Fidel Castro turns 89 - says US has hefty debt to Cuba

[JGV]

My recollection of history accurately portrayed in The Godfather 2 was that Havana was largely controlled by the Mafia and money laundering and racqueterring was the order of the day so it is ridiculous to suggest Castro and the communists stole real estate and businesses that had been acquired freely by organized crime

[Thrilla]

My recollection of history accurately portrayed in The Godfather 2 was that Havana was largely controlled by the Mafia and money laundering and racqueterring was the order of the day so it is ridiculous to suggest Castro and the communists stole real estate and businesses that had been acquired freely by organized crime

Getting your history from a Hollywood film is ill advised - but at least it won't get you a horses head in your bed

There were also other American businesses taking advantage of Cuba which encouraged nationalization.

[oneday]

I’m sorry Mr. Castro, but America does not owe you or your country one red penny. Maybe you have forgotten, but it will be a long time before America forgets or forgives you for allowing the Russians to almost place nuclear missiles in your country and on our doorstep. Nothing we may have done justifies that. For that you deserved all you got. If you keep talking like this then maybe everything should go back the way it was.

[HeijoshinCool]

How many millions did it cost the US tax payers to deal with the Cuban boat people?

This is one cost not including detention, feeding, etc. Wiki Mariel boatlift.

The Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980 provided $100 million in cash, medical and social services (Senator Stone and Congressman Fascell) and authorized approximately $5 million per year to facilitate the Mariel refugees transition to American life. The 1980 Census was also adjusted to include Mariel children to insure additional assistance would be available to them through the Miami-Dade County Public Schools via Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Assistance Act (ESEA).

.

Jimmy Carter was duped by Castro, but at least we Americans got a pretty good movie out of it starring Al Pacino.

Guess the Donald is right ….

[nidieunimaitre]

The US first placed nuclear warheads at the Soviet Union's doorstep (Turkey). The Soviets then used Cuba to force the US to retreat their missiles. That was standard procedure in the cold war. Cuba needed protection against an invasion, and who was willing to protect them? The Soviets - at a price of course.

The Cubans merely underwent it all, and were actually upset with the Soviets because the end of the occupation of Guantanamo was not part of the Soviet - US settlement.

[Ghostnigel]

United Fruit Co. There, i said it.

Now look big America, and give them a few squillion green ones....before they burn down your nicely renovated embassy!

[Thrilla]

In the rush to condemn the USA here (and rightfully) what has been overlooked here is Fidel could run a revolution and somehow organized good health care but he couldn't run a lemonade / cigar / banana / sugar cane (pick one) stand.

[ABCer]

1959: Castro stages the revolution

1961: Bay of Pigs, American invasion authorized by Kennedy

1962: Missile crisis, Soviet Union uses Cuba to force the US to withdraw their nuclear missiles from Turkey

1965: Founding of the communist party

How else could Cuba have survived the invasion / blockade?

Castro had to accept the terms that the Soviet Union imposed.

A good recount of events.

But overall - another failure of US geopolitics around the globe.

I hope in restoring the relations Cuba does not forget to protect itself from being purchased outright.

[craigt3365]

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/7/1/how-to-resolve-american-property-claims-in-cuba.html

Starting in 1964, an independent arm of the Justice Department called the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission (FCSC) registered a total of 5,913 certified American claims — some from families, others from corporations — of lost property in Cuba, to the tune of $1.9 billion. With an annual 6 percent interest rate set by the FCSC, they are worth about $7 billion today.

In fact, in 1960 President Dwight Eisenhower imposed the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba, now stretching into its sixth decade, expressly because of Cuba’s seizure of U.S.-owned factories and businesses there. The 1996 Helms-Burton Act codified the embargo into law, stipulating that certain conditions be met before the restrictions are lifted, including the settlement of Americans’ property claims.

[craigt3365]

I can't find a better reference, but seems Cuba did settle claims with some countries regarding nationalization of property:

http://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1697&context=facultypub

Page 144

[nidieunimaitre]

The US claiming money back from Cuba because of the seizures of US businesses is about as reasonable as the UK claiming back their real estate from the US.

(all 10.000.000 km2)

Edited August 15, 2015 by nidieunimaitre

[craigt3365]

The US claiming money back from Cuba because of the seizures of US businesses is about as reasonable as the UK claiming back their real estate from the US.

A good portion of these claims seem to be from Cubans exiled during the revolution. Their farms and holdings being nationalized. So, It's Cubans wanting the pay back. Quite reasonable I think.

[nidieunimaitre]

The US claiming money back from Cuba because of the seizures of US businesses is about as reasonable as the UK claiming back their real estate from the US.

A good portion of these claims seem to be from Cubans exiled during the revolution. Their farms and holdings being nationalized. So, It's Cubans wanting the pay back. Quite reasonable I think.

