U.S. policy elevated Castro [View All]

[CHIMO]

OTTAWA -- In sickness and in health, Cuban President Fidel Castro casts a long shadow over the world. It seems hard to believe that such a small country, with no discernible petroleum resources and little economic strength, could loom so large in the geopolitics of the Americas.

While U.S. President George W. Bush refused to speculate on the state of Castro's health this week, he did say he hoped Cuba would soon transition to a less "tyrannical" society.

Revered in Latin America

In the end, Castro was rebuffed and Gore lost the presidency. Who knows how an American-Cuban rapprochement might have helped Gore's presidential ambitions? Had Gore seized the opportunity to reach out, history might have been different. Any future handshake will now be up to others.


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