This is the closing declaration in the English text of Fidel Castro’s History Will Absolve Me, his defense following the failed Moncada assault in 1953. The online translation separates the words into three sentences.
“Condemn me, it does not matter: history will absolve me” Fidel Castro, History Will Absolve Me, defense associated with 16 October 1953; English translation credited to Pedro Álvarez Tabío and Andrew Paul Booth, rechecked in 1981 according to Marxists Internet Archive. Punctuation differs from the popular form.
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Evoking the world of Fidel Castro — Cuban revolutionary and political leader. Theme: "Condemn me, it does not matter: history will absolve me". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
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Provenance
The source
Text
History Will Absolve Me
Associated speech date
16 October 1953
Wording
English translation; punctuation differs
English text checked
Translation credited to Pedro Álvarez Tabío and Andrew Paul Booth; MIA header lists a 1975 Havana edition and a translation recheck in 1981
Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me.
The publication history ↗ describes the defense and the subsequent pamphlet; a later published text is not an audio record of every word spoken in court.
The archive’s source header ↗ credits translators Pedro Álvarez Tabío and Andrew Paul Booth, lists Editorial de Ciencias Sociales, Havana, 1975, and notes a recheck against the Spanish text in 1981. The 1953 date belongs to the underlying defense, not the publication date of this English translation.
The checked English text credits Pedro Álvarez Tabío and Andrew Paul Booth as translators. Its header lists Editorial de Ciencias Sociales, Havana, 1975, and says the translation was rechecked against the Spanish text in 1981. This modern English translation is treated as copyrighted; the 1953 speech date does not make its English wording public domain.
Rights status is our research, not legal advice — and copyright varies by country and edition. For commercial or published use, confirm with the rightsholder. See terms.
Context
Why it mattered
Castro used his defense to turn an accusation of armed rebellion into an indictment of Batista’s government and a program for Cuba. The final appeal asks history to judge him differently from the court; it later supplied the title by which the published defense became known.
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Filed under
More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.
1926–2016 · Cuban revolutionary and political leader
Fidel Castro led the revolutionary movement that overthrew Fulgencio Batista’s government in 1959. He then governed Cuba as prime minister and president, overseeing the consolidation of a one-party communist state and a long confrontation with the United States.
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Cite this
The primary source (Chicago)
Castro, Fidel. History Will Absolve Me. Defense associated with 16 October 1953. English translation credited to Pedro Álvarez Tabío and Andrew Paul Booth, Marxists Internet Archive; source header lists Editorial de Ciencias Sociales, Havana, 1975, and a translation recheck in 1981.
This verification page
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Condemn me, it does not matter: history will absolve me’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/condemn-me-it-does-not-matter-history-will-absolve-me/