Venezuela's Chavez says Castro recovering slowly but was prepared to die

[Judi Lynn]

Oct. 1, 2006, 10:29PM
Venezuela's Chavez says Castro recovering slowly but was prepared to die


Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that his ailing ally, Cuban leader Fidel Castro, is recovering slowly from intestinal surgery but told him recently that he was prepared to die.

"Fidel told me when I went to visit him in Havana: 'Chavez, I already lived my epoch, I can die. I'm free to die, not you. You are a slave of life, don't let them kill you,'" Chavez said during a campaign rally in his home state of Barinas.

Chavez, who is up for re-election Dec. 3, also told the crowd that Castro's health is progressing two months after he temporarily turned power over to his younger brother Raul.

"Fidel's recovery is advancing, according to the report with details that I received last night," Chavez said. "It will be a slow recovery because of the type of illness, which was serious at one moment."
(snip/...)

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/world/4228748.html

[Peace Patriot]

1. "You are a slave of life, don't let them kill you." !!!!

See Cal04's post--re Chavez says he has mole in the White House who told him of WH plans to have him assassinated...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2539779

It appears that Chavez is taking Castro's advice--and NOT LETTING THEM KILL HIM. By being so vocal about all the threats--and the various ways the Bush Junta has tried to oust him and destroy Venezuelan democracy, Chavez constantly ups the price to the Bushites should they be so stupid as to kill him. US global corporate predators are having a hard enough time, as it is, amidst seven leftist (majorityist) governments in Latin America--Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Venezuela and Bolivia, and more to come (Ecuador, soon; Peru, next election cycle; and closer to the border, Nicaragua, this year; along with the political earthquakes in Mexico). Even the president of Columbia is speaking of Chavez as "my brother." If they kill Chavez, there will be hell to pay in Latin America. We may even see a South American boycott of the U.S. Chavez is very popular in Latin America; Latin governments have resisted Bushite bullying, and are backing Venezuela's bid for a UN Security Council seat next year; Venezuela is now a full member of Mercosur (regional trade, infrastructure and political group); and, due to Venezuela's aid on World Bank loans, Argentina is now stable, with indicators rising, and in talks with Brazil on a common currency (like the euro), to get off the US dollar. Regional solidarity and self-determination are the common themes; also social justice.

Knock off the new Bolivar, and the Bushites and their corporate buds are going to find themselves personae non grata in half the hemisphere. So it is a smart strategy by Chavez to keep their nefarious schemes against him front and center. Some people think this is demagoguery. I don't see any signs of demagoguery in Chavez. I think this is a survival strategy. And he also likes to poke the bastards in the eye every once in a while. For all our sakes. (Oh, how it does the heart good!)

This is a most interesting relationship--Castro and Chavez. The grandfather of the revolution, and the new firebrand of constitutional government and social justice. ("You are a slave to life.") Chavez, from a strong democracy--repeatedly endorsed by the people, in the most heavily monitored elections in history, a country devoted to constitutional government. And Castro, achieving power by armed revolution, and constantly threatened with US invasion and personal death--unable to really open up Cuban society--and ruling it as a dictator, albeit one of the mildest versions of the species. And so much history has gone by, Castro has become revered in Latin America, as a symbol of social justice and resistance, and an inspiration to these young...democracies! --with mixed capitalist/socialist economies! And now the US under Bush is returning to its old ugly ways. They torture and kill for fun, it seems. They are monsters. And Castro seems...moderate. And mellowed, probably greatly heartened by the leftist movement that has swept the continent. He's seen such horrors inflicted on Latin Americans, by the US and its fascist colluders, in his long life, he probably never thought he would see this day. Real democracies all over Latin America.

