One Castro Steps Down, Another Steps Up!
Today caucuses and primaries are occurring in Wisconsin and Hawaii. Perhaps they will add direction for either party in the race for the White House, or perhaps they won’t. But the big news today has absolutely nothing to do with voting and nominations here in the good old U.S.A.
The big news today is the announcement out of Cuba that Fidel Castro has officially stepped down as the leader of the country. For 49 years, Castro has ruled with an iron hand and the support of the military after he seized power by revolution. After overthrowing the previous dictator, Castro immediately turned the country communist and joined forces with Russia in the Cold War against the United States.
Some of you may remember the ill-fated Bay of Pigs (NOT John Kennedy’s most shining moment) when the U.S. decided to invade Cuba. What a fiasco! Instead, thousands of Cubans fled from their homeland to settle in South Florida and pray for Castro’s overthrow.
Since that time, the U.S. has continued with an economic embargo against Cuba and Castro. A once thriving country has slowly gone down the economic depression route that we’ve witnessed in communist countries around the world. Once again, the people are the ones to suffer under an iron-fisted communist regime.
Fidel has not really been running things since July 2006, when his brother Raul (Cuba’s Defense Minister) stepped in to take over his duties “temporarily” after the dictator underwent emergency intestinal surgery. That temporary assignment has continued since then amid speculation about whether Fidel would ever be strong enough to return to power. Speculation ended with the announcement.
Cuba’s National Assembly is expected to nominate Castro’s brother and designated successor Raul Castro as president. As I said, the 76-year-old defense minister has already been running the country. Raul Castro has raised hopes of economic reforms but so far no changes have been made. Most Cubans believe economic changes will never happen as long as a Castro is running things. Oh, by the way, Fidel Castro will remain influential as first secretary of the ruling Communist Party. After all, gotta keep it in the family.
Tags: Bay of Pigs, communism, Cuba, Democrats, Fidel Castro, Hawaii caucus, John F. Kennedy, Presidential primary, Raul Castro, Republicans, White House, Wisconsin primaryLeave a Reply
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