Fidel Castro transfers Government to his brother - he's dying

international | history and heritage | news report Tuesday August 01, 2006 21:18 by iosaf

From Madrid to Buenos Aires, from Caracas to la Paz, throughout the spanish speaking world - governments and political representatives send messages of "get well soon!" to Fidel Castro who has now placed the ink stamp of leadership in the hands of his younger brother Raul.

The health of Fidel Castro is intrinsically tied to the health of the state of Cuba. & he's an old man now just short of his 80th birthday. He is in fact the "grand old man".
& his death will see many changes long expected and equally as long feared. Already Cuban exile groups mostly found in Florida USA, led by the charismatic Gloria Estafan have announced plans to democratise the state when he goes, and modernise it in the best shiney way turning the clock back as far it will go.

a pre-embargo car in Havana. They've run so long. but can't run for ever.

The USA has confirmed that its trade embargo which has crippled the state for decades will remain in place until Gloria Estafan or someone similar gets the ink stamp.

The EU dropped its embargo on the island recently and Spain started to play host to many prominent dissidents who were released as part of the thaw. (c/f the release of Raul Rivero http://www.indymedia.ie/article/67753 who indeed became a neighbour of mine in Barcelona, but many "political prisoners" were left behind, now totaling a little over 100. At the same time tourism has become ever more important and its profile has been as exploitative as it was in the 1950's. Cuba is a popular destination for westerners looking for a "no strings attached" relationship...)

so - soon I & others will write obituaries - they will naturally touch on the poverty of Cuba in the 20's and 30's. They will of course have to mention Che Guevara. They will hopefully do justice to the corruption and combination of US led state and mafia exploitation which turned Havana into the whorehouse of the Carribean in the 50's. They will trace the career and idealism of a man who went from being a hero of the people to at times a tyrant - and ask the question - "if the USA had not isolated the regime could it have been different?"

No-one who has heard the Castro speeches to the UN at the height of his oratory and revolutionary fervour as he railed against both superpowers and appealed for the poor of the world to unite in a "non-alligned block" is left un-moved. No-one who has visited Cuba and seen the anachronism and poverty which at end was not caused by the socialist regime can wonder -

can any obituary be fair? - I doubt so. But undoubtedly Fidel Castro was one of the great figures of the 20th century - & more people will pray he rests in peace than think to curse him. I write that with confidence after receiving today text messages on my mobile from across the spectrum of my (and our) contemporaries in the spanish speaking world. People who are democrats, who campaigned in their time for relase of political prisoners, who (and here is the rub) lamented the collapse of the revolution. People who whilst opposing the worst of Castro were still happy and sometimes "proud" that he had come along & stayed so long. People who know just like me that
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was the Grand Old Man.

the cuban government :- http://www.cubagob.cu/
the cuban news portal :- http://www.cuba.cu/
wikipedia on Fidel :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_castro