Posts 39 and 40 seem to differ from post 42.

[spidermike007]

Very amusing words from one of the great despot dictators of our time. What about the money he owes his people? When doctors are making $39 a month, the system is quite obviously broken. When surgeons have second jobs as tour guides, so they can feed their families the "Cuban dream" is obviously not working. And what about the billions of dollars he stole from his people? And what about the tens of billions his brother made from the trans shipment of drugs from Colombia? What about all of the lives he has diminished by his very presence? All of the political prisoners? All of the opposition figures they killed along the way? What about all of the people that his compatriot Che Guevara murdered? They are all serial killers.

This guy is a baboon. He completely destroyed the entire agricultural system in his country. The pharmacies and hospitals up until recently did not even have bandaids and aspirin, I used to bring those to Cuba, along with vitamins and other items they simply could not get there. I used to bring duffel bags full of bras and panties. The women there could not spend a months salary on a bra. They were wearing 10 year old tattered bras and panties. It was pathetic. They were very grateful!

The place was so broken down and dysfunctional. Great people. Horrific government, to this very day. The people absolutely despised their government. I heard this from countless people who would open up once I got to know them. I saw men arrested, for having a three minute conversation with me on the street. If a Cuban woman was seen with me in a car, she was hauled off to jail for two or three days. It was presumed it was about prostitution, drugs, or the completely forbidden use of dollars, as the government hated losing the tiniest bit of control. Raul Castro, and his older brother are absolute pigs. Despots. Freaks. For him to lecture the US is an amusing thing indeed. Why is this ideologue still alive? Why do the black hearts always live forever?

I have many friends who left behind mansions, and art collections worth tens of millions of dollars today. Are they going to be able to get them back from the people who seized them? Or from Museo Bellas Artes, which is an amazing museum full of stolen art? Who is the culprit here? Who is the true villain? The country that boycotted Cuba, giving the leaders the perfect excuse for a broken economy (which was caused by a failed communist system, and not the boycott), or the simpletons who lead their people down a ridiculous path of false socialism?

Edited August 15, 2015 by spidermike007

[nidieunimaitre]

Very amusing words from one of the great despot dictators of our time. What about the money he owes his people? When doctors are making $39 a month, the system is quite obviously broken. When surgeons have second jobs as tour guides, so they can feed their families the "Cuban dream" is obviously not working. And what about the billions of dollars he stole from his people? And what about the tens of billions his brother made from the trans shipment of drugs from Colombia? What about all of the lives he has diminished by his very presence? All of the political prisoners? All of the opposition figures they killed along the way? What about all of the people that his compatriot Che Guevara murdered? They are all serial killers.

This guy is a baboon. He completely destroyed the entire agricultural system in his country. The pharmacies and hospitals up until recently did not even have bandaids and aspirin, I used to bring those to Cuba, along with vitamins and other items they simply could not get there. I used to bring duffel bags full of bras and panties. The women there could not spend a months salary on a bra. They were wearing 10 year old tattered bras and panties. It was pathetic. They were very grateful!

The place was so broken down and dysfunctional. Great people. Horrific government, to this very day. The people absolutely despised their government. I heard this from countless people who would open up once I got to know them. I saw men arrested, for having a three minute conversation with me on the street. If a Cuban woman was seen with me in a car, she was hauled off to jail for two or three days. It was presumed it was about prostitution, drugs, or the completely forbidden use of dollars, as the government hated losing the tiniest bit of control. Raul Castro, and his older brother are absolute pigs. Despots. Freaks. For him to lecture the US is an amusing thing indeed. Why is this ideologue still alive? Why do the black hearts always live forever?

I have many friends who left behind mansions, and art collections worth tens of millions of dollars today. Are they going to be able to get them back from the people who seized them? Or from Museo Bellas Artes, which is an amazing museum full of stolen art? Who is the culprit here? Who is the true villain? The country that boycotted Cuba, giving the leaders the perfect excuse for a broken economy (which was caused by a failed communist system, and not the boycott), or the simpletons who lead their people down a ridiculous path of false socialism?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but is there not a large number of Americans going to Cuba for medical treatment?

[spidermike007]

Very amusing words from one of the great despot dictators of our time. What about the money he owes his people? When doctors are making $39 a month, the system is quite obviously broken. When surgeons have second jobs as tour guides, so they can feed their families the "Cuban dream" is obviously not working. And what about the billions of dollars he stole from his people? And what about the tens of billions his brother made from the trans shipment of drugs from Colombia? What about all of the lives he has diminished by his very presence? All of the political prisoners? All of the opposition figures they killed along the way? What about all of the people that his compatriot Che Guevara murdered? They are all serial killers.

