CASTRO: REVERED AND DESPISED

No puede contar el cuento de Cuba sin hablar de Fidel

–Jorge Enrique Caballero Elizarde, ¡BIENVENIDOS BLANCOS! Performer/Creator

As with many things in Cuba, there is not just one neat and tidy view of Castro and entire books have been written on the topic so we certainly are not about to explore the depth of the Castro question here. We could discuss his atrocious record against human rights  and repression etc. etc. etc. etc.  On the other hand we could watch in wonder as Cuban people asking where is Fidel and answering yo soy Fidel.

Varying opinions about Castro were very evident at the time of his death. Signs and sentiments ran the gamut of extremes from “Yo Soy Fidel,” (I am Fidel) and “Fidel jamas te defraudaremos” (Fidel, we will never disappoint you.) to “Tu Dia Llegó,” (Your Day Has Come) celebrated with dancing in the streets of Miami.  All of these sentiments are punctuated by peoples’ personal experiences and backgrounds and of course, the mountain of propaganda put out by all sides.

Castro is dead: Celebrating in the streets

and meanwhile…

Official funeral route

We are stepping out of the fray before we really step in, but if you are curious about more well constructed points of view, here is a sampling.

PBS: Why Castro was so deeply loved by some, and hated by others

The Guardian: Castro’s legacy: how the revolutionary inspired and appalled the world

ABC: Fidel Castro: In the words of his allies and enemies (Quotes from world leaders, including Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, and Pinochet)