Cuba's Fidel Castro makes rare appearance after 14 months

[Palmares]

Cuba's Fidel Castro makes rare appearance after 14 months



4 hours ago
From the section Latin America & Caribbean (http://www.bbc.com/news/world/latin_america)



http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/82130000/jpg/_82130068_026615213-1.jpg

Official media reported that Fidel Castro, 88, appeared "full of vitality" The former president of Cuba, Fidel Castro, has made his first appearance in 14 months.
He met a delegation of Venezuelan officials on a solidarity mission to Cuba at a local school.
The 88-year-old revolutionary icon was described as "full of vitality" by local press.
He was last seen in public in January 2014 at the opening of a Havana cultural centre sponsored by one of his favourite Cuban artists, Alexis Leyva.
This time, official media showed images of a seated Mr Castro shaking hands with the Venezuelan visitors through the window of his vehicle, wearing a baseball cap and windbreaker.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, oil-rich Venezuela has become Cuba's closest ally.
Mr Castro was a close friend of the former Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, who ensured Cuba received cheap oil. In return, Cuba supplied its ally with Cuban advisers, doctors and teachers.
Fidel Castro provisionally stepped down due to illness in 2006, and formally announced his retirement in 2008, handing over to his younger brother Raul, 83.
He occasionally writes a newspaper column and receives dignitaries at home, but rarely appears in public.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-32187604

So Castro's not dead? Yet...

[Sea]

He looks a little bit like Tommy Chong from the side.

[Palmares]

Yeah, Castro looks way more "fresh" (in the "thug graffiti writer who is about to mug you" sense) these days.

[Bala Perdida]

It's pretty funny how castro likes adidas

[Palmares]

He is probably sponsored.

[Antiochus]

You're all pretty naive. Its a well known fact that Castro is attempting to refresh his image in order to land a record deal. It has always been his dream to be the biggest rapper since Biggie Smalls and now he can finally do it.

[KurtFF8]

So Castro's not dead? Yet...

I don't understand why so many people keep saying stuff like this. There has been no announcement that Fidel has died and the only speculation that he has died is based on the fact that he "hasn't been seen" and has "been quite" etc. The man is 88 years old and still publishes articles from time to time. His health is obviously not in top shape considering he had to step down back in 2006. But why are people surprised that he's alive? Do people really think we would have all missed a big announcement like that or something?

Or is it that some folks think that the Cuban government would hide such a fact from the public? This is something I've seen a lot of comments online claiming and it just doesn't make sense. If the Cuban government were to pretend that Fidel was alive when he really isn't, what benefit have they gained from engaging in such a farce? It just doesn't make sense to me.

(I'm not trying to project all these things onto you, Palmares, but your comment reminded me of a lot of other comments I've seen recently about this article)

[John Nada]

So Castro's not dead? Yet...I don't understand why so many people keep saying stuff like this.Well, the Cuban Revolution was the biggest "Fuck you, Monroe Doctrine" thus far. Historically anyone who has stood up to The Empire has a low life expectancy. And it's not for lack of effort on the US's part. There were at least 8 known attempts, possible over 600. Just living that long is an accomplishment alone.:hammersickle::castro::cubaflag:

[KurtFF8]

Well, the Cuban Revolution was the biggest "Fuck you, Monroe Doctrine" thus far. Historically anyone who has stood up to The Empire has a low life expectancy. And it's not for lack of effort on the US's part. There were at least 8 known attempts, possible over 600. Just living that long is an accomplishment alone.:hammersickle::castro::cubaflag:

I understand that part quite well. I was talking about the sentiment that I've seen online in the past few days of "oh I thought he already died" or "he's probably actually dead and this is a cover up"

[Palmares]

Fair enough. But I guess a part of it (besides being a joke) for me is, I don't think it actually matters if he is still alive or not. Good for him though that he still is.

[mushroompizza]

:cubaflag:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-32187604

After this public visit Castro lit up another nicotine riddled Cigar and puffed away until the devil showed up. The devil said quote "come on Fidel lets go you should have died a long time ago, the smoking, the guerrilla war, the assassination attempts, and you are just plain evil I can't wait for you to join me in the kingdom of villainy!". Castro then slipped him 3000 American Dollars and asked for one more year on Earth, the Devil agreed. :cubaflag:

[Anglo-Saxon Philistine]

I mean at this point this is pretty much "old age pensioner goes out, the media is perplexed".