Castro tells an interesting story about him and Chavez. During the '02 attempted military coup in Venezuela, Chavez was kidnapped and isolated--and told that he must resign. The military coupsters dissolved congress and suspended the constitution. The Bush White House was all smiles and welcomed the coup. The country was in a state of crisis. Thousands of Chavez supporters were in the streets demanding the return of their elected president. A violent confrontation was inevitable. The coupsters needed his resignation in order to claim legitimacy. And, for the sake of the country, he was about to agree to officially resign and turn things over to the military. This would have been a great blow to constitutional government in Venezuela. He was torn, but didn't see any other way to stabilize the situation.

His daughter, who was in contact with her father--feeling frantic, and not knowing where to turn--managed to get Castro on the phone and asked his advice. He said, "Tell him: Do not resign! Do not despair. Don't become an Allende." As it turned out, the key to other military support for the coup was whether or not Chavez had resigned. Many in the military were against the coup, or hesitant. (The military in Venezuela is by no means uniformly fascist and anti-democratic--many poor people in the military, many Chavez sympathizers; Chavez himself had been in the military.) Some of the military were told that he HAD resigned (a lie), and involved themselves because the country was rudderless (they thought). Chavez stuck it out, on Castro's advice. He refused to resign. And he managed to get word out that he had NOT resigned. This sparked many more people to go out in the streets and join the huge demonstration demanding his return. And eventually, the people got their wish. The wider military support of the coup collapsed. Chavez was returned to office, and has only grown in popularity and stature since then. (He took very little retaliatory action--only the few top coup leaders were prosecuted and jailed. The corporate news monopolies openly supported the coup and spread disinformation. He took no action against them, though they continue to vilify him 24/7.)

Don't be an Allende. Don't despair. --from that old, rifle-slinging, cigar chomping Fidel, dictator of Cuba.

[htuttle]

2. You can see many of those events up close, first hand, here

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144&q=chavez

It's the documentary done by the two Irish Public TV filmakers who were inside the Miraflores during the 2002 coup. I watched it a week or two ago. Well worth the time (74 minutes).

[Mika]

3. Um.. slight correction needed.

Mr Fidel Castro no longer slings a rifle (hasn't since the Bay of Pigs).

Mr Fidel Castro no longer chomps on cigars (hasn't since the 80's).

Mr Fidel Castro isn't "dictator of Cuba" (never was).


That said.. the rest of your post.. :thumbsup:

[Canadian_moderate]

4. Mr Fidel Castro isn't "dictator of Cuba" (never was). (???)

Did I miss the elections in Cuba? You have got to be kidding.

As far as I am aware, there have never been open presidential elections in Cuba since 1962.

Just because someone is the enemy of your enemy doesn't mean he's your friend. Fidel is not exactly a progressive liberal or a democract for that matter.

[ngant17]

5. Cuba is one of the most democratic states in the world

Voting is by paper ballot and always hand-counted!

All citizens 16 years of age and older can vote.

In Cuba, there is no corporate advertising in the campaigns for office. All candidates must campaign on their own free time without neglecting their individual work obligations.

For more current info on Cuban democratic process, listen to Arnold August (Canadian researcher's 2001 lecture at University of Gainesville, Floria) in RealAudio format at following site:

<http://idahosmith.com/democry.htm>

[Mika]

6. Cuba has a representational parliamentary system.

Representative Fidel Castro was elected to the National Assembly as a representative of District #7 Santiago de Cuba. He is one of the elected 607 representatives in the Cuban National Assembly. It is from that body that the head of state is nominated and then elected.

Canada doesn't have direct elections for PM either.

http://www.poptel.org.uk/cuba-solidarity/democracy.htm

This system in Cuba is based upon universal adult suffrage for all those aged 16 and over. Nobody is excluded from voting, except convicted criminals or those who have left the country. Voter turnouts have usually been in the region of 95% of those eligible .

There are direct elections to municipal, provincial and national assemblies, the latter represent Cuba's parliament.

Electoral candidates are not chosen by small committees of political parties. No political party, including the Communist Party, is permitted to nominate or campaign for any given candidates.

--


The Cuban government was reorganized (approved by popular vote) into a variant parliamentary system in 1976.

