Fidel Castro and Muammar al-Gaddafi, Friends Forever (FILE)
The Cuban dictator of Libya received an award with his name and $ 250,000.
In August 1998, Muammar al-Gaddafi Foundation for Human Rights gave the (quirky) prize with the name of the Libyan leader Fidel Castro, reported official news agency Jana. The cable
news, Tripoli dated August 11, it was announced that the award was endowed with $ 250,000 and gave his reason for granting the Cuban dictator for "resistance to imperialism, the struggle on behalf of the principles and courage to face reality, they predict a new phase in the struggle of peoples against hegemony, the embargo and aggression."
Libyan According to the report, Castro collect the award on August 30 that year at an official ceremony, which did not offer details.
Since the announcement itself, the award was a reality that the Cuban press withheld by decision of Fidel Castro.
Rushing to the official presentation of the award and making him a trip to the Dominican Republic, the Maximum Leader August 23 announced a donation yours, personally, $ 250,000 for the construction of a polytechnic in town of Bani, even without mentioning the source of those funds. A clearly
, Fidel Castro did not know how to react publicly to the reward of his friend Gaddafi, then considered by many Western nations as a sponsor of international terrorism. Also feared the public face and explain why he accepted a sum of money so suspicious origin and extravagant prize name.
Without explanation, it was necessary to get rid of a money transfer in advance that could serve as evidence of personal enrichment. The official handover prize, announced by the Libyan government later this month, was postponed.
Two years later, at dawn on October 9, 2000, three journalists, information officers on duty were ordered to report presenting the award to Fidel Castro, who would become the headquarters of the Council of State in the Palace Revolucion in Havana.
monitored in hallways adorned with oil paintings of Tomás Sánchez dedicated to the "Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces Raúl Castro and other Cuban artists paintings that became the seat of power in the museum, we were told to be patient because this hour, two in the morning, were held official talks behind closed doors, between Castro and a Libyan delegation.
When yawning became more persistent, journalists in Granma, the TV News and the National Information Agency (AIN, where I worked then) we were taken to a room with limited space for the official presentation of the award, postponed for two years by cunning of his receiver.
The staging of the ceremony was complete, the stage was formed by a small podium with microphone and, in the background, the flags of both countries, the actors were the envoy of the Libyan government Abuzed Omar Dorda, ambassador to UN accompanied by an embassy official in Tripoli in Havana who served as translator, and, of course, the Maximum Leader. As a select audience, three official newspapers.
No fanfare, but the songs sounded from a loudspeaker.
"When Fidel Castro militant, in recognition of his heroic role in defense of his people, as well as their resistance to imperialism, which has surrounded it for over three decades, was the dedication of the Libyan envoy.
Meanwhile, the leader boasted to defend human rights and gave the usual spiel common: Cuba "no missing" and spoke of his country's solidarity with the Third World.
Castro took the opportunity to thank Gaddafi for the award and called it "one of the great rebels of our time."
When there was nothing more to say, Castro turned his eye to a door where scrutinizing one of his bodyguards, and said, imperative: "Where's my juice?".
Without one minute after that order, an aide appeared with a tray and three glasses stunning squeezed orange for the boss. Castro pounced on the tray, preventing the Libyans came first and terminating the sham protocol.
As there was more show than watch, were taken out of there and warned us that the amount Cash Gaddafi prize was donated by Cuba "to build a school in the Dominican Republic."
I went walking up the headquarters of the AIN to write, quoting literally what was said, not to mention power sources other than official ones. The release wire service was ready at 6 am and was reviewed by two editors and sent to the Central Committee for approval.
The school was donated to the Dominican Republic Polytechnic Maximo Gomez, built with money provided solely by "Cuba" or Fidel Castro, as you see, in the town of Bani. Dominican Sources
have ensured that the cost building from the school amounted to 50 million Dominican pesos, which, at current rates would amount to about $ 1,300,000, five times the gift of Muammar al-Gaddafi to Fidel Castro.
In 2003, Fidel Castro made his last official visit to Libya, where he shook hands with Gaddafi, "one of the great rebels of our time." Castro Gaddafi walked to the palace as it has.
Official reports gave details only the visit to the palace bombed Tripoli in 1986 by U.S. aircraft on the orders of President Ronald Reagan, and that killed Gadhafi's adopted daughter.
The admiration between the Caribbean and Libyan tyrant is such that, to date, Fidel Castro has condemned the crimes against the population Gaddafi of Libya, and discussed the fortune that has Gaddafi clan. It appears that neither will. Via
diariodecuba.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment