HAVANA, January 8 (PL).— Cuba is celebrating today the 49th anniversary of the entry of President Fidel Castro into this capital at the head of the Freedom Convoy that traveled through the island from the eastern region of the country.

Following the triumph of the Revolution on January 1, 1959, the leader of what was then the 26th of July Movement (M-26-7) embarked on the journey towards Havana from Santiago de Cuba, where he called a general strike in order to prevent a coup d’état.

Witnesses of that journey – of 1,000 kilometers and with mandatory stops so that he could talk to the people in the country’s principal cities – stated that Fidel Castro almost never slept and continued to receive and send messages along the way.

They claimed that despite an understandable fatigue caused by the intensity of the long days, the leader of the struggle that had brought an end to the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista (1952-1958), reciprocated the affection of the poor people that he met and always had a smile on his face.

"A general can do no more than the people, an army can be no more than the people. Because the people are invincible and it was the people who won this war," expressed the leader of the Revolution that January 8, 1959.

"I feel proud of the discipline of the people and the spirit of the people, because this is something really excellent that they have done; it demonstrates their dignity and civic-mindedness. It is worthwhile sacrificing oneself for a people like that. We will never disappoint our people," he affirmed.

Some of those people, those from the nation’s capital, followed him 49 years ago from his arrival in the Havana neighborhood of Cotorro to the Presidential Palace, now the Museum of the Revolution.

Those who took part in the event recall that from the balconies of apartment blocks, people threw flowers and hundreds of Cuban and M-26-7 flags flew along the path of the Freedom Convoy.

"Fidel, Fidel, Fidel," was the word of the day on the avenues of a city that for the previous eight days had been anxiously waiting to applaud its revolutionary guide.

Translated by Granma International  08-01-2008