R e f l e c t i o n s   o f   F i d e l   C a s t r o

• REFLECTIONS OF FIDEL
The right of humanity to exist
December.28.09
CLIMATE change is already causing considerable damage and hundreds of millions of poor people are suffering the consequences.

• Reflections of Fidel
The truth of what happened in the Summit
December.21.09
YOUNG people, more than anybody, are interested in the future.
Until very recently, there was discussion as to the kind of society in which we might live. Today the discussion is about whether human society will survive.

• The moment of truth
December.18.09
NEWS arriving from the Danish capital paints a picture of chaos. After planning an event in which around 40,000 people were to participate, the hosts have no way of keeping their promise. Evo, who was the first of the ALBA presidents to arrive there, expressed certain profound truths emanating from the millenary culture of his people.

• Message to the president of the Bolivarian Republic of  Venezuela
December.15.09
DEAR Hugo,
Today is the 15th anniversary of our encounter at the University of Havana’s Aula Magna on December 14, 1994. The previous night, I had waited for you at the foot of the steps of the plane that brought you to Cuba.

• Is there a margin for hypocrisy and lies?
November.29.09
IN its battle against the Cuban Revolution, the United States had its finest ally in the government of Venezuela: that of the illustrious Don Rómulo Betancourt Bello. We did not know that then. He had been elected president on December 7, 1958 and, prior to him taking office, the Revolution triumphed on January 1, 1959. A few weeks later, I had the privilege of being invited by the provisional government of Wolfgang Larrazábal to visit the homeland of Bolívar, who had demonstrated such solidarity toward Cuba.

• The Bolivarian Revolution and peace
November.19.09
I know Chávez very well; no one would be more reluctant than him to allow bloodshed between the Venezuelan and Colombian peoples. These are two peoples as fraternal as Cubans who live in the east, center and extreme west of our island. I can find no other way of expressing the level of fraternity that exists between Venezuelans and Colombians.

• A science fiction story
November.12.09
HOW I regret having to criticize Obama, knowing that in that country there are other potential presidents worse than him. I understand that in the United States that office is currently a tremendous headache. Perhaps nothing could explain it better than the information in yesterday’s Granma that 237 members of the U.S. Congress; in other words, 44% of them, are millionaires. That does not mean that every one of them is obliged to be an incorrigible reactionary, but it is very difficult that they might think like any of the many millions of U.S. citizens who lack medical care, are unemployed or have to work hard to earn a living.

• The annexation of Colombia to the United States
November.9.09
ANY person who is even moderately well-informed can immediately see that the sugar-coated "Complementation Agreement for Defense and Security Cooperation and Technical Assistance between the Governments of Colombia and the United States," signed on October 30 and made public in the afternoon of November 2 amounts to the annexation of Colombia to the United States.

• The best tribute to the mother of a Hero
November.4.09
YESTERDAY Carmen Nordelo Tejera died, the selfless mother of Hero of the Republic of Cuba Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, unjustly sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment plus 15 years.

• RELEVANT NEWS
October.30.09
SIGNIFICANT events have taken place in our country lately. On October 28, at 7:30 am, the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the physical disappearance of Camilo Cienfuegos took place; the sad event occurred one stormy evening as he was traveling in a light aircraft from Camagüey to the capital, along the north of Cuba.

• The ALBA and Copenhagen
October.20.09
THE festivities at the 7th ALBA Summit, held in the historic Bolivian region of Cochabamba, demonstrated the rich culture of the Latin American peoples and the joy elicited in children, young people and adults of all ages through the singing, dancing, costumes and expressive faces of the individuals representing all ethnic groups, colors and shades: indigenous, black, white and mixed race people. Thousands of years of human history and treasured culture were on display there, which explains the decision of the leaders of several Caribbean, Central and South America peoples to convene that summit.

• A Nobel Prize for Evo
October.16.09
IF Obama was awarded the Prize for winning the elections in a racist society despite being African-American, then Evo deserves it for winning in his country despite being an indigenous man, and moreover for keeping his promises. It was the first time in the two countries that someone from each of their respective ethnic groups became president.

