Today, Cuba faces a criminal oil blockade while the world witnesses escalating imperialist aggression against Palestine and Lebanon to Iran and Venezuela. These are not isolated events; they are the desperate gasps of a fading hegemony turning toward naked fascism.
Fascism thrives on isolation, fear, and the erasure of history. To counter the "hybrid warfare" currently targeting the Global South—and Cuba in particular—our solidarity must be more than symbolic. We meet to transform historical lessons into unity in action, proving that our socialist internationalism is the ultimate antidote to imperialist aggression.
As we navigate a global landscape increasingly defined by the rise of far-right ideologies and aggressive US-led imperialist hegemony, Fidel Castro’s Centenary serves as more than a historical commemoration; it is a platform for constructing anti-imperialist unity, solidarity and resistance in action today. We do not just remember Fidel; we apply his ideas and actions to the current crisis.
In this moment we look to Cuba—not just as a memory, but as a blueprint for defeating imperialism through socialist internationalism.
About the Speakers:
Ronnie Kasrils is a renowned South African anti-apartheid activist and veteran of the struggle. In the post-apartheid era, he has held several government positions, including Minister for Intelligence Services, Minister of Water and Forestry, and Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, among others. He is also a poet and the author of several books, most notably "Armed and Dangerous," "The Unlikely Secret Agent," and "International Brigades Against Apartheid." Kasrils remains a prominent activist and a critical voice in South Africa’s political landscape, consistently standing in solidarity with those resisting colonialism, including the people of Palestine.
Jesús Perz is currently serving as Minister Counselor on Political Affairs for the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in South Africa. Graduating Magna Cum Laude in Philosophy and History at the University of Havana, he also holds a Master's degree in International Relations. As a diplomat he has successfully completed permanent diplomatic missions in the United States (twice) and Haiti, plus other official missions in Caribbean countries. He is a member of the National Union of Historians of Cuba and of the Scientific Advisory Council of the Félix Varela y Morales Center for Cultural Development in Havana.
This event is hosted by Pan Africanism Today, the International Peoples’ Assembly, The Forge, and the Anti-Fascist International South Africa Chapter.
RSVP & Enquiries
For further information, please contact:
Yanga: [email protected]
Yvonne: [email protected]
