The controversial figure of Fidel Castro appears on the ninth silver medal of the Czech Mint from the series entitled Cult of Personality.

In the first half of the 20th century, a number of countries in the Caribbean and Central America became the target of military intervention by the United States, which expanded its sphere of influence in the name of political and economic interests. This despicable action created a number of left-leaning revolutionaries, one of whom was Fidel Castro. The son of a planter and his maid, he had already been involved in revolutionary activities while studying law. He participated in the attempt to overthrow the dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, stood on the barricades in Bogotá and finally decided to spark an uprising in his native Cuba, ruled by the dictator Fulgencio Batista. He was imprisoned for his part in this action, but was granted amnesty and went to Mexico, where he planned a triumphant return. He fought a victorious guerrilla war in the Cuban mountains alongside another revolutionary, who went down in history as Che Guevara, and became the ruler of the “island of freedom“ in 1959.  He fundamentally transformed a country that had been a paradise for investors and tourists from the United States. He nationalised all land and businesses that had been controlled by Americans and established an authoritarian regime. He declared the revolution communist and established close relations with the socialist countries, led by the Soviet Union. He has defied the US economic embargo and assassination attempts. His fight against imperialism and his personal charm won him many supporters. He introduced free health care and education in Cuba, eliminating illiteracy. At the same time, however, he abolished political parties, did not hesitate to send his opponents to their deaths and brought the economy to the brink of collapse. His regime was shaken by the fall of the USSR, but he held on to power until 2008, when his health failed him. During his time at the helm of Cuba, the US saw ten presidents. Even after his death, the tropical island remains one of the last bastions of communism. The name Fidel Castro has become a symbol of Cuba, but it is also synonymous with the turmoil from which it is struggling to emerge…

The obverse side of the medal, the work of academic sculptor Jiří Dostál, presents a characteristic portrait of Fidel Castro, supplemented with his name and life dates. "The reverse side is dominated by a vertically unfurled Cuban flag, symbolizing the ongoing revolution, with a horizontal inscription of Castro's quote SOCIALISM, OR DEATH (SOCIALISMUS, NEBO SMRT). The curling of the stripes at the word DEATH, which is turned upside down, then recalls the intransigence and brutality of the stated revolutionary goals," explains the medal's creator.

A special appendix is an integral part of the issue, offering an objective view of Fidel Castro through the eyes of historian Pavel Kosatik.