Fidel Castro responded Monday to President Barack Obama’s historic trip to Cuba with a long, bristling letter recounting the history of U.S. aggression against Cuba, writing that “we don’t need the empire to give us any presents.”
The 1,500-word letter in state media titled “Brother Obama” was Castro’s first response to the president’s three-day visit last week, in which the American president said he had come to bury the two countries’ history of Cold War hostility. Obama did not meet with the 89-year-old Fidel Castro on the trip but met several times with his 84-year-old brother Raul Castro, the current Cuban president.
Obama’s visit was intended to build irreversible momentum behind his opening with Cuba and to convince the Cuban people and the Cuban government that a half-century of U.S. attempts to overthrow the Communist government had ended, allowing Cuban to reform its economy and political system without the threat of U.S. interference.
Fidel Castro writes of Obama: “My modest suggestion is that he reflects and doesn’t try to develop theories about Cuban politics.”
Castro, who led Cuba for decades before handing power to his brother in 2008, was legendary for his hours-long, all-encompassing speeches. His letter reflects that style, presenting a sharp contrast with Obama’s tightly focused speech in Havana. Castro’s letter opens with descriptions of environmental abuse under the Spaniards and reviews the historical roles of Cuban independence heroes Jose Marti, Antonio Maceo and Maximo Gomez.
Castro then goes over crucial sections of Obama’s speech line by line, engaging in an ex-post-facto dialogue with the American president with pointed critiques of perceived slights and insults, including Obama’s failure to give credit to indigenous Cubans and Castro’s prohibition of racial segregation after coming to power in 1959.
Quoting Obama’s declaration that “it is time, now, for us to leave the past behind,” the man who shaped Cuba during the second half of the 20th century writes that “I imagine that any one of us ran the risk of having a heart attack on hearing these words from the President of the United States.”
Castro then returns to a review of a half-century of U.S. aggression against Cuba. Those events include the decades-long U.S. trade embargo against the island; the 1961 Bay of Pigs attack and the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner backed by exiles who took refuge in the U.S.
He ends with a dig at the Obama administration’s drive to increase business ties with Cuba. The Obama administration says re-establishing economic ties with the U.S. will be a boon for Cuba, whose centrally planned economy has struggled to escape from over-dependence on imports and a chronic shortage of hard currency.
The focus on U.S-Cuba business ties appears to have particularly rankled Castro, who nationalized U.S. companies after coming to power in 1959 and establishing the communist system into which his brother is now introducing gradual market-based reforms.
“No one should pretend that the people of this noble and selfless country will renounce its glory and its rights,” Fidel Castro wrote. “We are capable of producing the food and material wealth that we need with work and intelligence of our people.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
This is just one more case of Obama shaking hands with our enemies with no gain on our part.
That’s what he does…….worthless individual, muslime
How many more “APOLOGY” tours is Obama the STUPID planning for 2016 just to be LAUGHED at by even Inconsequential COMUNISTS????? He is becoming the WORLD number one CLOWN….Everyone is laughing at this IDIOT!
Redhawk,
Aren’t we fortunate that Obummer is good at least one thing…being a clown. Unfortunately, he is good at nothing else and America will be duped again if a treaty with Cuba is embraced by this president .I can see a cash flow to this island from a debtor nation,America…..unbelievable!
He made a big mistake by going there in the first place. Give Fidel what he wants….ZERO!
Well, at least Castro had the nerve to tell O’Bama where to go with his “GENEROUS” offer. After seeing our elected officials bowing down to O’Bummers wishes, maybe we might consider hiring Castro to keep Congress in line.
Screw Castro, Obama came to Cuba for Tango lessons that’s all
YOU GOT IT, the muslime a-hole
Don’t forget the baseball game, when he should have gone back to the White House during the Brussels attack!
He is such a wussy, he never does ANYTHING the right way. Maybe he should apologize for himself instead of America that he sat back being on TV watching baseball, smiling when people were dying. That sent a GREATTTT message!
That’s funny!!!! Can’t stand the Idiot or his DA Wife!!!!
Even though I do not agree with the Cuban Govt. I agree and admire that Castro stood up against Obama publically in his letter. Castro certainly has more fortitude and honesty in his feelings than our useless U.S. Republican Congress.
and our Democratic President and VP.