This guy is a baboon. He completely destroyed the entire agricultural system in his country. The pharmacies and hospitals up until recently did not even have bandaids and aspirin, I used to bring those to Cuba, along with vitamins and other items they simply could not get there. I used to bring duffel bags full of bras and panties. The women there could not spend a months salary on a bra. They were wearing 10 year old tattered bras and panties. It was pathetic. They were very grateful!

The place was so broken down and dysfunctional. Great people. Horrific government, to this very day. The people absolutely despised their government. I heard this from countless people who would open up once I got to know them. I saw men arrested, for having a three minute conversation with me on the street. If a Cuban woman was seen with me in a car, she was hauled off to jail for two or three days. It was presumed it was about prostitution, drugs, or the completely forbidden use of dollars, as the government hated losing the tiniest bit of control. Raul Castro, and his older brother are absolute pigs. Despots. Freaks. For him to lecture the US is an amusing thing indeed. Why is this ideologue still alive? Why do the black hearts always live forever?

I have many friends who left behind mansions, and art collections worth tens of millions of dollars today. Are they going to be able to get them back from the people who seized them? Or from Museo Bellas Artes, which is an amazing museum full of stolen art? Who is the culprit here? Who is the true villain? The country that boycotted Cuba, giving the leaders the perfect excuse for a broken economy (which was caused by a failed communist system, and not the boycott), or the simpletons who lead their people down a ridiculous path of false socialism?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but is there not a large number of Americans going to Cuba for medical treatment?

If that is the case, it is out of absolute financial desperation. despite all the Cuban propaganda, the medical treatment there is poor, the hospitals are decrepit, and they have little in the way of supplies or equipment. I visited a Cuban hospital once and was really scared. The entire country is broken.

Edited August 15, 2015 by spidermike007

[nidieunimaitre]

Very amusing words from one of the great despot dictators of our time. What about the money he owes his people? When doctors are making $39 a month, the system is quite obviously broken. When surgeons have second jobs as tour guides, so they can feed their families the "Cuban dream" is obviously not working. And what about the billions of dollars he stole from his people? And what about the tens of billions his brother made from the trans shipment of drugs from Colombia? What about all of the lives he has diminished by his very presence? All of the political prisoners? All of the opposition figures they killed along the way? What about all of the people that his compatriot Che Guevara murdered? They are all serial killers.

This guy is a baboon. He completely destroyed the entire agricultural system in his country. The pharmacies and hospitals up until recently did not even have bandaids and aspirin, I used to bring those to Cuba, along with vitamins and other items they simply could not get there. I used to bring duffel bags full of bras and panties. The women there could not spend a months salary on a bra. They were wearing 10 year old tattered bras and panties. It was pathetic. They were very grateful!

The place was so broken down and dysfunctional. Great people. Horrific government, to this very day. The people absolutely despised their government. I heard this from countless people who would open up once I got to know them. I saw men arrested, for having a three minute conversation with me on the street. If a Cuban woman was seen with me in a car, she was hauled off to jail for two or three days. It was presumed it was about prostitution, drugs, or the completely forbidden use of dollars, as the government hated losing the tiniest bit of control. Raul Castro, and his older brother are absolute pigs. Despots. Freaks. For him to lecture the US is an amusing thing indeed. Why is this ideologue still alive? Why do the black hearts always live forever?

I have many friends who left behind mansions, and art collections worth tens of millions of dollars today. Are they going to be able to get them back from the people who seized them? Or from Museo Bellas Artes, which is an amazing museum full of stolen art? Who is the culprit here? Who is the true villain? The country that boycotted Cuba, giving the leaders the perfect excuse for a broken economy (which was caused by a failed communist system, and not the boycott), or the simpletons who lead their people down a ridiculous path of false socialism?

So you bring aspirin, bandaids and vitamins to Cuba?

No doubt, that devil Castro confiscates them after you leave, and sells them to the medical tourists:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_Cuba#Health_tourism_and_pharmaceutics

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/18/world/americas/americans-may-see-appeal-of-medical-tourism-in-cuba.html?_r=0

And please give more details on how grateful the Cuban women are for the bras and panties you bring them. Any left for Isaan women in Pattaya?

[kamarada]

Stangely the US do in eastern Europe, middle earth and Asia what they were scared of when Russia wanted to come to Cuba.

Nowdays the US surrounds Russia and China and it seems it is ok with them

Cuba is far from being a nice country, politicaly speaking, but it is not worse than US and its Infamous Guantanamo

As a matter of fact, the only place in Cuba where people get held without court orders, and even get tortured, is Guantanamo.

Is that a joke? Tell this to the thousands of political prisoners jailed and tortured all these years under Castro.