• The bells are tolling for the dollar
October.12.09
THE Empire dominated the world more through the economy and lies than by force. It obtained the privilege of printing convertible currency at the end of World War II; it had a monopoly of nuclear weapons; it had virtually all the gold in the world; and was the only large-scale producer of productive equipment, consumer goods, food and services at global level. However, it did have a limit on printing paper money: the backing of gold, at the constant price of $35 per troy ounce.

• A victory for the Third World
October.5.09
MIGHTY economic powers competed for the venue of the 2016 Olympics, including the two most industrialized on the planet: the United States and Japan. Nevertheless, the winner was Rio de Janeiro, a Brazilian city.

• Pittsburgh and the Margarita Summit
September.2.09
THE Leaders’ Statement of the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh on Friday, September 25, would appear to be unreal. Let us look at the principal points of its content:
"We meet in the midst of a critical transition from crisis to recovery to turn the page on an era of irresponsibility and to adopt a set of policies, regulations and reforms to meet the needs of the 21st century global economy."

• A revolution is being born there
September.25.09
ON July 16, I stated textually that the coup d’état in Honduras "was conceived of and organized by unscrupulous individuals on the extreme right, dependable officials of George W. Bush and promoted by him."

• The serious Obama
September.23.09
Bolivarian President Hugo Chávez was really original when he spoke of the "enigma of the two Obamas."
Today the serious Obama spoke. Not long ago, I acknowledged two positive aspects of his conduct: the attempt to bring healthcare to the 47 million Americans who lack it and his concern over climate change.

• An endangered species
September.22.09
I would have liked to talk today about the exceptional Peace without Borders concert that took place in the José Martí Plaza de la Revolución 24 hours ago, but brute reality obliges me to write about a danger that is threatening not only peace but also the survival of our species.

• Almeida is more alive today than ever
September.14.09
I have spent hours listening by television to the entire country’s tribute to Commander of the Revolution Juan Almeida Bosque. I think that confronting death was for him a duty like all of those that he fulfilled throughout his life; he did not know, nor did we, how much sadness the news of his physical absence would bring to us.
- Santiago prepares mass tribute at Almeida’s burial on Tuesday

• A clear conscience
September.11.09
I would not have wished to harshly criticize one of the companies dedicated to the production of medical equipment that does no obtain its profits by manufacturing weapons to kill, but by combating disease, suffering and death. For that reason, I have always treated all of them with respect and have enjoyed conversing with them on their scientific advances.

• The double betrayal of Philips
September.6.09
THE United States owns the most patents in the world. It has stolen scientists from every country, developed or developing, who are undertaking research in a myriad of spheres, from the production of weapons of mass destruction to medicines and medical equipment. For that reason, the economic and technological blockade is not something that merely serves as a pretext for blaming the empire for our own difficulties.

• The end does not justify the means
September.3.09
ON occasions direct news coming from the United States prompts indignation and sometimes repugnance.

• Hopefully I am mistaken!
August.25.09
I read with astonishment weekend news agency reports on the internal politics of the United States, where a systematic debilitation of President Barack Obama’s influence is evident. His surprising electoral victory would not have been possible without the profound political and economic crisis of that country.

• The empire and the robots
August.20.09
A little while ago, I wrote about U.S. plans to impose the absolute superiority of its air force as an instrument of domination over the rest of the world. I mentioned the project of that country possessing more than 1,000 state-of-the-art F-22 and F-35 bombers and fighter planes in its fleet of 2,500 military aircraft.

• A just cause to defend and the hope of moving forward
August.13.09
IN the last few weeks, the current president of the United States has been striving to demonstrate that the crisis is yielding as a result of his efforts to confront the grave problem that the United States and the world inherited from his predecessor.

• The yanki bases and Latin American sovereignty
August.10.09
The concept of nation emerged from the sum of common elements like history, language, culture, customs, laws, institutions and others related to the material and spiritual life of human communities.

• Seven daggers in the heart of America
August.6.09
I read and re-read data and articles written by intelligent figures, known or little known, who contribute to various media and take their information from sources that are not questioned by anyone.

