Anti-imperialist Youth Festival opens in Sochi

Militant/Willie Cotton

SOCHI, Russia — Thousands of delegates from around the world marched through Olympic Park here Oct. 16 to celebrate the opening of the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students. They carried banners and flags representing dozens of delegations and organizations. The festival includes a multitude of panels and seminars on topics such as opposing Washington’s attacks on the Cuban Revolution and intervention in Venezuela; supporting anti-colonial and national liberation struggles; debating how to combat unemployment, racism and women’s oppression; and much more.

In addition to the political program, the Russian hosts have organized a broad range of cultural and sporting events and a science and technology exposition. Over 250 delegates arrived from Cuba, most elected from schools, unions, mass organizations and municipalities. Before leaving for Sochi, they attended meetings at the Medical Sciences Preparatory School in Casablanca to get ready for political presentations, discussion and workshops. “We will go to Russia to defend our revolution and denounce imperialism,” delegate Maidolis Ojeda, from Matanzas, told Granma.

Cuban delegates are scheduled to lead some 20 different events to discuss the revolution and the political legacy of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, who are two of the three revolutionary leaders the festival is dedicated to. The Cuban youth will also meet with delegations from other countries, including Venezuela, Vietnam, Nicaragua and the United States.

More than 20,000 people are attending the festival, half of them from Russia and many hundreds from countries and regions that border Russia.

— JACOB PERASSO