Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- [Via Communist Internet... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] . . ----- Original Message ----- From: John Clancy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <Africa: ;> Cc: <news: ;> Sent: Monday, August 13, 2001 4:13 PM Subject: Jose: Fidel Castro's Birthday -Venezuela Pt 1 from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subject: Jose: Fidel Castro's birthday -Venezuela Pt 1 Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: "Jose G. Perez" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [CubaNews] Miami Herald: Castro kicks off 75th birthday celebration Published Sunday, August 12, 2001 Castro kicks off 75th birthday celebration Thousands of flag-waving Venezuelans cheer Cuban leader. BY NANCY SAN MARTIN [EMAIL PROTECTED] CIUDAD BOLIVAR, Venezuela -- Fidel Castro, in his first foreign trip since fainting in the heat at a rally six weeks ago, cracked jokes about the weather Saturday as he kicked off a three-day celebration of his birthday -- which is Monday -- before an adoring, flag-waving crowd here in the cradle of South American independence from Spain. Making jokes about how hot it was, ostentatiously fanning himself with his military cap, and making a great show of drinking a glass of tea, Castro seemed anything but feeble or infirm in a joint appearance with Venezuela's leftist President Hugo Chvez. Thousands of Venezuelans crowded into the city's central plaza to laugh at Castro's jokes, cheer his speech on the liberation of South America from Spanish rule, and sing Happy Birthday to the Cuban ruler. ``He's the only one who has stood up to the United States, and his country has been able to move forward despite the blockade and all the obstacles that have been put before him,'' said Carleth Gmez, 27, a medical analyst. ``You have to admire that.'' Even more enthusiastic was Chvez himself. ``We welcome our brother, we welcome our friend, we welcome our revolutionary soldier who has been an example of dignity for all the continent,'' he said, draping an arm around ``this 75-year-old boy.'' ``I wanted to celebrate my 75 years in the land of the Liberator,'' replied Castro, referring to Simn Bolvar, who led the struggle for South American independence. ``It will be very emotional to visit so many historic sites associated with Venezuela and Simon Bolvar.'' Castro's visit here was ostensibly about Bolvar. He received an award named after the South American general, and most of his 40-minute speech concerned Bolvar. But the real subjects on everyone's mind was Castro's health and stamina as he reached his 75th birthday. Castro did stumble briefly in a crush of reporters at the Caracas airport, but otherwise showed no sign of the myriad ailments from which he has been rumored to suffer from. His demeanor Saturday was a stark contrast to his appearance during the June 23 collapse, when Castro succumbed to mid-80 degree heat. He had to be carried off stage about two hours into a speech lashing out against the convictions of five Cubans on espionage charges in Miami. Cuban officials, and Castro himself, wrote off the spectacle as nothing more than fatigue. But the incident created a flurry of speculation over his health and the future of Cuba without Castro. Rumors of prostate cancer, heart troubles, Parkinson's disease and other ailments have been swirling around for years. Although Castro recently has appeared distracted during speeches, sometimes fumbling over notes and repeating himself, those who have been keeping watch attribute the uncharacteristic blunders to age, not poor health. ``There is no evidence that suggests he is ill,'' said a U.S. official in Washington. Castro reportedly takes extremely good care of himself. He is said to exercise regularly, keep a nutritious diet and drink in moderation. He gave up cigars a long time ago. His mental state also has been questioned. But all indications are that he is sharp and remains in control. Castro can still rattle off reams of arcane statistics, give detailed accounts of decades-old incidents, and strike fear in the hearts of anyone who dares to oppose him. ``No one should think that now that he is in his mid-70s he will be different,'' said Castro biographer Georgie Anne Geyer. ``Nothing has changed. He is in total power, in total control and he could be there for another 15 years. I don't think there's massive resistance to him.'' The extent of support for Castro inside Cuba is hard to measure, since he doesn't permit either Western-style free elections or even independent polls. But there is no doubt that he has a loyal following both on and off the island. In Venezuela, as in many other Latin American countries, many leftists -- especially Chvez supporters -- consider Castro a hero of the masses and protector of the underprivileged, despite Cuba's well-documented economic problems. ``I know of no other Latin American leader who has been able to project himself world-wide like Fidel Castro,'' said Antonio Jorge, a Florida International University professor and Cuba expert. ``He is the typical demagogue who makes people believe that poverty is the direct result of the exploitation of others. He has been a master at representing that position.'' Castro's strength comes from his ability to ``weave a spell over people,'' Geyer said. ``He's a fantastic actor who can put on any kind of show. But the show is real.'' ``Violent, Machiavellian. Charismatic, cold. Brutal, seductive. Diabolically clever,'' is how Geyer describes Castro. During his 42 years in power, Castro has changed the face of Cuba: from a prosperous playland that thrived from U.S. dollars to an obstinate sovereign nation that shunned the greenback and now must again rely on it for survival. Castro is now in the midst of what he calls a ``Battle of Ideas.'' Most of them seem directed against the United States. Massive rallies, televised round-table discussions, and articles in state-controlled publications serve as forums for protests against U.S. policies toward Cuba. Defense Minister Ral Castro, the leader's 70-year-old brother and designated successor, leads anti-U.S. rallies every weekend in different parts of the island. There is no telling how long such events will go on. The unprecedented tenure of the Cold War's last communist leader has exhausted even longtime foes, who reluctantly admit the end may not be close at hand. Cuban exiles have shied away from predicting Castro's demise. ``It could be this evening, tomorrow morning, in six months or six years from now,'' said Roberto Rodrguez de Aragn, president of La Junta Patriotica Cubana, a Miami exile organization. ``There is no fixed date for that.'' When Rodrguez de Aragn boarded a plane out of Cuba on May 1, 1959 -- four months after Castro took power -- he turned to a couple of friends on the same flight. ``Take a good look at the palm trees because you won't be seeing them again for 20 years,'' he told them. ``I was wrong,'' the 74-year-old now says. ``I was off by 22 years.'' Security was tight Saturday at the town plaza in Ciudad Bolvar, as well as at the Hotel Inter-Continental in Puerto Ordaz, about an hour's drive away, where Castro stayed. Guests had to walk through a metal detector and have their bags scanned just to get into the lobby, which was filled with Cuban and Venezuelan military. His visit came immediately after Venezuela ordered the U.S. military mission to vacate rent-free offices in Caracas. Venezuela insists it needs the space and isn't distancing itself from the United States, its biggest oil customer. But the announcement angered U.S. officials. ``We regret this decision as it will make it difficult to carry on our long-standing relationship with the Venezuelan government's military,'' a U.S. Embassy spokesman said. Venezuela said the mission, which had occupied the offices for 40 years, could relocate in Caracas. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ****** from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subject: Jose: Fidel Castro's birthday -Venezuela Pt 2 Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: "Jose G. Perez" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [CubaNews] Castro to mark birthday at tallest waterfall Castro to mark birthday at tallest waterfall PUERTO ORDAZ, Venezuela (AP) -- Basking in praise from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro on Sunday was expected to venture to the rain forest and Angel Falls -- Chavez's gift for the Cuban leader's 75th birthday. After a day and a night spent honoring each other and discussing close bilateral ties, Castro and Chavez planned to fly over the 2,900- foot (880-meter) falls in Canaima National Park -- the world's tallest -- in a mystical land of towering mesas thought to have inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World." A tour of an ecology museum in Puerto Ordaz and an emergency police center also were on the agenda Sunday -- the eve of Castro's birthday. Castro planned to return to Cuba late Sunday or early Monday. It was the Cuban leader's first trip abroad since fainting during a speech on June 23 -- prompting speculation about the health of the man who has ruled Cuba for more than four decades. On Saturday, Chavez and Castro gave a typical display of mutual admiration, praising their battles against poverty, frequently embracing, and fondly recalling their past struggles. "I don't deserve the immense honor of this order you have given me today," Castro told thousands in Ciudad Bolivar after accepting an honor that commemorates South American liberator Simon Bolivar. "How wonderful it is to be here to honor this soldier," Chavez beamed. Castro sprang up from his seat when Chavez led thousands in singing "Happy Birthday," and he laughed good-naturedly when the 47-year-old Chavez joked about his age. The leaders spent Saturday night talking politics, dining and playing dominoes at an exclusive club in Puerto Ordaz, an industrial city 500 kilometers southeast of Caracas. But Castro couldn't dispel concerns about his health during the activity-packed weekend. He stumbled when reporters mobbed him after his arrival in Caracas. He sweated profusely, fanned himself and repeatedly complained about the heat during a walking tour of a hilly colonial neighborhood in Ciudad Bolivar. He kept his acceptance speech short -- 40 minutes -- citing the tropical humidity and a hoarse throat. He leaned to one side of his chair and rested his head on his hand while Chavez delivered an energetic address. Castro claims he is in robust health. His hand-picked successor, brother Raul Castro, insists Cuba won't plunge into political crisis after Fidel Castro is no longer in power. Chavez is one of Castro's few steadfast allies in a world increasingly committed to free market economies. The United States -- Venezuela's biggest consumer of oil -- keeps a wary eye on the relationship, and was irritated last week when Chavez ordered a U.S. military mission to vacate offices in Caracas' army headquarters. Despite a barter pact that has brought hundreds of Cuban advisers to Venezuela in exchange for Venezuelan oil, both Castro and Chavez insist that Venezuela will retain its democratic government and market economy. While polls show Venezuelans oppose Castro's ideology, thousands have excitedly shadowed him this weekend. "I don't think we should isolate a country that needs our help so badly," said Alberto Ruiz, struggling to catch a glimpse of Castro in Ciudad Bolivar. "I guess he is a dictator. But he's done a lot for his people. I welcome him and wish him many more years." Your use of Yahoo! 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