I understand that part quite well. I was talking about the sentiment that I've seen online in the past few days of "oh I thought he already died" or "he's probably actually dead and this is a cover up"

Plot twist: it's us who are dead, and Castro is involved in the coverup.

[KurtFF8]

It's sad that there was a more engaging discussion about this on Reddit than RevLeft :(

[DOOM]

It's sad that there was a more engaging discussion about this on Reddit than RevLeft :(

It's not really surprising that redditors care more about celeb gossip than politics

[KurtFF8]

It's not really surprising that redditors care more about celeb gossip than politics

Are you really reducing the health of one of the most important Marxist leaders of the 20th century to "celeb gossip"?

[BIXX]

Are you really reducing the health of one of the most important Marxist leaders of the 20th century to "celeb gossip"?
That's what it is.

[Futility Personified]

What else can really be said?

An old senior statesman poddles out the old palace for a meet and greet with the delegation of a neighbor to reinforce the importance of their mutually beneficial agreements.

When he finally dies it will be a bittersweet moment as another figure of 20th century socialism bites the dust, with all the pros, cons and strange compulsions to cynicism and misery that come along with it.

[John Nada]

The children were the first to spot the vehicles they’ve come to recognize and shout out, “Fidel is coming, Fidel is coming…” A group of visiting Venezuelans joined the students as they greeted him.


The most exciting moment that a group of 33 Venezuelans, who came to Cuba on a solidarity mission, will take away with them, will be the chance encounter with the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, with whom they spoke for an hour and a half. According to what they told me afterwards, he made two lasting impressions on the visitors: the first being his large hand which, for hours, slowly and firmly shook hands with many others; and secondly, his lucidity, conscious of the multiple details of the Venezuelan reality, especially at a time when this great nation has become the target of imperialist greed.

http://en.granma.cu/file/img/2015/04/medium/f0007025.jpg

These Venezuelan friends arrived in Cuba on March 27 as part of the “Second Bolívar-Martí Solidarity Flight. A bridge connecting peoples.”

Those who met and conversed with Fidel on March 30 belonged to the group of 155 Venezuelans who were invited by the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) and its travel agency Amistar.

http://en.granma.cu/file/img/2015/04/medium/f0007023.jpg

On the day of the chance encounter, the group of 155 had divided into four to visit various schools in Havana. One of the groups traveled to the Vilma Espín Guillois Educational Complex, in the neighbourhood of Siboney.

The school was inaugurated by Fidel in 2013, having noted whenever he passed through the streets of the neighborhood that the local children had to travel long distances to the nearest schools.

30 or so brothers and sisters from the land of Bolívar were touring the facilities of the Educational Complex, when Fidel happened to pass close by.

http://en.granma.cu/file/img/2015/04/medium/f0007021.jpg

The children were the first to spot the vehicles they’ve come to recognize and shout out, “Fidel is coming, Fidel is coming…” The group of visitors quickly joined the students as they shouted out slogans and greetings. The Comandante decided to visit the school, and once there he conversed with the head teacher and the organizers of the visit.

Fidel greeted each of the Venezuelans one by one, without haste, and asked them about the current situation in the country that gave us that immense friend, Hugo Chávez. He also commented on topics regarding the Venezuelan National Assembly, working with the youth and agricultural efforts. He aroused much admiration as he recalled the names of deputies, governors and people he had come to know in numerous exchanges with the land of Bolívar.

Fidel was the same as always, the Fidel we know so well: he did not leave without having discussed the most pressing issues. He showed particular concern for the current struggle of Venezuela to ensure its integrity and sovereignty are respected. He noted that they must work quickly to collect as many signatures as possible to be sent to President Obama, petitioning him to revoke the executive order labeling Venezuela a threat to U.S. national security. He stressed that we must hurry because the balance of the world is at stake.

Fidel is full of life. This was the most repeated description of the Comandante from the Venezuelan friends who were able to meet and converse with him. “Fidel is alive,” they joyfully stated, having been witnesses to a truly fortuitous encounter.Source: http://en.granma.cu/cuba/2015-04-06/an-unforgettable-meeting-with-fidel

From the original source, not British capitalist propaganda.:cubaflag:

[Comrade Jacob]

Gotta love Fidel, even if he has softened his Marxism-Leninism. Still a great man.