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Fidel Castro Criticizes Barack Obama’s Efforts to Change Cuba Fidel Castro Criticizes Barack Obama’s Efforts to Change Cuba
(about 1 hour later)
MEXICO CITY — Fidel Castro, the former president of Cuba, offered a critical response on Monday to President Obama’s recent visit to his country, declaring that despite the warming relations between the two Cold War enemies, “we do not need the empire to give us anything.” MEXICO CITY — Fidel Castro, the former president of Cuba, offered a critical response on Monday to President Obama’s recent visit to his country, declaring that despite the warming relations between the two Cold War enemies, “we do not need the empire to give us anything.”
In a long and digressive letter titled “Brother Obama” published in Granma, the official Communist Party newspaper, Mr. Castro struck a discordant note with the country’s political class, including his younger brother Raúl Castro, the current president.In a long and digressive letter titled “Brother Obama” published in Granma, the official Communist Party newspaper, Mr. Castro struck a discordant note with the country’s political class, including his younger brother Raúl Castro, the current president.
Mr. Obama did not meet with the elder Mr. Castro during his three-day visit to Cuba last week, which was meant to be a capstone to efforts to bury hostilities between the two countries, and to encourage the reform of Cuba’s flagging economy and political system.Mr. Obama did not meet with the elder Mr. Castro during his three-day visit to Cuba last week, which was meant to be a capstone to efforts to bury hostilities between the two countries, and to encourage the reform of Cuba’s flagging economy and political system.
Mr. Castro, who is 89 and has not been seen in public since last summer, remains highly influential in the Communist Party even after his retirement, and took the opportunity on Monday to offer a counterpoint to the optimism of Mr. Obama’s visit.Mr. Castro, who is 89 and has not been seen in public since last summer, remains highly influential in the Communist Party even after his retirement, and took the opportunity on Monday to offer a counterpoint to the optimism of Mr. Obama’s visit.
In his nearly 1,600-word missive, Mr. Castro recounted the history of United States aggression against his country, including the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and the decades-long economic embargo of the island, which is still in effect. He chastised Mr. Obama, 54, for his youth and for failing to recognize what Mr. Castro said were the major accomplishments of Cuba’s Communist revolution, such as state pensions and salaries, the steps to eradicate racial discrimination and the role of Cuba’s indigenous people in society.In his nearly 1,600-word missive, Mr. Castro recounted the history of United States aggression against his country, including the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and the decades-long economic embargo of the island, which is still in effect. He chastised Mr. Obama, 54, for his youth and for failing to recognize what Mr. Castro said were the major accomplishments of Cuba’s Communist revolution, such as state pensions and salaries, the steps to eradicate racial discrimination and the role of Cuba’s indigenous people in society.
The letter urged Mr. Obama not to jump to conclusions about the Cuban system, or assume that the past could be so easily forgotten.The letter urged Mr. Obama not to jump to conclusions about the Cuban system, or assume that the past could be so easily forgotten.
“My modest suggestion is that he reflects and doesn’t try to develop theories about Cuban politics,” Mr. Castro wrote, citing Mr. Obama’s own words during the trip, including a request to leave the past behind and embark on a future of hope and togetherness. “I suppose all of us were at risk of a heart attack upon hearing these words from the president of the United States.”“My modest suggestion is that he reflects and doesn’t try to develop theories about Cuban politics,” Mr. Castro wrote, citing Mr. Obama’s own words during the trip, including a request to leave the past behind and embark on a future of hope and togetherness. “I suppose all of us were at risk of a heart attack upon hearing these words from the president of the United States.”
Theodore Piccone, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said that Mr. Castro was “exercising the Cuban people’s muscle memory on the bad things the United States did after he led the revolution,” but that the letter was probably not intended to derail the diplomatic opening.Theodore Piccone, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said that Mr. Castro was “exercising the Cuban people’s muscle memory on the bad things the United States did after he led the revolution,” but that the letter was probably not intended to derail the diplomatic opening.
“The timing of the editorial — coming after the visit, during which Fidel was neither seen nor heard — signals an effort to do minimal harm to his brother’s rapprochement with the U.S.,” Mr. Piccone added.“The timing of the editorial — coming after the visit, during which Fidel was neither seen nor heard — signals an effort to do minimal harm to his brother’s rapprochement with the U.S.,” Mr. Piccone added.
Mr. Castro’s admonition comes across as something of a reminder to the Cuban people that shedding the government’s long-running enmity with the United States and reforming its economic system should not undermine what he and other Cubans view as the ideals and achievements of the revolution.Mr. Castro’s admonition comes across as something of a reminder to the Cuban people that shedding the government’s long-running enmity with the United States and reforming its economic system should not undermine what he and other Cubans view as the ideals and achievements of the revolution.
“Nobody should be under the illusion that the people of this dignified and selfless country will renounce the glory, the rights or the spiritual wealth they have gained with the development of education, science and culture,” Mr. Castro wrote.“Nobody should be under the illusion that the people of this dignified and selfless country will renounce the glory, the rights or the spiritual wealth they have gained with the development of education, science and culture,” Mr. Castro wrote.