Screw Castro and Obama they are both from the same cloth. Please let’s not forget cuba had set up rockets aimed at the US that’s why JFK went after them . Let us not forget the two presidents ours and Cuba destroyed their countries economy and freedoms and loss of respect all around the world. God bless America . When they are both gone it will be a better world.
Amen!!!
Just wondering, was Theodore Roosevelt a Yankee aggressor? Nope he sure wasn’t. Without TR and the US military there never would have been Cuba Libre. Castro should plenty more grateful. However, his letter to the “president ” was just a missive from one ingrate to another.
Castro at least makes a point of praising his own country as opposed to our perennial ‘apologist’. Regardless of ones opinion of Castro, it doesn’t require overt intelligence to see which of these two figureheads is someone who truly cares about his country.
Fidel Castro deserves credit for recognizing the deceit of the alias, Barack H. Obama. Alias, Barack H. Obama, Kenyan born citizen of Indonesia, stated by former CIA agent Dr. Jim Garrow to be a spy from Saudi Arabia.
Cuba is not communist, but rather a dictatorship. Communism is a mental concept than mankind is incapable of attaining. All movement toward “communism” stops when a dictatorship is attained. The dictatorship remains until the populace revolts, overthrows the current dictator, who is replaced by a leader of the revolt, who develops into another dictator.
i WILL ADD NOTHING ,YOU ARE SPOT ON. bUT ADD A LOT OF COUNTRIES ARE LAUGHING AT OBAMA,
BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHY , HE IS A TOTAL IDIOT. HE IS PROGRAMED AND IS NOTING BUT A PUPPET FOR THE ILLUMINATI, WHO BY THE WAY IS WHY HE READS OFF THE TELEPROMPTER.THEY WRITE THE SCRIPT HE JUST READS IT.
IT IS OUT AND AVAILABLE TO READ. BARACK WAS TOLD TO DO ONLY WHAT THEY TELL HIM TO DO OR ELSE. AND HE KNOWS WHAT THAT OR ELSE MEANS.BUSH HAD ORDERS TO TAKE DOWN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, YOU KNOW THOSE ORDERS CAME FROM YTHE ILLUMINATI. TRY GOING HERE, THIS IS SICK . BUT THERE TIME WILL COME REAL SOON. GO HERE; http://rense.com/general57/aale.htm
Now we have egg on our face thanks to 0bama, he again shows that he’s totally inept
Is that a dozen eggs? It seems obummer does this a lot! When will we wake up and smell the corruption! I can’t believe Clinton is even being considered for dog catcher! What a joke! But as usual the joke is on we the people
President Obama had no problem admitting America’s faults in Cuba. Fidel Castro also has no problem admitting America’s faults. The big difference is that Fidel didn’t admit his own country’s failings. Once again we see the general incompetence and gullibility of this president. Once again we see another world leader who failed to be impressed by President Obama’s “intellect,” “vision,” and charm. This trip went as expected–President Obama would work to make America the bad guy and our enemies would agree.
The move to normalize relations with Cuba was foolish. The Castro government stands to gain a lot, but the quality of life for their people will not improve. The Cuban people will still experience the repression that comes from living in a communist country. The Obama trail of failure continues to grow.
After Obama’s visit to a Communist country and i hear he will be going to Vietnam another Communist country, i wonder what he is up to. Will his last visit before he ends his presidency be to China or North Korea ?
Will the real B. Hussein O’bama, please stand up? No need, he’s the only one in the room with mirrors, staged backdrops, and weapon barrier walls behind the camera. The audience is absent.
Cuba doesn’t allow speakers open to the public.
He reinforced Cuba’s relationship with Russia and other dictatorships. Only O’bama sees himself on the same stage.
A misplaced spokesperson funded by the Saudi King. From start to present.
He’ll never step onto real N. Korea soil. Nope, he won’t without trick photography.
Obama is too CHICKEN to face these so called oppressed regimes so he goes and kisses their A#@@S. He doesn’t have the balls to fight like a real man.
After all, O’Bummer prefers to “LEAD FROM BEHIND” which is a nice way to say “I’m a coward”.
