As a result of the PetroCaribe Summit in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, organized by Chavez and attended by most Caribbean nations, including Cuba, yesterday's papers had a lot of front page pictures of America's latest Latin bad-boy, Chavez, with Fidel (America's all-time Latin bad-boy) on his right and Leonel on his left. I wonder how this is being played in Foggy Bottom and 1600 Pennsylvania Ave and what the repercussions will be, if any, for Leonel's government and/or the Dominican Republic in general.
No one has the right to 'lead' a country for 47 straight years and that is terrible on Castro's part but you have to admire how he has outlasted 10 American presidents, an overagressive exiled community in Miami that hates his guts and countless assasination attempts. Personally, 13 years ago I stayed up all night outside the Ritz in Madrid waiting for Castro to arrive for
a summit and got the pleasure of seeing him up close and applauding him.
My admiration is partly due to having seen my father, when I was a child,
staying up late quietly listening to 'Radio Rebelde' while Castro was still in the mountains of Cuba. His original idea was good but I realize and reiterate that no one has the right to assume the leadership of a nation in such a totalitarian way.
No one has the right to 'lead' a country for 47 straight years and that is terrible on Castro's part but you have to admire how he has outlasted 10 American presidents, an overagressive exiled community in Miami that hates his guts and countless assasination attempts. Personally, 13 years ago I stayed up all night outside the Ritz in Madrid waiting for Castro to arrive for
a summit and got the pleasure of seeing him up close and applauding him.
My admiration is partly due to having seen my father, when I was a child,
staying up late quietly listening to 'Radio Rebelde' while Castro was still in the mountains of Cuba. His original idea was good but I realize and reiterate that no one has the right to assume the leadership of a nation in such a totalitarian way.