Fidel Castro is dead. He was an outstanding Statesman, without equal. For 60 years, from a beautiful little island in the Caribbean Sea, he was one of the main actors on the international political scene, and in the public view and the news he had a projection as big and often bigger, and better qualified, than the leaders of most powerful empires of the world.  Such an extraordinary projection was a case never seen before in World History. But it was not a result of Cuba’s economic or military presence. It was due to the exceptional power and magic of his personality. During those sixty years, not one of the heads of State or government had risked his life so many times in their road to power.

The fact that Fidel was a man of great personal courage was confirmed over and over, and his audacity and daring were unprecedented in world history. Fidel was a unique combination of bravery and honesty, which is very rarely seen in the politics of our times.

His frugal life style was a reflection and an example of his personal rectitude. His probity is also evident in his intellectual activity. Fidel is the only head of State I can remember to have admitted making mistakes without being obliged to do so by external pressure. “We were mistaken when we thought that we knew what Socialism was about”, he said at the University of Habana; and he said so just like that, with that simple direct manner that was one of the most endearing features of his personality.

He said so and he meant it. Shortly afterwards, changes could be perceived in the internal economic policies of the Cuban government which started allowing more space to Cuban individual private initiative and to Cuban ingeniousness. Fidel is now gone, but the example of his political audacity, his honest courage, will continue to be a source of inspiration for the Cuban people and for the whole of Latin America, because he was also one of us.

Geneva, 27/11/2016