If Cubans were under the belief that Fidel would liberate them from the oppression of the Batista Regime, they would be sorely mistaken. One dictator was merely being supplanted with another even more oppressive tyrant.
Main picture: Fidel at an outpost in the Sierra Maestra Mountains
One of the hallmarks of all dictators is their aversion to dissension, however timid or mild. By fawningly lauding Castro, the left wing in the West, and the ANC in particular, must concur with Castro’s dictum that “All criticism is opposition” and furthermore that, “All opposition is counter-revolutionary.”
To honour his declaration that he would free the political prisoners of Batista, all of the no more than 1,600 prisoners were freed. Notwithstanding that, within two years, in his ruthless bid to suppress criticism, Castro had incarcerated between 40,000 and 60,000 political prisoners.
Instead of eulogising homages, the world would do well to remember that, at home, Castro was an oppressor, a torturer and a murderer.
The following thirteen facts of the reality of El Commandate’s rule in Cuba should be etched as an obituary onto Castro’s tombstone:
Unfortunately, this is not a just world. Instead of being vilified for his atrocious misdeeds, he will be venerated and exalted especially in the third world. By paradigmatically and slavishly following the Command Economy espoused by Marxist/ Leninism, he consigned countless millions to perpetual poverty around the world.
As if his misdeeds alone are insufficient to ensure that the gates of perdition beckon Castro, would his lifestyle redeem him partially or irrecovably?
Again, one would be disenchanted. On his show last week, David Whitfield on 702 Talk Radio reviewed a book by one of Castro’s bodyguards in which he relates tales of the dictator’s double life and breath-taking wealth.
This is surely George Orwell’s Animal Farm REDUX.
Pre Castro and the Revolution he led, Cuba was the domain of The American Mafia, the CIA and exploitative American Companies, mainly in the sugar industry, who had State Department backing.
The general education level, quality of life and healthcare was dismal. This is no longer the case. Had the CIA and State Department welcomed The Revolution as the will of the people there would have been no need for Castro to seek Soviet Union support. The USA drove the Revolutionaries into the Communist Fold.
I have been to Cuba and while there is no Democracy there are no starving people on the streets either, no thanks to American embargoes. There is high quality free healthcare for all, not a two tier system as stated in the article. I never saw any Army or high density police presence anywhere that I visited.
No I wouldn’t like to live there but Cuba is not the Big Bogey that American propaganda makes out.
Fidel Castro is not the Mother Teresa that the left would us believe. Read what happened when Fidel took over. Che Guevera led the charge not only to murder the top Batista officials but even the lowly officials. Even when they could not officially be found guilty they were killed. During this purge for instance, most of the central Treasury officials were murdered. Next came the oppression. Tens of thousands of innocent people were detained as political crimes a la Stalin. All rights were abolished such as human rights, trade unions, free press & the right to free speech.
From promising the Cubans a nirvana, they were once again enslaved. This enslavement was on a grand scale rather than the feeble attempts of Fulgencio Batista
Instead of decrying this removal of all freedoms, Castro is hailed as a hero and upholder of human rights. Instead read the biography on Castro to understand the extent to which the Animal Farm analogue has veracity
Therein lies my condemnation of Castro & his hypocritical left wind supporters worldwide including South Africa