Cuba Beyond Fidel: Youth in Defense of Socialism

"In 1959 Cuba became free and sovereign for the first time in its history"
-Kenia Serrano, member of the Union of Young Communists of Cuba while speaking in Miami University.

Felipe Perez Roque born in 1965, is Cuba’s foreign minister. At his appointment in 1999, he was not only the youngest member of the Cuban cabinet but also the only to be born after the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Pérez Roque was formerly an electronics engineer and leader of Federation of University Students (FEU) and of the Union of Young Communists (UJC) that included participating in several international youth conferences. He functioned as part of Fidel Castro’s personal cabinet for several years. He is Cuba’s UN representative and has given a series of well-known speeches against U.S policies from the war in Iraq to the blockade against Cuba.
Biography | Speeches | CBC Article "After Castro


Otto Rivero Torres, in his mid-30s, came from a working-class family in Villa Clara. He was president of FEU while also a member of the Union of Young Communists (UJC). He graduated as an engineer with a focus on transportation. Rivero was the National Secretary of the UJC for many years. He now heads up the Battle of Ideas for the UJC and holds posts in the Communist Party of Cuba. His post in the UJC was taken over by Julio Martinez.


Kenia Serrano was born in Holguin province, Cuba in 1973. While studying for a degree in foreign language teaching she joined the University Students Federation (FEU) and was one of their representatives in the Cuban parliament. By 1994 Kenia was responsible for the International Relations of the FEU at a national level. In 1995, Serano was part of a U.S. speaking tour of which she visited 47 universities in 13 states and 28 cities.

By 1998 she had become a member of the National Committee of UJC and two years later was invited onto the political leadership of the National Bureau. She joined the Communist Party in July 2000. She has traveled widely, participating in a variety of international youth events around the Caribbean and Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. She is now in charge of International Relations for UJC.
Article Speaking at Miami University

Hassan Perez in his early 30s, became known as a university student in Havana. He was president of FEU until his graduation. He has participated in many youth conferences around the world in explaining and defending the gains of Cuba’s socialist revolution. He has spoken at the UN along side Cuba’s Foreign Minister Perez Roque. He now holds the post as Second Secretary of the UJC and is a member of the Communist Party of Cuba.
Speech at UN

Cuban youth take part in social work during summer
Fidel speaks with U.S. youth
Youth Graduate from Medical School in Cuba
National Bureau of UJC