• A Nobel Prize for Mrs. Clinton
July.24.09
THE interminable document read out yesterday by Nobel laureate Oscar Arias is far worse than the seven points of the act of rendition that he proposed on July 18. He did not communicate with international opinion via a Morse code. He spoke before TV cameras that were broadcasting his image and all the details of the human face, which generally has as many variables as a person’s fingerprints. Any intention of lying can be easily discovered. I was observing him closely.

• The 30th Sandinista anniversary and the San José proposal
July.22.09
THE Honduran coup d’état promoted by the ultra-right wing of the United States – which was maintaining the structure created by Bush in Central America – and supported by the Department of State, was not developing well due to the energetic resistance of the people.

• What must be demanded of the United States
July.17.09
THE meeting in Costa Rica did not lead and could not lead to peace. The people of Honduras are not at war; only the coup perpetrators are using weapons against them. They should be called on to end their war on the people.

• A suicidal error
June.29.09
IN my reflection written last Thursday night, June 25, I said: "We do not know what will happen tonight or tomorrow in Honduras, but the brave conduct of Zelaya will go down in history."

• A gesture that will not be forgotten
June.26.09
I am halting for a moment the work on a historic episode that I have been writing for the last two weeks to express my solidarity with the constitutionally-elected president of Honduras, José Manuel Zelaya.

• Obama’s task is not an easy one
June.15.09
I remember when I visited the People’s Republic of Poland during the years of Gierek, they took me to Osviecim, the most famous of the concentration camps. I was able to appreciate the horrific crimes committed by the Nazis against Jewish children, women and elderly people.

• The envy of Goebbels
June.12.09
YESTERDAY I was listening to the "Roundtable" program. Among other issues, the panel was discussing Operation Peter Pan, one of the most repugnant acts of moral aggression mounted against our country.

• Obama’s speech in Cairo
June.9.09
ON Thursday, June 4, at the Al-Azhar Islamic University in Cairo, Obama gave a speech of special interest for those of us who are carefully following his political actions, given the tremendous power of the superpower that he is leading.

• Ridiculous response to a defeat
June.8.09
YESTERDAY afternoon, while thoroughly analyzing the speech delivered by Obama at the Islamic University of Cairo, certain cables from the news agencies arrived with the strange information that two retirees aged over 70 had been arrested on charges of having spied for the Cuban government for the past 30 years. Almost every major Western news agency – eight in total – was circulating the news.

• The Trojan horse
June.3.09
RAFAEL Correa, president of Ecuador, currently visiting Honduras, stated the day before the OAS meeting: "I believe that the OAS has lost its raison d’être, maybe it never had a raison d’être." The news, circulated by ANSA, adds that Correa, "prophesized ‘the demise’ of that organization given the many errors it has committed."

• Applause and silence
June.2.09
YESTERDAY, May 31, an AFP dispatch reported that "Cuba agreed to reopen negotiations with the United States on migration and direct mail, a new sign of the thaw taking place leading up to a summit of the Organization of American States (OAS) where the Cuban case will dominate talks."

• Tireless educator
June.1.09
CHAVEZ is a tireless educator. He does not hesitate in describing what capitalism means. He takes apart all its lies, one by one. He is relentless.

• Justice in the United States
June.1.09
IF I was to affirm that chaos reigns in the United States they would say that I am exaggerating, that that country is a democracy where justice exists, as does respect for human rights and the division of powers, constructed on the principles of Montesquieu and the Philadelphia Declaration.

• Torture can never be justified
May.29.09
ON Sunday, while putting the finishing touches to the Reflection on Haiti, I was listening to the television report on the ceremony commemorating the Battle of Pichincha that took place in Ecuador on May 24, 1822, 187 years ago. The background music was beautiful.

• Ten years of teaching and learning
May.28.09
"HELLO, President" began broadcasting on May 23, 1999. On that same date this year, Chávez was in Ecuador celebrating the 187th anniversary of the Battle of Pichincha. Tomorrow, celebrations to commemorate the program’s tenth anniversary will begin.

• Nothing can be improvised in Haiti
May.25.09
FIVE days ago I read a press report stating that Ban Ki-moon is to appoint Bill Clinton as his special envoy for Haiti.

