Castro Resigns

He is now free for parties and social events!


CASTRO RESIGNS

Story: Castro steps down as Cuban leader

By Brian Winter, USA TODAY
An ailing Fidel Castro stepped aside as Cuba's leader Tuesday, ending nearly a half-century of rule that saw him become an arch-enemy of 10 U.S. presidents as head of one of the world's last communist nations.
Castro, 81, announced his decision in a letter posted in the online edition of the Communist Party daily Granma, which has been his main form of communication since July 2006, when a crippling illness rendered him too weak to appear in public.

His brother Raul Castro, 76, has run Cuba on a day-to-day basis since Fidel became sick, an arrangement that is likely to continue. However, Fidel Castro's formal departure as leader will deprive the Cuban regime of its most charismatic leader and could spark new calls for democracy from Washington and from Cuban Americans living in Miami and elsewhere.

'DEAR COMPATRIOTS': Text of Castro's resignation letter
"I will not aspire to nor accept ? I repeat, I will not aspire to nor accept ? the post of President of the Council of State and Commander in Chief," read a letter signed by Castro published early Tuesday in the online edition of the Communist Party daily Granma.

"My wishes have always been to discharge my duties to my last breath. That's all I can offer," Castro wrote. But, he continued, "it would be a betrayal to my conscience to accept a responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer. This I say devoid of all drama."

President Bush expressed hope for the beginning of a democratic transition in Cuba after the regime of Fidel Castro.

Bush, speaking during a trip to Rwanda, urged the international community to help Cuba shift toward democracy, and said "the United States will help the people of Cuba realize the blessings of liberty."

"Eventually, this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections ? and I mean free, and I mean fair ? not these kind of staged elections that the Castro brothers try to foist off as true democracy," Bush said.

Castro?s 2006 surgery prompted street celebrations in Miami, the center of the Cuban exile community in the USA, and perhaps unrealistic hopes that communist rule in Cuba would quickly crumble upon his demise.

"The big bang theory completely misses that there is a second and third generation," of hard-liners in the Cuban government, says Julia Sweig, director for Latin American Studies at the non-partisan Council on Foreign Relations.

Castro seized absolute power in Cuba in 1959, when he and his ragtag guerrillas overthrew dictator Fulgencio Batista in what was then a popular revolution. Since then, Castro ? a bigger-than-life figure known for his bushy beard, his marathon speeches and his hatred for the "Yankee" leaders of the United States ? has exerted near total control over the tiny island nation.

Castro never gave up his fervent belief in his own unique ability to guide his homeland into the future, even as the tides of history relegated communism to a relic of the pre-Cold War past.

"His personality was such that he always saw himself as the man on the horse, the only guy who could possibly do what he has done," said Dennis Hays, a former chief Cuba analyst at the State Department. "In his mind, he was the only one who could hold back the tides of time and human nature as he has."

In 1962, the discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles placed in Cuba brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Once the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union collapsed, Cuba's status as a security threat to the U.S. mainland dimmed.

Nonetheless, Castro, backed by his security forces, maintained control.

Even toward the end of his tenure, Castro inspired some hemispheric leaders, as the region experienced another cycle of left-leaning governments. Hugo Ch?vez, the populist president of oil-rich Venezuela, regularly visits Havana and hosted Castro in Caracas. The friendship earned Cuba a new patron and precious oil imports.

For thousands of Cuban exiles, many of them living in Miami, the desire to end Castro's repressive rule has remained a potent dream, making U.S. efforts to unseat him a perennial factor in American politics, local and presidential.

For some of them, Castro's 1959 overthrow of Batista seems like yesterday, with vivid memories of property lost and the gruesome fates that often befell Castro's political enemies under a regime in which basic personal liberties were held in check.

"The fact for Cuban-Americans is that whether we go back there to live or not, we want to see that country free," said Ninoska Perez, director of the Cuban Liberty Council in Miami.

Castro's decision was not a total surprise, though the timing was. Some Cuba analysts had speculated he might step aside at this weekend's planned meeting of the National Assembly, Cuba's legislative body.

"This is not my farewell to you. My only wish is to fight as a soldier in the battle of ideas," Castro's letter published Tuesday states. "Perhaps my voice will be heard. I shall be careful."

Contributing: The Associated Press, Bill Nichols

Should be interesting to see what happens next!

<font color="#0000FF" size="1">[ February 19, 2008 09:33 AM: Message edited by: cincygreg ]</font>

Another Cold War icon relegated to the past (and let's face it, he's not going to be around much longer). Then again, it has been almost 20 years since the Cold War ended, sometimes I forget that it's been so long (THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID).

I'm mixed on him. As was the case with Ho Chi Minh, the U.S. had an opportunity to ally itself with Castro; or maybe more accurately, to allow him to ally himself with us. But, we rejected him, and so he went running to the U.S.S.R, who obviously salivated over the thought of having an ally 90 miles from the U.S., i.e. within missile range. And as hostile as he's been to us, we did try to kill the man and overthrow his government, so it's not like we should expect him to embrace us.

On the other side of the coin...

I am always fascinated with the media's love affair with him (and a lot of celebrities, as well). His human rights record isn't exactly exemplary, to say the least. And, let's be honest here- people who live in a "free" country need not try to sneak out in boats. Yet the so many in the media just seem to adore him and ignore his transgressions. You see these reporters fawn over a guy who, in his country, there are no free reporters....I mean, whatever....

Lewbaby... oh, Lewbaby.

You need to read some real history of what was going on before you were born. I had an utterly fantastic response to you on Vietnam, but then Hostboard went bye-bye. Perhaps tomorrow I will remember my briliance.

Your post is comedy gold. Do you really know nothing of Castro? Seriously?

<font color="#0000FF" size="1">[ February 19, 2008 05:54 PM: Message edited by: gae ]</font>

You're right, Gae-ne Kirkpatrick, I don't know what I was thinking. We don't support despots like Castro because concern for human rights has always been at the forefront of our foreign policy (which is why we supported the man Castro overthrew, Human Rights Award-Winner Fulgencio Batista, who was more or less known as the Mahatma Gandhi of the Caribbean).

Look, I never said the guy wasn't a bastard. I never said he wasn't one of the worst human beings ever. All I said was, he could have been one of our bastards, you know, like he could have been our Joseph Mobutu of Cuba.

And by all means, I welcome any input on my Vietnam query. Why don't you stop by some evening and hand-deliv- I mean, why don't you post it on the board here sometime?

He'll will be fine. He has that oil company bringing him in money. My husband used to used Castrol oil all they time.

Hey wait a second.....correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I read an article several years back where the Potter family had climbed on a raft in Florida and sailed TOWARDS Cuba....is that right? I mean, what was that all about?

I actually have a personal story related to Castro. When I was in college and worked at the law library the head law librarian, Dr Jorge L. Caro had been Castro's roommate in law school. He told me many stories about Fidel. Dr Caro would then become the defense attorney for the victims brought before Castro's "tribunal" and finally had ot emmigrate to the US himself. He would visit Cuba on occasion and oddly enough maintained friendly relations with Fidel and would visit him. I suspect he must have been a CIA operative, or at least an information gatherer. When I used to get Cuban cigars in Canada he would get so mad at me and tell me I was supporting a dictator. He died in 2003. Last time I saw him in 1989, he asked me what I was up to and suggested a good investment for me would be a bullet proof vest given my propensity to be a rabble rouser.