Castro in the 1960s: Whatever one thinks of the ex-Cuban dictator,

one cannot deny that he's a survivor.

 

 

Granma, Cuba

Castro: Easing of Cuba Restrictions 'Positive', But Not Nearly Enough

 

Should the United States eliminate more of the sanctions and laws that target the Cuban regime? In the words of former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, it's high time that Washington owns up to some unpleasant truths about history and current programs that he considers a danger to Latin America. In this edition of Reflections of Fidel published in state-run Granma, the former Cuban leader opines on U.S. policies he'd like to see, expresses displeasure on being excluded from the Fifth Americas Summit to begin this Friday at the Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago, and expresses qualified support for President Barack Obama.

 

By Fidel Castro

 

Translated By Miguel Gutierrez

 

April 13, 2009

 

Cuba - Granma - Original Article (Spanish)

FORTY-EIGHT years ago, mercenary forces in the service of a foreign power invaded their own homeland, escorted by a U.S. squadron that included an aircraft carrier and dozens of fighter aircraft. This date cannot be forgotten. The great power of the North is capable of applying the same formula to any Latin American country. This has occurred on many occasions throughout the history of our hemisphere. Has any promise been declared that such actions will never be repeated, directly or via indigenous armies, as have occurred in the Dominican Republic, Panama, Guatemala, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela and other countries?

 

The cunning and devious attack on Girón Beach [the Bay of Pigs] cost us more than 150 lives and hundreds of seriously wounded. We should like to hear some self-criticism from that powerful nation - and a guarantee that such events will never happen again in our hemisphere.

 

April 13th marked the seventh anniversary since the failed coup against the Revolution in Venezuela.  

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

 

For the sake of democracy and human rights, we need a voice in Washington to tell us that the School of the Americas, which specializes in coup and torture, will be closed forever.

 

We cannot forget that right now, this April, the leader of ARENA [Rodrigo Ávila], Bush's oligarchic ally in the Iraqi genocide, continues to govern El Salvador. With a million human lives sacrificed [in Iraq], there is enough blood to drown all of Bush's accomplices.

 

Does this recollection offend anyone? Or is mentioning this prohibited in the name of decency, ingenuity and complicity?

 

Cubans react to news that the Obama Administration has taken

steps to allow people in the United States to travel to Cuba and

for citizens in the U.S. to send money to relatives on the island.

CLICK PHOTO OR CLICK HERE TO WATCH FROM BBC

 

The [Obama Administration] measure to ease restrictions on travel is itself positive - albeit minimally. We need many others, including the elimination of the murderous Cuban Adjustment Act [and the Helms-Burton Act], which is applied exclusively to our country. We would like a response to the question of whether the immigration privileges used to combat the Cuban Revolution and strip it of human resources shall be granted to all Latin American and Caribbean people. But everything that occurs in the Port of Spain [site of the Fifth Summit of the Americas] will be secret. Listening to the debate will be prohibited, as will discussing the pronouncements of heads of state and government. In any event, we will learn what each of them says.

 

We don't want to hurt Obama in the slightest, but he will only be president for one or two terms. He has no responsibility for what happened in the past, and I am convinced that he would not commit the atrocities that Bush did. After him, however, may be someone else the same or worse than his predecessor. Men come and go; peoples endure.

 

There are other extremely grave problems such as climate change, and the current president of the United States has decided to cooperate on this issue - which is so important for humankind. We must acknowledge this.

 

Enough for today. I don't want to add another word.

 

 

SEE ALSO ON THIS:

El Universal, Venezuela: Of Obama and Chavez: 'Unconditional' Meetings and 'Equal' Treatment

El Caribe, Dominican Republic: Obama's Task at Summit of the Americas: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Gazeta, Russia: Castro and Chavez Split Over Obama

Semana, Colombia: Around the World, Politicians Have Learned from Nixon

Tal Cual, Venezuela: Crimes of Hugo Chavez Worse than Richard Nixon's

 

CLICK HERE FOR SPANISH VERSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US April 14, 9:09pm]