• Unequivocal signals
May.18.09
THERE are not two different opinions on the issue of A H1N1.
Without any hesitation whatsoever, I supported the decision adopted by the revolutionary government of Cuba as soon as I knew of the existence of the epidemic.

• More news that shook the world
May.15.09
On April 25, 2009, the Mexican newspaper El Universal published that "Francis Plummer, a scientist with the Canadian government microbiology laboratory affirmed that the influenza virus attacking the Mexican people is not only a new virus for human beings, but for the world as a whole.
• What Science Magazine reported
May.15.09
EARLY this morning, when I wrote the "Reflection" published today on the national TV news program and in CubaDebate, I had not yet read a report published in Mexico by Mark Stevenson and David Koop, transmitted by AP, the principal U.S. cable news agency.

• What went through my mind
May.12.09
TODAY the presence of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus in Cuba was announced. The carrier is a young Mexican citizen who is studying medicine in our country. The only thing that can be affirmed for now is that the CIA did not introduce it. It came from Mexico.

• The struggle has barely begun
May.11.09
GOVERNMENTS might change, but the instruments with which they converted us into colonies are still the same.
For one president in the United States with a sense of ethics, in the last 28 years we have had three who committed genocides and a fourth who internationalized the blockade.

• Once again that rotten OAS
May.11.09
THE German DPA news agency announced yesterday that the IACHR [Inter-American Commission on Human Rights] of the OAS has approved a report which notes that Cuba "was still infringing on" fundamental rights by maintaining "restrictions" on its population’s political and civil rights, while continuing to be the "only" country in the region where there is no freedom of expression whatsoever.

• The only U.S. president I have known
May.8.09
CARTER is the only ex-president of the United States that I have had the honor of knowing, apart from Nixon, who had not as yet become president. I had visited Washington to take part in a press conference that represented a difficult challenge for me, given the questions that the expert reporters would ask. The president advised Nixon to invite me for talks in his office.

• A question to which there is no answer
May.7.09
OUR world is not only threatened by cyclical economic crises that are steadily becoming more serious and frequent. Unemployment, ruin and fabulous losses of goods and wealth are the inseparable companions of the blind laws of the market that rule the world economy today.

• Giving everything
May.5.09
ON May Day, still under the impression of the parade, the colors of our flag, today a symbol in the eyes of the world, and the youthful, intelligent and enthusiastic faces of our students, who closed the parade of that overflowing river, the words of the poet, repeated so many times that day, came to my mind:
"For this freedom one will have to give everything!"

• Reflections of Fidel
Cuba, a terrorist country?
May.4.09
THURSDAY, April 30, was an unfortunate day for the United States. That day it occurred to it to once again include Cuba on its list of terrorist countries. Involved as they are in their own crimes and lies, perhaps even Obama himself was unable to disentangle himself from that mess. A man whose talent nobody denies must feel ashamed of that cult to the lies of the empire. Fifty years of terrorism against our country come to light in an instant.

• One has to give everything
May.4.09
YESTERDAY I had a lengthy conversation with Miguel d’Escoto, current president of the United Nations General Assembly. Prior to that, I heard him speaking in the ALBA Summit in Cumaná, on April 17.

• The day of the poor of the world
May.1.09
Tomorrow is International Workers Day.
Karl Marx made a call for unity: "Workers of All Countries, Unite," although many poor people were not proleterian. Lenin called more broadly still for the peasants and colonized peoples to struggle united under the leadership of the proletariat.

• Gestures that are impressive
April 27.09
I confess that I have meditated many times on the dramatic history of John F. Kennedy. It so happened that I experienced the period during which he was the greatest and most dangerous adversary of the Revolution. That was something which was not within his calculations. He saw himself as the representative pf a new generation of Americans confronting the old and dirty politics of men in the mold of Nixon and had defeated him with a feast of political talent.

• Trapped by history
April 24.09
DANIEL’s appearance on National Television’s "Roundtable" was exactly as I had expected. He spoke with eloquence; he was persuasive, serene, irrefutable.
He did not offend, nor did he wish to offend any other Latin American country, but sticking to the truth in every minute of his appearance: Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua, as spokespersons for the ALBA, expressly rejected the idea of the Final Declaration being presented as a consensus agreement.

