This Sunday, June 23, marks the 23rd anniversary of the collapse suffered by dictator Fidel Castro during a speech in the Havana municipality of El Cotorro. "One might say I played dead to see how they would bury me," joked the leader of the so-called Cuban Revolution once he recovered from the fainting spell or "slight decline," as it was described.
According to Castro, he had spent the entire night preparing his speech, in which he announced a "long and difficult battle" for the release of the five Cubans convicted of espionage in the United States. "It's my fault for wanting to gather so much data," Castro admitted once he was settled in the studios of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT). The lengthy talk in El Cotorro had taken its toll, but the air conditioning at ICRT restored his vigor. "I like this place. It's comfortable and cool," he said during a Round Table appearance to conclude his campaign.
At 75 years old, Castro had climbed the platform determined to launch his new media and propaganda campaign for the "five heroes," which he believed would provide a lifeline to his already crumbling regime. With the aid of Hugo Chávez, who had ascended to the presidency of Venezuela in February 1999 and replaced the oil pipeline shut off by a disgruntled Vladimir Putin at the start of the 21st century, Castro dreamed of recovering from the so-called "Special Period" of the 1990s.
After more than two hours of speaking in El Cotorro, Castro began showing signs of distress, stammering and gripping the podium tightly, which immediately suggested a fainting spell or a drop in blood pressure. After a few seconds of confusion among his followers and security personnel, who appeared bewildered and unsure of what to do, his aides and bodyguards rushed to the podium to assist him.
About 15 minutes later, after receiving a miraculous tonic, Castro returned to the podium with renewed energy and declared exuberantly, "I'm fine, don't worry." The episode marked a turning point in the history of the communist leader, who, from that moment on, lost the mythical aura of an immortal hero that the Party's propaganda and indoctrination had bestowed upon him.
For the first time, the public saw a mortal, aged, weak Castro who was asking for "help" in a feeble voice. This image was followed by others where he appeared to be rambling, with a lost gaze, falling headlong at the podium in Santa Clara (a symbolic stumble that marked his final decline), and eventually succumbing to the revolution of his own intestines, which ousted him from power.
In a 2010 interview, Castro mentioned that during the fall in Santa Clara, "it was also influenced by the fact that the people who take care of you also get old, lose their faculties, and didn't take care of me." Shortly after, he fell again in Holguín.
"June 23, 2001, marks the most famous fainting spell in Cuban history. Legend has it that on that day, chaos ensued, and the entire nation was filled with hope," recalled a user identified as Liborio in Cuba on the platform X this Sunday.
Fidel Castro's Collapse: Key Questions Answered
To provide a deeper understanding of the significant event of Fidel Castro's collapse during his speech on June 23, 2001, we've compiled some essential questions and answers.
What caused Fidel Castro's collapse during the speech?
Fidel Castro's collapse was attributed to a fainting spell or "slight decline," likely due to exhaustion from spending the entire night preparing his speech.
What was the content of the speech that led to Castro's collapse?
In his speech, Castro announced a "long and difficult battle" for the release of the five Cubans convicted of espionage in the United States.
How did Fidel Castro's collapse impact his image among the Cuban people?
The collapse marked a turning point, as it shattered the mythical aura of an immortal hero that Castro had cultivated, showing him as a mortal, aged, and weak leader for the first time.