The theft of Fidel Castro's stones sparks controversy in Cuba ahead of his birthday.

 

Fidel Castro's stones

The theft of Fidel Castro's stones sparks controversy in Cuba ahead of his birthday.

The news of the theft of stones dedicated to the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro  has sparked widespread controversy and reactions among Cubans, according to the newspaper La Universal.
A woman named Maria Dolores revealed on her Facebook page that a group of "unscrupulous individuals" had stolen the white stones that had been carefully collected and painted to form the name "Fidel Castro" as part of preparations to commemorate the centenary of his birth in 2026.

Dolores said that what happened was "a disaster that will not stop them," explaining that after publishing a photo of the complete name, they were surprised that same night to find the stones stolen. She added that the neighborhood residents and the "revolutionary committees" quickly moved to collect larger stones from another location and reconstruct the name, waiting to repaint it white so it would be "visible from the sky and from the north." She concluded by affirming that "Fidel is still present despite his death nearly a decade ago."

The incident sparked a torrent of comments and criticism on social media. Some government loyalists expressed outrage and condemned the incident, while others resorted to mockery. One commentator asked, "Where could this lead?" while another wrote, "Wouldn't it be better to cultivate the land instead of doing this?"

A wave of sarcastic comments erupted, some suggesting the use of phosphorous stones to make them visible from afar, as Dolores noted. Meanwhile, another citizen expressed her dismay at what she described as "stupidity," arguing that people's preoccupation with collecting and painting stones was a waste of time in a country facing a stifling economic crisis.

This incident reveals a profound paradox within Cuban society. On the one hand, there are those who still cling to Castro's personal symbolism as an "eternal leader." On the other hand, popular discontent with the regime's policies is growing, amid a stifling economic and social crisis that has made securing food and basic necessities a priority, not a preoccupation with beautifying symbols.