THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME as a shock to many, and I count myself among this group.
Fidel Castro had died at 90. I do not know why the emotion of shock was associated with the death of someone at his age, but it was and deeply so as well.
Almost inexplicably, the death of this icon created a feeding frenzy by the American media, some expatriates who ran to the comforts of the US rather than the struggles of home, and some politicians. They even took swipes at President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
They called Castro a dictator and a murderer; they accused him of turning his homeland into an impoverished nation and of denying his citizens their human and civil rights; they accused him of burning homes and forcing citizens to leave as well as being an enemy to America.
Before I continue, let me state clearly that I am a big fan of America which I see as a great nation that has done immense good throughout the world (many of my friends criticise me for this view). I see the greatness of this nation but also see its imperfections, and there are many.
I have a strong link with the US, but I am not so weak that I cannot challenge the self-righteous indignation that informed some responses to Castro’s death. This came from people who, unlike Castro, remained quiet when Southern blacks were lynched and their churches burned.
I do not see Castro as an example of innocence and democracy, but he did what had to be done for his people. The disingenuous nastiness of some American politicians is just shameful. If Donald Trump can advocate America First, why shouldn’t Castro say Cuba First? Amazing!
When Castro and his cohorts led the successful revolution against the American-supported corrupt dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959, it was done to save his beloved Cuba. Here was a dictator who had come to power twice by coups. Where was the outrage?
Batista was a man who had clear and profitable ties to the US mafia. Here was a man who dragged persons out of their homes in the dead of the night to be executed. His security forces SIM were feared to the core. Where was the outrage?
Batista gave his allegiance to the wealthy of the country who owned almost all of the sugar cane plantations. He enriched himself through his close connections with the business leaders of the United States while also being complicit in the gross exploitation of his people.
Castro was not always a communist, indeed, quite the opposite. He was driven there. From the very beginning, the identified leader of the democratic world did everything to hurt, undermine and destroy Cuba under Castro. This has continued driven by the Cuban dissidents in Miami.
Castro did not support American ideology, so they invaded his nation and made several assassination attempts on this national leader. His focus, on the other hand, was to give full support to the cause of Nelson Mandela and the racially subjugated South African majority.
Cuba for a long time suffered immensely from extreme poverty, but why? The debilitating embargo imposed by the neighbour to the north destroyed the Cuban economy. An impoverished nation was the result! Of course, the pretenders placed blame on Castro.
This leader opened his nation to provide opportunities in education and medicine for many throughout the world while ensuring full health care for his citizens. Yet, he is condemned by persons who advocate the denial of affordable health care for 20 million people!
He is slaughtered as someone who has denied civil and human rights to his countrymen by people who are adamant in their denial of a woman’s right to choose what to do with her body as well as one’s right to marry the one that he or she loves! Give me a break! RIP Fidel Castro!
Jeff Broomes is an experienced educator, principal and community organiser who also served as vice-president of the BCA and director of the WICB. Email: [email protected]
