The rise and fall of Cuba's revolutionary epic

"The Cuban Revolution was more successful at exporting its epic narrative than any other tangible commodity. Not even sugarcane, tobacco or rum can compare. The face of Che Guevara transformed into left-wing merchandise, the stoic image of Fidel Castro with a cigar in his mouth defying the 600 assassination attempts orchestrated against him by the CIA, and the slogan that Cuban education and healthcare are the best in the world have been an important part of the global progressive ideation from 1959 to the present."

"From childhood, in schools, they have been taught that they must emulate the Guevara legend. We will be like Che is a slogan that every Cuban has shouted every day of their school years. And then there is the cult of Fidel Castro, who the island's official press insists did not die in 2016, speaking only of a physical disappearance, as if his spirit were still leading the country."

"The only mysticism permitted by the Revolution has been that of the Revolution itself, one that naturally extends to its eternal leader. Castro is, like God in Cuba, everywhere. This gift of ubiquity helped Fidel Castro gain an almost divine reputation. The Comandante could be in every place at once to attend to the needs of his people, but also to watch over and"

The Cuban Revolution's greatest export was its epic narrative rather than physical commodities. Iconic imagery of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, combined with claims about superior education and healthcare, captivated global progressive movements from 1959 onward. Renowned intellectuals and artists embraced the revolutionary myth. Within Cuba, citizens were indoctrinated from childhood to emulate Guevara, with the slogan 'We will be like Che' repeated daily in schools. Castro achieved an almost divine status, portrayed as omnipresent and eternal. The Revolution permitted only its own mysticism, extending to its leader, who was described as being everywhere at once—both serving and surveilling his people.

Read at english.elpais.com