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Bush wants Castro dead, Fidel strikes back

11:37 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Cuba|Politics · Comments Off

29 Jun 2007

George W. Bush was predicting — or praying for — the death of Cuban president Fidel Castro yesterday. At an appearance at the U.S. Naval War College, Bush said, “One day, the good Lord will take Fidel Castro away,” to a cheering audience. According to the Washington Post, Dubya seemed to realize that this was an unsavory remark and began saying “No, no, no…” A White House spokesperson later said that the President was commenting on “an inevitable event”.

As was to be expected, Fidel had something to say about this little comment. In an article published yesterday in Cuba’s Granma newspaper, Castro wrote:

“…the spokesman of the White House National Security Council, Gordon Johndroe, when asked whether Bush was hoping for Castro’s death, replied: “The President was speaking about an inevitable event.” It would appear that the brilliant official and his boss are going to live for thousands of years.

Now I understand why I’ve survived the plans laid by Bush and the presidents who ordered my assassination: the Good Lord has protected me.”

I’m not sure why the Bush administration insists on making statements that only allow their foes — Castro and Hugo Chavez for example — to strike back and bolster their support among Bush haters.

Via / Washington Post and Granma.cu

CIA plotted to kill Fidel

6:52 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Controversia|Cuba|Politics · Comments Off

26 Jun 2007

story.castro.gi.jpg As if it’s a surprise to anyone, the CIA released records today that detail a Kennedy-era plot to kill Fidel Castro with the help of the mob:

Among the more famous misdeeds included a plot against Castro. In August 1960, the CIA recruited ex-FBI agent Robert Maheu to approach mobster Johnny Roselli and pass himself off as the representative of international corporations who wanted Castro killed. Roselli introduced Maheu to “Sam Gold” and “Joe,” who were actually 10-most wanted mobsters Momo Giancana, Al Capone‘s successor in Chicago, Illinois, and Santos Trafficant. The CIA gave them six poison pills, and they tried unsuccessfully for several months to have several people put them in the Cuban leader’s food.
This particular plot was dropped after the failed CIA-sponsored Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, but other plots continued against Castro. Details of this plot first appeared in Jack Anderson’s newspaper column in 1971.

According to CNN, the records on the Castro are part of a collection of nearly 700 pages of internal records of CIA secrets which have never before been made public. Some other interesting tidbits include the organization’s spying on journalists and experimenting with LSD and other drugs “unwitting U.S. citizens”.

Via / CNN.com

After four months, Castro’s back

12:07 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Cuba|Politics · Comments Off

4 Jun 2007

Cuban leader Fidel Castro reappeared over the weekend, in his first appearance on Cuban television in four months. Ten months after giving over power to his brother Raul, Castro is back and acting as if that never happened, as he signed an oil agreement with Vietnamese Communist Party leader Nong Duc Manh.

Does this mean Castro is back in the driver’s seat? I don’t know, but what I do know is that if I were Chavez, that photo would make me jealous.

Via / Granma.cu

Castro’s Doctor: “Fidel will live past 140″

7:41 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · children|Cuba|Politics · Comments Off

25 May 2007

What was I thinking when I told you that Fidel Castro was on the verge of death back in January? I feel foolish now, what with all the new photos of him looking spry and his own doctor’s prediction that he will live to see the age of 140:

The leader of the revolution, Fidel Castro, will live past 140 years, according to Cuban doctor, Eugenio Selman, who has been on the presidential medical team for years.

Selman, who in 2003 created the “120 year-olds club” with the objective of uniting people of any age and from all over the world who desire “satisfactory longevity”, told journalists that Castro won’t need to join that club because “he’ll live past 140.”

God, I guess Michael Moore was serious about that Cuban healthcare system. If this is true, they can practically raise the dead. I guess all that celebrating in Miami was about 60 years too early.

Via / 20 Minutos

Castro to Chavez: “I can die but you can’t”

1:29 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Cuba|Politics|Venezuela · 2 Comments

26 Mar 2007

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said Saturday that Fidel really was on the verge of death a few months ago, but that the Cuban leader was more concerned about Chavez not dying than himself. Awwww.

“Fidel, when he was cofined to the bed — because he’s not in the bed anymore — was in very delicate health,” said Chavez before a crowd in an event related to the unified government party that he is creating.

Chávez said that he had told Fidel that he could not die. “But there he was, having already been in danger of dying for many days, and he said ‘Chávez, I can die now. You don’t worry about me; you are the one who can’t die.”

On Sunday, Chavez announced on his weekly radio show that he has a plan for “collective property”, which would take large “idle” parcels of land from their owners and into the hands of the Venezuelan people. Man, he was serious about that socialism thing.