• Pontius Pilate washed his hands
April 24.09
SO great was the pressure against the U.S. blockade of Cuba that, on the day that Raúl categorically declared that our country would not enter the OAS, the secretary of that discredited institution began to prepare the ground for Cuba’s participation in a possible future Summit of the Americas. His prescription is to repeal the resolution that decided the island’s expulsion, for ideological reasons. Such an argument is truly laughable, when important countries like China and Vietnam, which the current world cannot do without, are led by Communist Parties that were created on the same ideological bases.

• The Summit and the lie
April 23.09
SOME of the things that Daniel told me would be hard to believe if it was not him who told me them and it was not at a Summit of the Americas where they occurred.

• Obama and the blockade
April 22.09
YESTERDAY I referred to the comic angle of the "Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain."
Today we could refer to the dramatic angle. I hope that our friends will not be offended. Between the document that reached us as a draft to be submitted to the Summit hosts and the definitive one that was published, there were differences.

• Delirious dreams
April 21.09
I could not understand the cause of the euphoria that some of the participants in the Port of Spain Summit are expressing.
I made a great effort and read the famous Declaration of Commitment approved in that "Summit of the Americas." I had listened to the press conference led by Prime Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago, and composed of the eminent Stephen Harper, prime minister of Canada, and the presidents of Mexico and Panama, Félipe Calderón and Martín Torrijos. According to them it has been the most extraordinary Summit that ever took place.
• The Secret Summit
April 20.09
WHILE neither represented at nor excommunicated from the Port of Spain Summit we were able to find out what has been discussed there up until today. We were led to fully expect that the meeting would not be private, but the stage managers deprived us of that highly interesting intellectual exercise.

• Officers with sound beliefs
April 16.09
IT is not known how many people in the United States write to Obama and how many different issues they put to him. Obviously, he cannot read all the letters and tackle every issue, because neither the 24 hours of the day and the 365 days of the year would be enough. What is a fact is that advisors, backed up by computers, electronic equipment and cell phones, reply to all the letters.

• Does the OAS have a right to exist?
April 15.09
TODAY I spoke frankly of the atrocities committed against the peoples of Latin America. Those of the Caribbean were not even independent when the Cuban Revolution triumphed. April 19, when the Americas Summit ends, is precisely the 48th anniversary of the Cuba’s victory at the Bay of Pigs.
- Reflections of Fidel
No rest for the world

• Reflections of Fidel
Days that cannot be forgotten
April 14.09
FORTY-EIGHT years ago, mercenary forces in the service of a foreign power invaded their own homeland, escorted by a U.S. squadron, including an aircraft carrier and dozens of fighter planes. That date cannot be forgotten.

• Reflections of Fidel
On the blockade, not one word was said
April 14.09
VIA CNN, the government of the United States announced that Obama is to visit Mexico this week, initiating his visit en route to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, where he will be within four days to participate in the Americas Summit.

• Reflections of Fidel
News of Chávez and of Evo
April 13.09
YESTERDAY, Thursday the 9th, the tense situation in Bolivia captured our attention.
Today, Friday, an event of great interest is added: the arrival in Cuba of Hugo Chávez after his successful visit to China.

• The Bolivian Revolution and Cuba’s conduct
April 13.09
ON several occasions, I have thought that I would not have to write the next day and I could devote part of the time to reading and studying, as I have done many times. But the important events that have occurred over the past few weeks, related to the world economy, politics and events such as those taking place in Bolivia, have prevented me from doing so.

• Evo’s inevitable victory
April 13.09
EVO was entering the fourth day of his rigorous hunger strike today. He spoke yesterday night and at noon today. His words were serene, persuasive and forceful. He offered "a biometric electoral register," even better than the one that has governed electoral processes in his country, and described by international institutions as trustworthy and of high quality.

• Reflections of Fidel
News from Bolivia
April 10.09
FRESH news on Bolivia arrived this morning, April 9, via a Bolivian television channel and reflected tension in the country.
Everything was going well. Important changes have been taking place. Evo’s prestige is growing in Bolivia and the world. He is steadily gaining more popular support despite the fact that the oligarchy controls virtually the entire media.

• Reflections of Fidel
Contradictions in U.S. foreign policy
April 9.09
AFTER the G-20 Summit that captured the world’s attention, news continued arriving via the agencies on the feverish activity of the man who was the star in London, Barack Obama, the new president of the United States, who is approaching the 100th day of his administration under the scrutinizing regard of those who closely follow international politics.

• Reflections of Fidel
Meeting with Barbara Lee and other members of the Black Caucus
April 8.09
 THE morning was stormy, humid, cold. A strong wind was blowing and the sky was clouded. It was not a spring day, or warm. Barbara wanted to visit the ELAM [Latin American School of Medicine], where 114 young people from the United States are studying Medicine.

• Reflections of Fidel
The seven Congress members who are visiting us
April 7.09
AN important US political delegation is visiting us right now. Its members belong to the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) which, in practice, has functioned as the most progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

• Feet firmly on the ground
April 6.09
WHILE the G-20 Summit was beginning and ending in London, the well-known Washington Post journalist, Karen DeYoung, wrote in that influential newspaper: "Senator Richard G. Lugar called on President Obama to appoint a special envoy to initiate direct talks with the island's communist government…

• Obama’s song
April 6.09
During a press conference held at 2.30pm (Cuban time) as the G20 Summit concluded, the president of the United States stated that unemployment in his country had reached its highest level in 26 years.

• Reflections of Fidel
The beginning of the Summit
April 3.09
TODAY the G-20 Summit Meeting began. The experts on economic issues have made a tremendous effort. Some with experience in important international posts; others, as research scholars. The issue is a complex one, the language is new and demands familiarity with terms, economic data, international agencies and the political leaders of most weight in the international sphere.

• Reflections of Fidel
Another great problem of the current world
April 2.09
THE financial crisis is not the only problem; there is another, worse one, because it is not related to the means of production and distribution, but existence itself. I am referring to climate change. Both are present and are to be discussed simultaneously.

• Reflections of Fidel
What Notimex did not say
April 2.09
EARLY on Tuesday, March 31, I read a Notimex dispatch datelined March 30, which stated textually:
"The president of Peru, Alan García, described today as ‘prudent’ the withdrawal from the country of the humanitarian Mission Miracle project sponsored by the governments of Venezuela and Cuba for medical attention to ophthalmological patients.

• The prelude
April 1.09
THE Baseball Classic and World Cup football fill stadiums and enthuse the masses in every part of the world. Of course, we all consider ourselves experts on the subject – myself included – and argue heatedly with any and everyone.

• China in the international news agencies
March 31.09
IN reference to the Reflection entitled "China: the future great economic power," taken from CubaDebate and published in our press on Monday the 30th, the majority of international news agencies only reported my criticisms of Biden’s statements in Viña del Mar. Only EFE devoted a few lines to the principal subject of the article at the end of its dispatch.

• China: the future great economic power
March 30.09
THESE days many cables are talking about China’s economic potential. Yesterday, March 28, it was the turn of the principal U.S. news agency to acknowledge that "China is the only economy growing at a fast clip…

• Lies in the service of the empire
March 26.09
REUTERS headed the list of international news agencies yesterday which presented Pedro Miret and Osmany Cienfuegos as historical figures dismissed by Raúl Castro.
It was followed, in order, by EFE, which affirmed textually: "they were dismissed as vice presidents of the Council of Ministers on March 2."

• It had all been said
March 25.09
LAST night the grand finale of the Classic took place between the two Asian giants. The U.S. team was glaring in its absence. The multinationals that exploit sports lost nothing and earned a lot. The American people are complaining.

• The facts are proving me right
March 23.09
ON Tuesday, March 17, I wrote: The Classic was organized by those who run the exploitation of sports in the United States…" I immediately added: "They placed the three best teams from the (first) Classic and the Olympics — Japan, Korea and Cuba — in the same group, so that they would eliminate each other. Last time, they placed us in the Latin American group, this time in the Asian group.

• Glory to the good!
March 23.09
Our delegation was received early this morning with the recognition and the honors it deserves. Esteban Lazo and Frederich Cepeda spoke. Raúl, who presented the team with the national flag during the ceremony at the Palace of the Revolution, was also there.

• We are the ones to blame
March 20.09
IN the game between the Japanese and Cuban teams that concluded today at close to 3:00 a.m., we were unquestionably defeated.

• More news on the agonies of capitalism
March 13.09
TODAY I read the cables from March 11th.  Information is continuing to rain down on the international economic crisis. This time, it was Joseph Stiglitz, the well known economist and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences speaking; the press and academia regularly quote him. 

• The agonies of developed capitalism
March 12.09
LAST Monday the 9th, like all the others, was a marvellous day in terms of the contradictions of developed capitalism in the midst of its incurable crisis.
That day, the British news agency Reuters, in no way suspected of being anti-capitalist, reported:

• What I said about Pichirilo
March 9.09
I promised to answer the journalist Daily right away.
In her letter that I mentioned yesterday, she said:
“Comandante:
“My name is Daily Sánchez Lemus; I graduated in Journalism in 2006 and I have been working for the Cuban Television Information System ever since.

• Reflections of Fidel
A meeting that was worth it
March 6.09
AT the end of the Globalization and Development event, with the presences of more than 1,500 economists, outstanding scientific figures and representatives of international organizations meeting in Havana..

• Reflections of Fidel
My meeting with Zelaya
March 6.09
SOME have asked about the outcome of the meeting with Zelaya that the Comandante mentioned in his "Reflection" of yesterday, Wednesday, March 6.
I saw that. I had no other alternative. I created the time.
I am obliged to say the maximum in a few words or to say nothing, and I can’t always do that.

• Reflections of Fidel
Healthy changes within the Council of Ministers
(Taken from CubaDebate)
March 3.09
IN response to changes made within the executive, certain news agencies are throwing up their hands in horror.
Several of them are saying or echoing "popular" rumors about the substitution of "Fidel’s men" for "Raúl’s men."

• Reflections of Fidel
The article by Chávez
February 13.09
IT was the year 2006. I was actually in very grave condition, but at the same time very aware of what was happening. The 14th Non-Aligned Summit, where Cuba was elected president, was ending during those days of mid-September. With a very big effort, I was able to get up and sit at a table.

• Reflections of Fidel
Meeting with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet
February 12.09
IT doesn’t matter what I say about our friendly meeting; some news agencies and publications will take the information and say the old man, the one convalescing from a serious illness, or some other adjective aimed at reducing the modest value of what I told my prestigious interlocutor.

• Rahm Emanuel
February 9.09
WHAT a strange surname! It appears Spanish, easy to pronounce, but it’s not. Never in my life have I heard or read about any student or compatriot with that name, among tens of thousands. Where does it come from? I wondered.

• The immediate response
February 6.09
THE response came barely a few hours later. Rahm Emmanuel, the White House chief of staff, spoke. It is of no importance that he failed to mention my modest Reflection. What is important is the response.

• Contradictions between the politics of Obama and ethics
February 5.09
THE other day I noted some of Obama’s ideas that point to his role within a system that is the negation of every just principle.

• Deciphering the thinking of the new president of the United States
January 30.09
IT isn’t too difficult. After his inauguration, Barack Obama stated that the return of the territory occupied by the Guantánamo Naval Base to its legitimate owner had to be carefully considered, in the first place, in terms of whether it would affect the defense capacity of the United States in the most minimal way.

• The 11th president of the United States
January 23.09
THIS past Tuesday, January 20, 2009, Barack Obama took over the leadership of the empire as president No. 11 of the United Sates since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in January 1959.  Nobody could doubt the sincerity of his words when he affirms that he will turn the country into a model of liberty, respect for human rights in the world and the independence of other peoples.

• The meeting with Cristina
January 22.09
THE conversation lasted 40 minutes, the exchange of ideas was as intense and interesting as I had expected. She is a person of profound convictions. There were no disagreements.

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