Reflections of Fidel

(Taken from CubaDebate)

WHILE the damaged reactors are emitting radioactive smoke in Japan and monstrous looking aircraft and nuclear submarines are launching lethal guided missiles over Libya, a North African Third World country with barely six million inhabitants, Barack Obama was telling Chileans a story similar to the ones I heard when I was four years old: “My little shoes are pinching me, my stockings are hot; but the little kiss you gave me, I carry in my heart.”

Some of his listeners were left stunned in that Cultural Center in Santiago de Chile.

When the President looked anxiously at the audience after mentioning the perfidious Cuba, expecting an explosion of applause, there was a glacial silence. Behind him, ah – blessed coincidence! – among the other Latin American flags, was precisely the Cuban one.

If he had looked over his right shoulder for one second he would have seen, like a shadow, the symbol of the Revolution on the rebel island which his powerful country wanted, but was unable, to destroy.

Without any doubt, anyone at all would be extraordinarily optimistic to think that the peoples of Our America would applaud the 50th anniversary of the mercenary invasion of Girón [Bay of Pigs], 50 years of cruel economic blockade of a sister country, 50 years of threats and acts of terrorism that have cost thousands of lives, 50 years of plots to assassinate the leaders of the historic process.

I felt myself alluded to in his words.

Effectively, I lent my services to the Revolution for a very long time, but I never avoided risks or violated constitutional, ideological or ethical principles; I regret not having been in better health so as to continue serving.

When I became sick, I unhesitatingly renounced all my state and political responsibilities, including that of first secretary of the Party and I never attempted to exercise them after the proclamation of July 31, 2006, not even when I partially recovered my health more than a year later, even though everyone continued to affectionately address me in that way.

But I remain and will continue being what I promised: a soldier of ideas, as long as I can think or breathe.

When Obama was questioned about the coup d’état against the heroic President Salvador Allende, promoted like many others by the United States, and the mysterious death of Eduardo Frei Montalva, assassinated by agents of the DINA, a creation of the U.S. government, he lost his presence of mind and began to stutter.

Without any doubt, at the end of his speech, the commentator on Chilean television was totally accurate when he stated that Obama had nothing to offer the hemisphere.

For my part, I do not want to give the impression of feeling any hatred toward a person, and far less toward the people of the United States, whom I acknowledge for the contribution to culture and science made by many of their sons and daughters.

Obama now has before him a visit to El Salvador, tomorrow, Tuesday. There he will have to invent a lot, because in that sister Central American nation the weapons and advisors that it received from his country were responsible for much bloodshed.

I wish him bon voyage and a little more good sense.

Fidel Castro Ruz

March 21, 2011

9:32 p.m.

Translated by Granma International

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