Venceremos, Cuba
Two teenage boys walk past a sign from the 1960s proclaiming 'Patria o Muerte, Venceremos' ['Homeland or Death, we will win]. Viñales, Cuba, September 2019.
Once Fidel Castro became Cuba's President in January 1959, he undertook a campaign to cement his revolutionary message across the country through the use of simple yet bold propaganda posters.
Understanding the power of political iconography, he used the infrastructure of commercial billboards to cheaply disseminate his message to all parts of Cuba, meaning it could be heard by all, regardless of their access to other forms of media.
For this strategy to be impactful, however, Castro needed to increase the levels of literacy in rural areas, and undertook a targeted 'Cuban literacy campaign' in 1961. As a result, Cuba had one of the highest literacy rates in the world by the mid-1960s // Our World in Data.
With a newly educated population, American sanctions, self-imposed restrictions on religious emblems, and control over the media meant their public message could remain all-consuming and undiluted. This helped foster national pride and unity across the island, and often relayed a message of collective struggle and revolutionary ideals.
The posters, art and signs have become a global symbol of working-class rebellion, and remain in place today as an anchor for Cuban revolutionary national pride. As tourism on the island grows, Castro's message has become global thanks to visitors relaying the images through their social media accounts.
