"With the example of Fidel, the Cuban people will never allow to make itself a colony of the empire. They did not invade Cuba, because they knew they would not be able win the whole nation," Correa said during a ceremony to honor the Cuban revolutionary leader.
According to the Ecuadorian leader, today the peoples of Latin America are united as never before.
"With you, dear Fidel, Che [Ernesto Guevara] [Camilo] Cienfuegos, [Hugo] Chavez, we have learned to move towards the creation of a world of justice, we swear to always struggle till final victory, Comandante" Correa said.
Cuba used to be the colony of the Spanish Empire for centuries, until 1898, when as a result of the Spanish-American War, it came under the US control. The occupation of the island officially came to an end in 1902, when first Cuban President Tomas Estrada Palma was elected.
In 1933, a military coup occurred in Cuba, and Fulgencio Batista took power, and remained the actual leader until 1959, when he was overthrown following the revolution, headed by Fidel and Raul Castro, Che Guevara, Cienfuegos and Juan Almeida Bosque, among others.