Via / El Mundo and Yahoo! News

Castro won’t stop calling Chavez

12:55 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Cuba|Politics|Venezuela · 2 Comments

14 Mar 2007

Chávez and Castro are always on the phone (ever heard of email?). Chávez would never admit it, but I wonder if he gets tired of Fidel constantly calling. Spain’s 20 Minutos reports that Castro’s aides say he never stops using the phone and (he must be really bored) called and interrupted a meeting between Chávez and the president of Haiti, Rene Preval, and got himself involved in the conversation.

What do these two Latin American leaders chat about on the phone? It’s pretty much all La Revolución all the time. Cuba’s Granma published the latest conversation:

CHÁVEZ: How can you interrupt me, I’m talking to the the Industry Minister of Haiti. You are interrupting me now…

CASTRO: Because I am nosy…

CHÁVEZ: You have always been nosy. All this people’s revolution in the streets, it’s your fault. ¡Viva Fidel, damn it! (…) How are you?

CASTRO: I’m very good. I’ve been following everything closely. I haven’t missed one speech from any of the events.

Garcia Marquez awards Pablo Milanes in Havana

5:37 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities|Cuba|Music · Comments Off

12 Mar 2007

LEG1.110307.jpg Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez bestowed La Casa de las Americas‘ highest honor, the Haydee Santamaria Medal, on one of Cuba’s most influential singer-songwriters, Pablo Milanes in Havana last Friday:

The Nobel laureate in literature, who turned 80 earlier this week, joked that it was the first time he had bestowed a medal on a younger person, the official National Information Agency known as AIN reported.

Based in Cuba, Casa de las Americas represents music, literature and other fine arts throughout Latin America. Writers, musicians and artists from countries across the region often are called upon to present colleagues with the Haydee Santamaria Medal from Casa de las Americas.

No one can be sure, but rumors were flying that Gabo (pictured above with Milanes) spent his birthday in the company of Fidel, according to AP.

Via / Yahoo! News

Image: Am.com.mx via AP

Castro on the road to recovery?

12:45 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Cuba|Health|Politics · 14 Comments

9 Feb 2007

IM-Fidel%20Castro%20I.jpg After numerous false alarms about Castro being on the verge of death, could it be that the 80 year-old Cuban leader is now getting back to his old self? CNN reports that the Venezuelan ambassador to Cuba is hinting at it:

Cuban President Fidel Castro’s health is improving because he is now eating, Venezuela’s ambassador to Cuba said Thursday.

Castro, who has handed power over temporarily to his brother, has not appeared in public for more than six months since undergoing emergency surgery for intestinal bleeding.

The operation meant Castro, 80, initially could not eat, but there also were media reports that at the end of last year his health worsened again and he had to be drip-fed.

“Fidel is improving progressively. The problem is that originally he could not take in foods but now he is taking in foods and that has improved his health significantly,” Ambassador Ali Rodriguez told Venezuelan state television.

Maradona: Get my shirt off the Bushes

7:11 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities|Politics|Sports · Comments Off

4 Jan 2007

Legendary futbolista Diego Maradona is anything shy about his opinion. True to form, La mano de Dios is telling it like it is with respect to his opinion on Dubya’s twins sporting the jersey of the Boca Juniors, his beloved team:

Diego Maradona said Thursday that he’s a “a little distant” with the Boca Juniors team and criticized its president, Mauricio Macri, “because he put the shirt” of the Argentine team “on the daughters” of the U.S. head of state, George W. Bush.

“I’ve distanced myself from them. There are things I didn’t like and I say so,” said the star.

Maradona questions the welcome that Macri gave the twins, Barbara and Jenna Bush, who went to Boca’s stadium in November to see a local team play, and were photographed with the gold and blue shirt.

To add insult to injury, the twins were seated in Macri’s box during the game, and just a couple of yards away from Maradona who, according the 20 Minutos, was sporting a hat worn by his homey, Fidel Castro.

Via / 20 Minutos

Image via Telegraph.co.uk/Reuters

Target pulls Che CD case

3:41 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Controversia|Marketing · 4 Comments

26 Dec 2006

The commercial use of Cuban revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s image is nothing new, but a CD case bearing his image has sparked controversy and retailer Target has pulled the item:

Target had touted a music disc carrying case for Che admirers emblazoned with the Argentine-born guerrilla’s iconic 1960 portrait by Alberto Diaz, or “Korda.” A set of small earphones was superimposed on the image, suggesting he was tuned in to an iPod or other music player.

“It is never our intent to offend any of our guests through the merchandise we carry,” Target said in a statement. “We have made the decision to remove this item from our shelves and we sincerely apologize for any discomfort this situation may have caused our guests.”

Whatever you think of Che, it was irresponsible for Target not to consider the possible implications of this beforehand. To me it shows a lack of understanding and a lazy lack of research about basic Latin American history, and mainly just an attempt to be uber trendy without considering the meaning of the image.

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