On 90th birthday, Fidel Castro thanks Cuba, criticizes Obama
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A man surfs the internet with his cell phone backdropped by decorated storefront windows celebrating Fidel Castro’s upcoming 90th birthday, in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016.
HAVANA >> Fidel Castro thanked Cubans for their well-wishes on his 90th birthday on Saturday and criticized President Barack Obama in a lengthy letter published in state media.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude for the shows of respect, greetings and praise that I’ve received in recent days, which give me strength to reciprocate with ideas that I will send to party militants and relevant organizations,” he wrote.
“Modern medical techniques have allowed me to scrutinize the universe,” wrote Castro, who stepped down as Cuba’s president 10 years ago after suffering a severe gastrointestinal illness.
Castro accompanied his thanks with reminiscences about his childhood and youth in eastern Cuba, describing the geology and plant life of the region where he grew up. He touched on his father’s death shortly before his own victory in overthrowing U.S-backed strongman Fulgencio Batista in 1959.
Castro returns at the end to criticize Obama, who appeared to anger the revolutionary leader with a March trip to Cuba in which he called for Cubans to look toward the future. A week after the trip, Castro wrote a sternly worded letter admonishing Obama to read up on Cuban history, and declaring that “we don’t need the empire to give us anything.”
In Saturday’s letter, he criticizes Obama for not apologizing to the Japanese people during a May trip to Hiroshima, describing Obama’s speech there as “lacking stature.”
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The Cuban government has taken a relatively low-key approach to Castro’s birthday, in comparison with the large-scale gatherings that had been planned for his 80th. Government ministries have held small musical performances and photo exhibitions that pay tribute to the former head of state. On Saturday morning, state media showed images of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arriving in Havana and a tribute was planned at a Havana theater Sunday evening. The government did not say which Cuban officials would attend.
Castro last appeared in public in April, closing the twice-a-decade congress of the Cuban Communist Party with a call for Cuba to stick to its socialist ideals amid ongoing normalization with the U.S.
The need for closer economic ties with the U.S. has grown more urgent as Venezuela, Castro’s greatest ally, tumbles into economic free-fall, cutting the flow of subsidized oil that Cuba has depended on the South American country for more than a decade. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Cubans are emigrating to the United States, hollowing out the ranks of highly educated professionals.
The brightest spot in Cuba’s flagging economy has been a post-detente surge in tourism that is expected to boom when commercial flights to and from the United States, Cuba’s former longtime enemy, resume on Aug. 31.
15 responses to “On 90th birthday, Fidel Castro thanks Cuba, criticizes Obama”
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Dollar$ will be flowing and people will yearn for free trade between the 2 countries. Money feeds the belly and talks only the dreams of utopia?
He should be thanking Barry. Normalization is on the way and $$$$ will be flowing freely….$$$ that their economy badly needs.
Castro doesn’t want U.S. investment!
Fidel who? He’s about as relevant as that Che guy, and yea I know he’s dead but thank goodness capitalism has spread his economically ignorant mug across the globe.
“Modern medical techniques have allowed me to scrutinize the universe,” wrote Castro. “we don’t need the empire to give us anything.” Hey Fidel, where do you think a lot of those “medical techniques” came from?
Cuba!
Good point. And where does he think much of his country’s money come from?
It must be hard to have gone from center stage to being relevant only in an historical sense. He’s become someone that kids outside Cuba may only read about in books; assuming the teacher assigns that chapter.
What a BABOOZE!
I bet Fidel remembers 1962 well; that was a close one. Whew.
We should have just left Cuba alone! But knowing Barry and the legacies he was desperately trying to get. Was searching for some form of Legacy, with Cuba? or better yet, maybe searching for “Waldo” was a better idea?Hummmmm.
I mean,why help someones country if they refuse our help and later condemns us? What’s the sense?
Come to think about it? Doesn’t Iran feel the same way too? You bet! The “Death To America “guys?
There are many countries who feel the same way about the USA! But if you show them the Money OR? “Show Me the Money!” They are only too eager to take the American dollar. what’s up with that?
Again…..What’s the sense? IMUA
We absolutely don’t need to apologize to Japan or Cuba. Japan should apologize to us and Cuba should acknowledge its provocative posturing for whatever purpose.
What I cannot understand is how are we able to continue to occupy Cuba. Do we pay rent at Gitmo? Can they evict us and close down the base?
We don’t occupy Cuba. I think it all goes back to 1898 when the US was at war with Spain. Puerto Rico became part of the US and Cuba was granted independence from Spain. In thanks, Cuba gave the bay area to the US in perpetuity.
Puerto Rico became a freely associated state and is referred to as a commonwealth. Almost half the people on the island voted to become a state in the last election but it wasn’t enough to change the law. At the moment, Puerto Rico is a basket case with professionals and others fleeing the island due to the economic conditions there. Their bonds are considered “junk status” which makes them almost impossible to sell unless people want to take a big loss on their investment.
Castro doesn’t want anything from the “Empire” but he sure as heck seems okay with receiving tourist dollars from the US. Reminds me of the Philippines president admonishing the US for its involvement in the Middle East but yet doesn’t have any problem with the US helping them in their problems with China.