Cuba’s Fidel Castro Back in Public
By Circles Robinson
HAVANA TIMES, July 11 — Former Cuban President Fidel Castro made his first public appearance in four years, reported Juventud Rebelde newspaper on Sunday.
Outside the public eye since he relinquished his post as president at the end of July 2006, Fidel had only been seen in photos of closed door meetings with foreign dignitaries.
The reappearance of Fidel Castro took place at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNIC) on July 7, during the 45th anniversary of the institution, a forerunning to the founding of a Scientific Center on the west side of the Cuban capital, noted the daily.
Coming on the heels of the announcement that the government of Raul Castro will release 52 political prisoners, the reappearance of Fidel —who still heads the Communist Party— will no doubt fuel speculation as to whether the leader is considering a return to the limelight.
During his long convalesence after intestinal surgery, Fidel Castro pens a column titled Reflections from the Commander-in-Chief, which is published in all the local press.
Whenever I hear the word “Marxian” I reach for my Kalashnikov…
If people want to start making sense about what’s wrong with “marxism” or “socialism”, they had better start by getting a grasp of the concept of “stalinism” — or they WILL get exactly nowhere.
Dear Grady,
You usually write very valuable stuff worthy of consideration, but on this particular occasion I have to be with Richard. Debate is about the right to disagree. I hope we can agree on that.
Hubert
This is a news blurb about Fidel’s first appearance in public since his brush with death in 2006. His appearance is an item of great interest to HT readers.
No one’s comments “ignore completely the content of his opinions.” From where did this “amazing” comment come? Mars? If you can’t share something coherent, then please leave it alone.
Amazing that the comments about Fidel’s visits and writings ignore completely the content of his opinions and follow instead the celebrity focus and speculations (news about events that haven’t happened) of the commercial press.
In spite of the fact that the Marxian formula of state monopoly socialism employed by Fidel’s government has proved so worthless for building a socialist society, Fidel himself is still in the hearts of all true socialist transformationaries.
To paraphrase from memory something Albert Einstein was quoted as saying about Mohandas Gandhi in the beginning of the film “Gandhi” that is similarly applicable regarding Fidel, it is a marvel that we have lived in a time when a man such as he walked in flesh and blood upon the earth.
Let us hope that he lives long. Even more, let us hope that he reexamines the discredited formula of state monopoly socialism and ends up showing the world a workable, cooperative form of socialism. Nothing would be more important and lasting for the end period of his remarkable life.
On the official site we linked to where Fidel’s reflections are published they actually use both terms. Although in the title to the page it remains Commander-in-Chief, on the left column they started using “Compañero” starting Feb. 28, 2008, when Raul Castro became the elected president.
Um… last time I looked his writings were called: Reflexiones del Compañero…… NOT del comandante en jefe. BIG difference, especially in a note questioning his return to public power.