Fidel unveils John Lennon statue in a Havana park

(Granma 2001)

Commander in Chief Fidel Castro declared himself today a dreamer as the famous British musician, singer and author John Lennon was. Here in Havana, the anniversary of the assassination of John Lennon was remembered with the unveiling of a statue in a Havana park. Lennon was not well known by all of our people, a part of our youth does know him, but whole generations of Cubans did not knew so many beautiful things about his life, his thoughts and his history, and now they will have the opportunity of learning about them, President Fidel Castro told reporters during the unveiling ceremony. Fidel then made reference to the book that was given to him, which provides a wide scope of information on the life of the world famous member of the Beatles, and he said that its publication in Cuba will provide a more complete information about Lennon's ideas. After attending the tribute to Lennon ceremony , Fidel told the media that he feels young in his ideas and thoughts, more enthusiastic than ever, and with the capacity to dream, which he said are all symptoms of youth. The leader of the Cuban Revolution , together with Silvio Rodriguez the well known Cuban musician and author, unveiled a bronze statue of John Lennon which was placed at the 17th street between 6th and 8 th park in Havana's downtown Vedado neighborhood. Ricardo Alarcon, President of the Cuban Parliament addressed the participants at the inaugural ceremony and said that this place would always be a testimony of the struggle and a call to humanism. He then added in his speech that it will be a permanent homage to a generation that wanted to change the world, and to the rebel and innovative spirit of Lennon the artist that help to create it and at the same was one of that generation's most authentic symbols. Alarcon recalled the memorable concert in 1963 where John Lennon asked those who were sitting in the most expensive areas that instead of applauding they will limit themselves to show their jewels, and how Lennon, six Novembers later returned the Order of the British Empire in protest for the aggression against Vietnam and the colonialist intervention in Africa. The President of the Cuban Parliament also made reference to the personal contributions of Lennon, which lasted after the Beatles disintegrated, by authoring songs that showed the youth's struggle for peace , revolution, women's liberation and racial equality. He then added that Lennon was the object of the most intense harassment by the FBI, the CIA and the Immigration and Naturalization Service ( INS ) of the United States under direct orders of then President Richard Nixon, whom the speaker described as the most crooked of all the inhabitants of the White House ever. The unveiling ceremony of the statue authored by Cuban sculptor Jose Villa, also included the performance by Silvio Rodriguez  of the famous Lennon song " Love " .