It is an huge party, full of flags and embraces. People arrive alone, with family, with friends; one beautiful word is heard again and again: camarada—well, two words, also obrigada, which means thank you and is what goes in the soul of those of us who had the opportunity to enjoy the 50th edition of the Festa do Avante in Lisbon, Portugal.

For three days the lefts of the world broke all borders; each represented country brought its own causes to turn them into a single, immense, shared reason for struggle. The flags of Palestine and Cuba, victims of fascism, waved in arms that, there, were not foreign, because in that little piece of Europe the entire world was a single country: the one that rises with the oppressed, with the rebels, those who pursue utopia beyond the horizon.

Nothing of what I had been told could minimize the emotion of these days, especially that of hearing hundreds, thousands of people repeat my slogan, ours, the one that has been our deepest creed in the most difficult times: Patria o Muerte ¡Venceremos! The threatening Cuba does not correct itself, it cannot do so; it continues to stalk imperialism with its example of resistance and its courage tested against everything.

At Quinta de Atalaia, in Amora, municipality of Seixal, one can walk through four stages, or palcos, as the Portuguese call them, where music, cinema, and theater bring together thousands of spectators, and when I speak of thousands, I mean each one of these auditoriums. In the international space, the stands show the most significant elements of the culture and identity of each invited nation.

By the way, we spoke with José Ramón Saborido, Ambassador of the island in Lisbon: "First of all, I must convey a greeting to the people of Cuba, from our embassy, from the Cubans who are here participating in this important activity of the Portuguese Communist Party. This is an event that this year has great significance, because we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Festa do Avante.

"Here there is an extraordinary representation of all the solidarity movements of the world, of the parties of the world and of the people in general. It is a very broad fair, where all the municipalities, all the nuclei, all the elements of solidarity of the country are represented. And for us it is, without a doubt, a special moment, because a large part is also dedicated to international solidarity and solidarity with Cuba. There is a joint work program with many activities, where essential questions of the international situation are being debated, and what refers to Cuba, the blockade, the Centenary of the Commander, which we are also celebrating during these three days of Avante. Therefore it is, without a doubt, an event that has great importance for the country."

The Portugal-Cuba Friendship Association accompanies the Embassy and the delegation of our Communist Party at this event, affirmed the diplomat: "it is extraordinary support for the country, all those who raise funds contribute in one way or another also to Cuba: containers are sent, medicines, and we are truly very happy because this has been for me, really, in the time I have been here, the best Festa do Avante of these years."

The stand of the Greater Antilles remains in constant movement, whether to enjoy the typical Mojito, or to express an affection that crosses the Ocean: "Cuba is well known here, very much so. Here you cannot take a step without a demonstration of solidarity, of friendship, of support in the defense of our sovereignty coming forward, because precisely Cuba has that place for what it represents for people in the world, now more than ever. Even the war that the enemy wages against us has exacerbated those feelings of solidarity and respect for the country. And above all, I would say, the example that Cuba transmits of permanent resistance and combat in the defense of social justice for our people."

¡Cuba vencerá!

Not only welcome, Cuba is necessary

So affirms the Vice President of the Cuba–Portugal Friendship Association, Joao Luis Goncalves Frias Terreiro:

"It is certain that we very much need Cuba to always be present in the international space of the Festa do Avante; in fact, it has been at almost all of them. Cuba is our focus, it is our star that is in the world. So it is very important that we see Cubans here, working with us, and we also always want to give them a very strong message that they are not alone in the world, that there are many people, many millions of people who are with Cuba and with its Revolution.

"That is our theme: to denounce the blockade that has existed for more than 60 years and to tell Cuba that it is not alone. It is not a labor, it is pure militancy. And here there is a saying in Portugal that goes 'when one runs for pleasure, one does not tire,' and militancy with Cuba is our sentiment and our will."

Music as a Talisman…

From the moment the chords of the Talismán de Cuba began to sound, geographic distance no longer mattered, nor did the diverse languages; what García Márquez had called "the biblical nonsense of the Tower of Babel" became reality at the Palco 1ro de Mayo of the Festa do Avante: a single language, that of music, united, moved, and set everyone dancing to the rhythm of beats that came as a witness from a small island, which suffers the constant attacks of the abusive neighbor, but never loses the greatness of its essences, the threatening capacity to sing and be happy in the midst of any storm.

It was not just good music; people perceived the energy of an entire people translated into melody, harmony, and rhythm. What does it matter that most of the thousands of spectators could not understand the lyrics in Spanish? They danced and, just as the Portuguese colleague, almost Cuban, Paulo Jorge Da Silva wrote on his social media:

"The concert ended, the crowd dispersed, but the music stayed. It stayed in the body, in the memory, in the certainty that Cuba does not go out—not even from afar. The proof remained that culture is the greatest trench of the Revolution, and that it travels with us, wherever we are."

The conviction remained that those present at the Festa do Avante shouted aloud: Cuba will overcome.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff