Fidel Castro cedes power to his brother!

[Guest Vitamin X]

Seriously, this city has never seen a celebration like this, not even when the Heat won the championship just a month ago or so.

 

Castro hands power to brother temporarily

Intestinal surgery sidelines 79-year-old Cuban president

 

HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- Fidel Castro has temporarily handed over power to his brother Raul due to intestinal surgery, Cuban television reported, the first time the communist leader has ceded control of the island nation in 47 years.

 

Castro's secretary, Carlos Valenciaga, read a letter Monday night that he said was from the president announcing the news. In it, the Cuban leader said that stress had forced him into surgery and that he would be in bed for several weeks after the operation.

 

Castro, who has led Cuba since the 1959 revolution, turns 80 on August 13.

 

Raul Castro, 75, is the first vice president of the country and designated successor to his brother. He also assumes control over the armed forces and leadership of the Communist Party, according to the statement.

 

The news sparked celebration across the Straits of Florida in Miami, home to Cuban-American exiles for more than four decades since Fidel Castro's rise to power.

 

"This is a clear reminder that the end of the Castro regime is approaching, and that the only solution is free elections and the rule of law," U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Florida, told The Associated Press on Monday night.

 

The area's Cuban-American community of about 650,000 is the largest part of Florida's fast-growing Hispanic population, with its influence felt across the state, according to the AP.

 

"My first reaction was disbelief. My second reaction was hope," the AP quoted Armando Tellez as he watched hundreds of cars clogging the streets of Hialeah, a Miami suburb. "This is a singular event in Cuba's history because there has never been anything that has given the people so much hope."

 

Among the cheering crowds waving Cuban flags late Monday and early Tuesday was a group dressed as migrants with life jackets, pretending to paddle a cardboard boat down Little Havana's Calle Ocho -- recalling the desperate journey many exiles have taken over the sea, the AP reported.

 

As the revelry pushed into the early hours, Miami's roads were gridlocked with honking cars, prompting fears of headaches for the morning rush-hour commute.

 

"It is a cause for celebration," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, while asking residents to show some restraint and keep traffic flowing throughout the city. "We certainly don't want to hinder in any way, shape or form ... the enthusiasm we all feel."

 

Last week, Fidel Castro joked that he had no plans to still hold power when he turns 100, Reuters reported.

 

Hours ahead of the announcement of Castro's illness, President Bush called the Cuban's government a "tyrannical regime" in an interview with a Miami TV station.

 

"Our objective is to free the Cuban people," the president told WPLG. "That's our objective."

 

The administration took a more measured approach to Havana's announcement.

 

"The White House is monitoring the situation. We cannot speculate on Fidel Castro's health," spokesman Peter Watkins said. "We continue to work for the day of Cuba's freedom."

 

The transfer of power in Cuba has not triggered a response from the U.S. Coast Guard, which monitors the Straits of Florida for refugees fleeing the island.

 

"We have no indications that there is any need to implement plans for mass migration," said Cmdr. Jeff Carter.

 

The Coast Guard has a long-standing plan to deal with a mass exodus, which includes moving additional cutters and aircraft to the area to deter migrants and also perform search-and-rescue missions.

 

Castro's surgery came weeks after a U.S. government report called for the United States to have assistance in Cuba within weeks of the communist leader's death to support a transitional government and help move the country toward democracy.

 

The United States and Cuba, which have no formal diplomatic relations, are constantly at odds, but tensions between the two countries have increased in the past year.

 

This month, the Cuban government cut off electricity to the U.S. interests section in the capital. The U.S. State Department said requests to have the power restored went unanswered for days.

 

The department accused Cuba of engaging in "bully tactics" to thwart pro-democracy efforts.

 

The Bush administration already has tightened the four-decades-old U.S. embargo of the island, increased Radio Marti news broadcasts into Cuba, curtailed visits home by Cuban-Americans and limited the amount of money they can send to relatives.

 

Castro led an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1953, after which he was sentenced to 15 years in prison alongside his brother Raul.

 

They were released less than two years later as part of an amnesty for political prisoners, and both went into exile in Mexico and the United States.

 

In Mexico, they met the Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara and organized a group of Cuban exiles into a new guerilla group.

 

After a near disastrous landing in Cuba, the remnants of the group -- including the Castros and Guevara -- fled to the Sierra Maestra Mountains, from which they waged a guerrilla war against the Batista government.

 

Castro's forces succeeded in overthrowing the regime on January 1, 1959. The next day, Manuel Urrutia was named president and Jose Miro Cardona was appointed vice president. Six weeks later, Fidel Castro took over as prime minister.

 

Urrutia resigned in July 1959, and Castro completed his rise to power in Cuba, which became the first communist country in the Western Hemisphere.

 

Sure, it may sound like we're celebrating a bit prematurely, but really- the reason behind this is that Castro has never, even in his worse health, ceded power in his 47 years of rule on the island. So, many people are speculating that he may already be dead and the Cuban government is playing damage control for its population so that a massive rebellion doesn't strike (there are multiple democratic militia groups in the country) before the government finishes its transition to Raul- who's even worse than his brother on the tyrannical scale. A cold-blooded torturer and killer, Raul's the type of guy who enjoys doing that, and just that- Fidel, at least, had an idea behind it- a bad one, nonetheless, but one he stuck behind.

 

Link to dancing in the streets

[bob_barron 0]

Fidel Castro will never die

[Guest Frank_Nabbit]

I thought his bro was evil too?

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I thought his bro was evil too?

 

Didn't you read the first post?

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

Raul is 75. How long can he last in office?

[Guest Frank_Nabbit]

I thought his bro was evil too?

 

Didn't you read the first post?

 

I found it odd that they would celebrate...that's all

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I was watching CNN a little earlier today, and they said that while Raul tends to be more ruthless and fanatical, he seems to be more in tune with the needs of the Cuban people. He's also known to be less charismatic than his brother, so it remains to be seen how well he could retain power should he officially take over.

[Guest Vitamin X]

CNN is full of morons. How could someone who's more ruthless, cold-blooded, and bloodthirsty be more "in tune with the needs of the Cuban people"?

 

On the bright side, the reason why this impacts more than just Cuba is that without Castro, much of Latin America's corrupt communist movement, especially in Venezuela with Chavez, loses their leader. And noone likes Raul.

[PLAGIARISM! 0]

Castro must never be forgotten.

[Red Baron 0]

Soon we will find a Castro T-shirts just as popular as Che Guerra

[therealworldschampion 0]

Castro, Keith Richards, and Joe Paterno will outlive us all.

[Red Baron 0]

don't forget about Bob Barker. That man won't die.

[Guest Vitamin X]

What about Dick Clark? He won't AGE, let alone die.

[Gary Floyd 0]

I'm convinced Jerry Lewis will never die.

[Sideburnious 0]

Larry King and Leslie Neilson will never die too.

 

 

 

And this is nothing but bad for Cuba. Once he dies the city will be destroyed by next Spring Break.

[Toshiaki Koala 0]

Leslie Neilson will never die too.

 

But will he make The Naked Gun 4? That's the real question.

[mister foozel 0]

wheres that death predictions thread? i give him two weeks...intestinal bleeding will probably lead to massive infection

[Brett Favre 0]

CNN is full of morons. How could someone who's more ruthless, cold-blooded, and bloodthirsty be more "in tune with the needs of the Cuban people"?

 

On the bright side, the reason why this impacts more than just Cuba is that without Castro, much of Latin America's corrupt communist movement, especially in Venezuela with Chavez, loses their leader. And noone likes Raul.

 

Corrupt communist movement in Venezuela? WTF are you talking about? You mean the socialist movement thats kicking US the fuck out of South America?

[Guest Vitamin X]

The U.S. shouldn't be in South America to begin with.

 

Talking about this guy on the right:

 

And what his relationship to the guy on the left (Fidel Castro, see) means to all the leftist guerillas throughout all of Latin America if Fidel dies. He becomes the de facto leader of the movement, but, hopefully, it can only mean that he loses support because Fidel provided the ideals and charisma. Chavez is just an asshole that most people dislike, but they, for some reason, support Castro to death.

 

Also heard an interesting speculation that the U.S. would intervene militarily in a Cuban civil war only if Chavez joins Raul Castro's side. I'm not so sure about that. There are some stories coming out that the Bush administration is talking some changes in regards to Cuban policy in the coming days (and how convenient in this election year where exiled Cubans who are now American citizens usually lean Republican).

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I look forward to the day of being able to visit Havana in a free Cuba.

 

I don't think the US will get involved militarily in Cuba at this point. Maybe in a limited capacity if a civil war were to break out, but that's about it.

[Brett Favre 0]

How is Chavez an asshole? Trying to balance out Venezuela, which was 80% poor before he came into power, trading oil for teachers, and giving gasoline for low ass prices to poor neighborhoods in NY doesn't sound like an asshole to me.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

Chavez has undermined democracy in Venezuela, and it looks like he wants to be "leader for life."

 

That is not to say that his opposition is any better than he is.

[Guest Vitamin X]

And, beyond that, he's also vigorously anti-American, and wants to lead Latin America into the same, shitty direction that Fidel and el Che wanted to. That's not to say I'm against the idea of a strong and unified Latin America- on the contrary, I would love to see that, but not under the guise of a movement that's designed to lie to the masses and give ultimate power of the government to one man. What Chavez is doing by asserting a dictatorship in Venezuela is assuming extreme, complete control of the country. Ever heard of the phrase, "absolute power corrupts absolutely"?

 

And anyways, this is EXTREME speculation considering the source (my mom's coworker's sister in Cuba) but while we're all waiting for news on whether Castro is still alive or not, this woman apparently works at the hospital where Castro is in supposedly "stable" condition.. and on the phone, this sister said, "If the information you seek is what I think it is, the answer is yes, at 2:30am."

 

So, well, if it turns out to be true, that'd be really nice.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Latest news is that Raul says Fidel will be back to working within a few weeks. I think the speculation about Castro's death has been extremely premature.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Raul and Fidel both haven't appeared in public for a while. All this information is sent from Raul to someone else to read.

 

Remember when we were invading Iraq and we were inside fucking Baghdad, and the Iraqi government (god, what was that douchebag's name..?) issued all these statements about how the Americans were NOT in Iraq, and that everything was fine?

 

This could be more of the same.

[Brett Favre 0]

Dude, Venezuela couldn't have gotten any worse. You make it sound like it was a nice democracy, with capitalism working great and making everyone happy. Venezuela was in HORRIBLE shape before Chavez came into power. He's not lying, or decieving anybody. Heck, he's one of the few presidents who has a talk show everyday, talking to people all over the country, addressing their problems.

 

The reason he's anti-American is because the US sticks their nose in South America and takes all of their natural resources. Now that Chavez is in power, the US is pissed because now they know that he'll get through all of the other leader's heads (Chile becoming SOCIALIST, Bolivia becoming SOCIALIST, he's helping out Argentina with it's debt, helping out Brazil), and have them deny the US business that only benefits the US. How does it only benefit the US? Look how everyone in all of those countries is doing. 80% poor in Venezuela isn't nice, and if it takes a guy who has to take total control of a government that wasn't doing shit with it before, then so be it.

[Dr. Zaius 0]

 

Nice paper. Apparently someone was able to smuggle photoshot software into Cuba.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Dude, Venezuela couldn't have gotten any worse. You make it sound like it was a nice democracy, with capitalism working great and making everyone happy. Venezuela was in HORRIBLE shape before Chavez came into power. He's not lying, or decieving anybody. Heck, he's one of the few presidents who has a talk show everyday, talking to people all over the country, addressing their problems.

 

The reason he's anti-American is because the US sticks their nose in South America and takes all of their natural resources. Now that Chavez is in power, the US is pissed because now they know that he'll get through all of the other leader's heads (Chile becoming SOCIALIST, Bolivia becoming SOCIALIST, he's helping out Argentina with it's debt, helping out Brazil), and have them deny the US business that only benefits the US. How does it only benefit the US? Look how everyone in all of those countries is doing. 80% poor in Venezuela isn't nice, and if it takes a guy who has to take total control of a government that wasn't doing shit with it before, then so be it.

 

Because it worked SO well for these guys. How was the previous government not doing shit with it before? It took a peaceful, prosperous government that was trading with everyone, INCLUDING the U.S., and turned it into an anti-American establishment to suck up to Castro and the COMMUNIST revolucion. There's a fine line between Socialism and Communism, and often calling it the former really means the latter so as to appeal to the people. The (somewhat) free enterprise is the only thing saving Venezuela right now from tanking like Cuba.

 

What people don't realize is that Cuba had one of the stronger economies in the world before, despite a corrupt dictatorship with Batista, and putting a leftist dictatorship in control with a man who was extremely intelligent but surrounded by torturers, murderers, and all around selfish men who wanted to hoard the hard work of the people for themselves had the virus spread from beyond the government into all aspects of life in a formerly free, luxurious, beautiful island filled with intelligent people. In fact, the only saving grace Cuba has nowadays is the education its people have due to the government's emphasis on it, as well as its health care.

 

The reason why Chavez is bad for Venezuela and Latin America is the same reason why Castro was bad for Cuba and Latin America. It's more of the same.

[Brett Favre 0]

Trading with the US wasn't doing anything for Latin America. The US plants their business's there, and the country gets poorer each and every day. How can a country that was 80% poor be doing good? Sure it was peaceful, but that's because the US had it's shit all over it, because as soon as someone stood up to them (Chavez), suddenly they are marked as anti-american. How can Chavez like America when they were taking their natural resources for basically nothing, while the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? Is that the type of peaceful country you want, one that has a HUGE gap in income? Fuck that. That's a horrible government, and it's something that's slowly happening here as well.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Right, so instead of having a country that was 80% poor before, now it'll be 99% poor, the 1% excluded being the government. How does making a bad situation worse help Venezuela, and on top of that, align themselves with a system of government that is bound to be corrupt and not work for the good of the people?

 

Latin America has a tremendous, great reason not to give a shit about America. But their anger is not well-focused, if you have all these guerrileros in Central America, and especially in places like Chile, Columbia, Argentina, etc. you're never going to resolve the economic dilemmas they face there. These places need stability, and a government that will share its power with the people. The ruling class of Castro, Chavez, and the asshole Bolivian president whose name I can't recall at the moment, are experts at manipulating the public and their armed forces to enforce and keep a tight control over the populace and government, and make sure all the country's wealth goes to them.

 

Also, where are you getting this 80% figure from? The official poverty rate for Venezuela is 35% (compared to 12.7% in the U.S). Cuba technically has NO poverty rate (The CIA factbook lists their poverty rate as "NA") because poverty is measured by the lack of access of the workers and common people to education, health care, nutrition, and housing, all of which, supposedly the Cuban populace has, but a very low standard and quality in regards to the last two.