"A black cat has scampered between the two comandantes. One factor in the cooling of relations between Chavez and Castro relates to Barack Obama. ... Castro has aimed a few serious and courteous statements in Barack Obama's direction. ... Hugo Chavez hypothesized that Barack Obama would turn out even worse than George Bush."
By Evgeniy Trifonov
Translated By Yekaterina Blinova
January 27, 2009
Russia - Gazeta - Original Article (Russian)
After half a century of opposition, Fidel Castro has proclaimed the beginning of an era of rapprochement with the United States. The banner of struggle against U.S. imperialism on the Latin American continent has been taken up by Hugo Chavez.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has always referred to Castro as his "father, brother, teacher and comrade," recently made an unusual announcement. According to Chavez, the leader of the Cuban Revolution, due to his recent illness, would no longer be able to participate in official public events. In doing so, Chavez allowed himself to do what would only be appropriate for Fidel, or in an extreme case, a member of his immediate family. It should be noted that it's been a while since Fidel himself issued any statement of public support for his "pupil" Chavez. Apparently, a black cat has scampered between the two comandantes. Most likely, one factor in the cooling of relations between Chavez and Castro (not the only one, but the principal one) relates to the new president of the United States, Barack Obama.
Even before taking office, Obama stated his willingness to meet with Raul Castro without precondition, and also promised to lift restrictions on travel to Cuba and remittances of money to the country. In the context of the financial crisis - a bitter blow to Cuba - the influx of American money is vitally important to poor nations.
Fidel Castro is well aware that Venezuelan aid is destined to be drastically reduced (according to official reports, Venezuela's international currency reserves have dropped by 30 percent and are melting away at an alarming rate). Havana also has little hope for cooperation with Russia: Moscow can no longer fully support Cuba as the USSR did during the 1960s-1980s, and wouldn't want to if it could. To rely on Chinese, Brazilian and European investment has become more difficult in this time of crisis.
Therefore, any actions by the United States aimed at weakening the blockade against Cuba will be true manna for the Island of Freedom [this was a Soviet nickname for Cuba].
Which is why Fidel Castro has aimed a few serious and courteous statements in Barack Obama's direction. The latest among them came in an article from his Reflections series, published on the conclusion of talks with Argentine President Christina Kirchner. "I don't harbor the slightest doubt over the honesty with which Obama, the 11th president since January 1, 1959 [the victory of the Cuban Revolution], expressed his ideas "
In truth, however, the Cuban leader expressed reservations that many questions regarding American policy remain unanswered, but significantly, among those he mentioned were only "a wasteful and materialistic system par excellence," which threatens the environment. But nothing, for the first time since 1959, of the "bloody crimes of imperialism" against "freedom-loving people," and other revolutionary clichés. There can be only one conclusion: Fidel Castro, after half a century of opposition, including armed confrontation, has declared the beginning of an era of rapprochement with the United States.
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