You can read a short version of the Cuban system here,
http://members.allstream.net/~dchris/CubaFAQDemocracy.html

Or a long and detailed version here,
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0968508405/qid=1053879619/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-8821757-1670550?v=glance&s=books

[Judi Lynn]

7. Thanks for making the answers available for those DU'ers who

have the ambition to learn, Mika.

[Peace Patriot]

9. Really. Live long and prosper! About the "rifle-slinging, cigar chomping

dictator of Cuba." I was speaking ironically.

And how I think of Fidel NOW--as the mildest of dictators--I think is pretty accurate. Cubans are not free to return to the fascist exploitation of the pre-Castro era. In that sense, Castro presides over a "dictatorship of the proletariat." But it's nothing like a Stalinist dictatorship. I think there is consensus in Cuba about the benefits of Cuban communism, but not much freedom for dissent from it. And U.S. sanctions and constant threats haven't helped. Anyone who WOULD advocate for the freedom to exploit is considered a tool of the U.S. (probably accurately)--and an agent of violent overthrow--and that type of dissent is not permitted. Both societies have evolved--the U.S. toward fascism (toward more corporate rule before Bush, and with outright fascism under Bush), and Cuba toward democracy (with the parliamentary system). But even given Cuba's parliamentary system, you'd have to say that Fidel NOT governing Cuba has not really been an option (--or not enough of one to call it a democracy). Also, perhaps a distinction should be made between political democracy and economic democracy. On the latter, Cuba is far in advance of the U.S. There is NO economic democracy for the poor in the U.S. The rich own everything. In Cuba, wealth is spread around. Everybody is poorer, but no one is dirt poor (without medical care, educational opportunities, food on the table, etc.) So, it's like a trade-off--less political democracy for more economic democracy. The remarkable thing, it seems to me, is that the rest of Latin America is aiming for BOTH. Peacefully. The old armed resistance mode is a thing of the past (represented by old Fidel); the new revolution is occurring at the ballot box (represented by Chavez, Morales, Batchelet, Lulu and many other leftists/socialists chosen in free and fair elections). None of the new breed are ideologues, or communists. They are presiding over mixed capitalist/socialist economies, with a strong component of social justice, and--critically important--are developing policies of regional self-determination and cooperation (joint development projects; common currency; political solidarity; curtailing global corporate predators; resisting U.S. domination; freeing themselves from World Bank/IMF talons; hard work on transparent elections--all the things necessary to PREVENT future U.S. intervention, and to marginalize the rich elites who have always colluded with the U.S.) As a result, they have far more power to implement social justice, and to achieve it, than if they were still engaged in violent class warfare. This is the great sea change in Latin America, and it is the most heartening turn of events in this hemisphere, and maybe on the whole planet.

Viva la revolución!

[Canadian_moderate]

10. I'm not so convinced by your links

Although other Cuban elected representatives can attempt a run at President, I doubt they would ever succeed in taking the title from Fidel. Don't you think that Fidel gets a little more publicity than the others?

I don't think Fidel is an evil dictator, in fact, in many ways he is very compassionate. I do think that Cubans' liberty is severely restricted by Fidel's government. People simply do not have the options that we have to manage our own lives and destiny in Fidel's Cuba. For all the faults in the Canadian and American systems, I would not want to trade places with the people of Cuba. I have visited Cuba and I have seen how many Cubans live. Yes, many are content with their lot in life, but many people there are simply not interested in competing against one another. They have been raised to be dependant on their very paternalistic government.

The concept of socialism may sound great, but it simply does not live up to its expectations. Many European countries have tried and most have changed course after accumulating massive debt and dealing with economic stagnation.

I happen to be a firm believer in public education and healthcare, but beyond the basic government services, I believe that most people would like to have the freedom to determine their own paths. I also believe in progressive taxation, but not to the extent that it prohobits motiviation and innovation.

[allisonthegreat]

11. erin go braugh n/t

[Canadian_moderate]

12. WTF does that mean?

Is that Gaelic, Irish or Old Norse?

[Vidar]

8. Long life to both of them.