Fidel Castro Backs Brother Raul
HAVANA TIMES — Former Cuban President Fidel Castro returned today to the main political stage of the island, almost a decade after an intestinal disease took him away from power, reported dpa news.
Castro, 89, appeared on Tuesday morning before the plenary session of the 7th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC). He pronounced a statement that also sounded like a farewell to the Congress.
“Soon I should turn 90,” said the former president, who was greeted with standing ovations and cheers of “Fidel, Fidel” by the more than 1,000 delegates and guests who attended the closed meeting.
Fidel said, “Our turn will come to all of us,” and added, “Perhaps this will be of the last times I will speak in this hall,” he predicted. Television images showed some delegates near tears at the Havana Convention Center.
Fidel Castro read his brief speech in a tired but firm voice, next to his brother, the current President Raul Castro. The former leader, who turns 90 on Aug. 13, has lived for years retired from public spotlight but has continued to exercise his influence.
Fidel expressed his support for his brother’s government’s policy, without going into further details. “I congratulate you all and firstly Raul Castro for his magnificent effort,” he said.
The younger Castro pushes for a market opening to foreign capital on the island, after decades of state monopoly. He also initiated in December 2014 a historic rapprochement with the United States, once a fierce ideological enemy of the government of his brother.
Fidel Castro spent part of his speech to recall his youth and his discovery of the former Soviet Union, whose political model he claimed to have had “total confidence”. He also openly praised the system built under his leadership after the 1959 revolution in Cuba.
“The ideas of the Cuban communists will remain,” he predicted. Although not involved for years actively in Cuban political life, the former president said he voted for “all candidates” of the more than 100 members of the new Central Committee and 17 members of the Politburo presented today.
Raul Castro, 84, was confirmed today as first secretary at the head of the Party for another five years as was Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, 85, another historic fighter of the Cuban Revolution, as deputy chief of the only political party allowed in Cuba. The PCC has a membership of around 10% of the total Cuban population.
Cuba is a living example of the negative effects of socialism/communism. Take away the incentives to produce though government confiscation and what happens? In Cuba and now Venezuela, people stop producing and wait for the government handout. If it(your country’s economy) doesn’t work, go back and start all over. That is all you can do, other than live in material misery.
The propaganda is beamed from Jamaica
Vinylon(Ja:????), also known as Vinalon, is a synthetic fiber produced from polyvinyl alcohol … The fiber was largely ignored in Korea until Ri defected to North Korea in 1950. Trial production began in 1954 and in … in small amounts in North Korea. Other than clothing, it is also used for shoes, ropes, and quilt wadding.
Hahaha! What an ignorant comment.
I believe that. It’s a weird sort of Stockholm syndrome played out over an entire country.
Moses, when I was with the Cuban people during my travels , I could never say a bad word about Fidel. The police, the authority, the government , yes.. But he was and is to many Papa Fidel. I could only wrap this around my mind by likening it to a child of an abusive parent. That child only knew that parent and when the CAS or whomever, tried to remove the child from that abusive situation, the child would cry and want to stay with this parent, the only one they ever knew. I can almost understand it now, their tears . It clearly doesn’t make sense to those of us born under kind and loving leadership but I can start to see what they see. I was told when Fidel dies, there will be an outpouring of grief across the country.
The lies no longer move the population. It is good that the old man has lived long enough to see the failure and misery his system brought a nation. A total disgrace.
The Castro connection continue to Castrate the Cuban People!
I have visited both Cuba and the USA numerous times and can report that the USA is a economic mess with no chance of recovery. Look at national debt – household debt and the amount of student loans. Social security is nearly bankrupt.. Gordon Robinson – Port Alberni B.C. Canada
[email protected]
“Television images showed some delegates near tears at the Havana Convention Center.” Are you kidding? Cuba is literally crumbling. They can neither feed nor clothe themselves without charity from others. Public education, national sports and health care, former pillars of the Castro revolution, are mere shadows of their former accomplishments. Fidel Castro is the principal culprit in the demise of the country. The only tears shed should be tears of joy that the end to Castro tyranny is near.