And it ONLY took Castro 3 DAYS to figure out that Ali Baba Obama is a complete idiot!! (I’d better watch what I say, the idiots in this country elected Ali Baba to public office not only once, but twice)
Obama AND HIS staff are living in a state of DISILLUSIONMENT, There not EXCEPTING the fact NONE of the HEADS of the COUNTRY WANT TO HAVE ANY THING TO DO WITH OBAMA, The are to SMART for HIM.
THEY know he is a LIAR, HOMOSEXUAL MURDER He DISGUST THEM. THE PRESIDENT OF AFRICA DON’T WANT HIM BACK IN THE COUNTRY. THE PRESIDENT TOLD obama NOT TO COME OVER THERE AND TALK ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY, AND THE EGOTIST DID ANY WAY. AND THEY WANT NOTHING DO WITH HIM. THEY SHOULD ALL BE TOLD AMERICANS DON’T RESPECT HIM EITHER.
HE IS LIVING ON BORROWED TIME, SEE WE TOOK A PAGE FROM THE BUSH’S AND HIS BOOK HOW TO MAKE PEOPLE DISAPPEAR AND FOR A TIME GET BY WITH IT. BUT, TIME IS OUR ALLEY.
WE KNOW WHAT THE ILLUMINATI SOCIETY AND SKULL AND BONES MEMBERS ARE .BY THAT WAY WHEY WE HAVE SO MUCH TROUBLE WHEN THEY ARE IN OFFICE, THEY HATE AMERICA ,AND ARE SATANIC WORSHIPERS. AND THEY THINK WE DON’T KNOW ANY ABOUT THEM . WE LAUGH AT THE FOOLS THAT ARE BEING USED AND THINK WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY STAND FOR
RIGHT!!!!! BECAUSE THEY HAVE STOLE MONEY BY RIPPING AMERICAN OFF THEY BECAME RICH. SO THEY PUT THEM SELVES IN A SO CALLED CLASS OF ELITE,BUT THE TRUTH THEY ARE THE WORST OF THE DEVIANTS,SCUM OF THE EARTH .
Can’t read your rant….the spelling and the way you write is hard to decipher….slow down and spell-check..
His feelings were hurt. O and Kerry did not give them 150 billion like they donated to Iran. And to a Cuban, Cuba is better then Iran. And closer so freight for moving that much money will be much less. Besides, Castro would be able to pocket more of it then that ayatollah in charge.
I predicted Bill Clinton was going to be the one to lift sanctions on Cuba, was I wrong.
Also: Like Jimmy Carter; Obama wants Hillary to get elected so she will be the worst president and not him.
This points to Obama’s lack of really having any clue about the history of Cuban and U.S. relations. I think he was expecting to be welcomed with open arms by the Castro regime and instead got harshly critized by Fidel Castro himself.
THE CUBAN/ARGENTINA TRIP WAS ONE MORE “HURRAH” FOR THE OBAMA FAMILY’S EIGHT YEAR LEGACY OF VACATIONS, PAID FOR BY THE AMERICAN “FRESH AIR FUND” (THE TAXPAYER)!!! ……….JUST MILKING THE SYSTEM, ON HIS WAY OUT. HOW CORRUPT GOVERNMENT HAS BECOME!
Any idea how much that useless trip cost the taxpayers?
I am surprised that when President Obama offered his handshake that was refused upon arriving in Cuba that President Obama did not just return home.
Eugene-
i went to youtube and put “Obama Castro handshake,” and got at least 3 different occasions when Raul(? Castro’s brother) did indeed shake D’Owebama’s hand – but i could find none concerning that “arrival handshake.” Can you find one, and post a link? Thanks!
But yeah, were i the head of a country or corporation about to do a lot of good to the people of the country i was visiting, and i was publicly snubbed by not having my extended hand shaken, i would immediately ask the reason for such disrespect(could be a cold, could be a phobia, shouldn’t jump to conclusions TOO fast), and if deemed insufficient, i would immediately return to my craft and order it to leave the country immediately, assuming enough fuel was available to make that happen. Then i would repent of doing ANY good to the people of that country. Period.