VivirLatino

While U.S. mainstream media is reporting on the celebrations of Cuban exiles and Cuban Americans in the streets of Miami after hearing the news that Fidel Castro would cede power to his brother due to illness, Spanish newspaper 20 Minutos presents another side of the story of Cuban exile, one that’s a bit more complex. One that, in the words of newspaper’s editors, reflects a generation of Cubans torn between admiration of Castro and hope for change.

Mairelys Ramirez, a reporter for the newspaper and a relatively recent immigrant from Cuba to Spain, shares her reactions, mixed feelings and thoughts with readers of the newspaper in a very poignant article (in Spanish) in which she recounts the presense of Castro in her life since birth — in the form of a photo of him hanging over her crib, to being bombarded with his image her entire life.

Some highlights:

“I’m sorry, but seeing my countrymen in Miami celebrating like that, raising their t-shirts to show their grotesque bellies and smiling smiles full of gold teeth — symbols of conquest of working immigrants — makes me feel panic, fear, desolation.

Read more…

A couple of weeks ago the internet and Wall Street were reeling about a rumor that Cuban leader Fidel Castro had died. Last night a (semi) anonymous tipster called our attention to some of the most jarring news we’ve heard in a while; news that takes the breath out of all of those in the U.S. government who have been wringing their hands about what a post-Castro Cuba would like. Now we know: a post-Castro Cuba looks like it’s going to still be Castro’s Cuba:

Fidel Castro temporarily relinquished his presidential powers to his brother Raul on Monday night and told Cubans in a statement that he had undergone surgery.

The Cuban leader said he had suffered intestinal bleeding, apparently due to stress from recent public appearances in Argentina and Cuba, according to the letter read live on television by his secretary, Carlos Valenciaga.

But, Castro is not dead yet, and depending on who you ask this passing off of power is temporary or the prelude to the drama that will be Castro’s last days.

That last thought seems to be the one that has dominated the minds of Miami Cubans, who according to anti-Castro Babalu Blog, broke out into spontaneous celebrations in the city’s Little Havana. Babalu followed the local coverage of the aftermath of this announcement blow-by-blow. My immediate question to the revellers is: if power is being passed off to another Castro, what is all the celebration about? Isn’t this just more of the same?

Related: Videos of the street celebrations (CBS 4 Miami)

Via / National Post and Babalu Blog