[craigt3365]

No. Some perhaps, but not many. Travel is restricted and there are better options. Jamaica is quite popular now. Facelift combined with a week's recovery on the beach.

https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2015/02/23/would-americans-travel-to-cuba-for-health-care

[nidieunimaitre]

Very amusing words from one of the great despot dictators of our time. What about the money he owes his people? When doctors are making $39 a month, the system is quite obviously broken. When surgeons have second jobs as tour guides, so they can feed their families the "Cuban dream" is obviously not working. And what about the billions of dollars he stole from his people? And what about the tens of billions his brother made from the trans shipment of drugs from Colombia? What about all of the lives he has diminished by his very presence? All of the political prisoners? All of the opposition figures they killed along the way? What about all of the people that his compatriot Che Guevara murdered? They are all serial killers.

This guy is a baboon. He completely destroyed the entire agricultural system in his country. The pharmacies and hospitals up until recently did not even have bandaids and aspirin, I used to bring those to Cuba, along with vitamins and other items they simply could not get there. I used to bring duffel bags full of bras and panties. The women there could not spend a months salary on a bra. They were wearing 10 year old tattered bras and panties. It was pathetic. They were very grateful!

The place was so broken down and dysfunctional. Great people. Horrific government, to this very day. The people absolutely despised their government. I heard this from countless people who would open up once I got to know them. I saw men arrested, for having a three minute conversation with me on the street. If a Cuban woman was seen with me in a car, she was hauled off to jail for two or three days. It was presumed it was about prostitution, drugs, or the completely forbidden use of dollars, as the government hated losing the tiniest bit of control. Raul Castro, and his older brother are absolute pigs. Despots. Freaks. For him to lecture the US is an amusing thing indeed. Why is this ideologue still alive? Why do the black hearts always live forever?

I have many friends who left behind mansions, and art collections worth tens of millions of dollars today. Are they going to be able to get them back from the people who seized them? Or from Museo Bellas Artes, which is an amazing museum full of stolen art? Who is the culprit here? Who is the true villain? The country that boycotted Cuba, giving the leaders the perfect excuse for a broken economy (which was caused by a failed communist system, and not the boycott), or the simpletons who lead their people down a ridiculous path of false socialism?

Do you realize that your post is about as effective as the North Korean propaganda?

Or perhaps you are an undercover commie agent, posting this nonsense to undermine the more serious criticism of Castro?

My favorite quotes are:

They were wearing 10 year old tattered bras and panties. It was pathetic. They were very grateful!

I saw men arrested, for having a three minute conversation with me on the street

If a Cuban woman was seen with me in a car, she was hauled off to jail for two or three days.

Raul Castro, and his older brother are absolute pigs. Despots. Freaks

the simpletons who lead their people down a ridiculous path of false socialism?

[nidieunimaitre]

No. Some perhaps, but not many. Travel is restricted and there are better options. Jamaica is quite popular now. Facelift combined with a week's recovery on the beach.

https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2015/02/23/would-americans-travel-to-cuba-for-health-care

I am not sure that it is medically advisable to spend time at the beach the week after a facelift.

[meinanzi]

He said Washington owes Cuba indemnifications "that rise to numerous millions of dollars" for damage caused by the embargo.

Which the US should pay.

As soon as Cuba pays back the $6 billion or so in real estate and businesses owned by Americans that Castro confiscated and or nationalized back in the late 50's.

Fidel has a big pair.

That old man must be suffering from dementia. He completely "forgot" about his plan to install Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuban soil - a decision that almost started WWIII.

If a young President Kennedy had not Instituted a naval blockade that turned the missile-laden ships around, it could have had catastrophic consequences.

[nidieunimaitre]

He said Washington owes Cuba indemnifications "that rise to numerous millions of dollars" for damage caused by the embargo.

Which the US should pay.

As soon as Cuba pays back the $6 billion or so in real estate and businesses owned by Americans that Castro confiscated and or nationalized back in the late 50's.

Fidel has a big pair.

That old man must be suffering from dementia. He completely "forgot" about his plan to install Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuban soil - a decision that almost started WWIII.

If a young President Kennedy had not Instituted a naval blockade that turned the missile-laden ships around, it could have had catastrophic consequences.

First the US installed nuclear missiles at the SU border, in Turkey.

Next the SU installed nuclear missiles in Cuba, to have bargaining power.

The US and the SU struck a secret deal, and both removed their missiles.

Cuba was used by the SU in this cold war game.

Clear now?

[craigt3365]

I did 2 trips to Cuba with about 2 weeks each time. The way the people are treated is terrible. Exactly as Mike puts it. I spent about a week each time living with my friend in a small town east of Havana. With his family. The conditions were terrible.

I'd go down with a few friends and we'd do like you, Mike. Bring down a duffel bag of stuff. Boom boxes, CDs, clothes, old stuff, etc. They'd take anything...as they had nothing. They lived off ration cards. And almost no money to buy anything else. I bought an apple for my friend's sister. She was about 25 or so. She kept looking at it and finally we told her to just eat it! Come to find out, she'd never had an apple before. She had no idea how to eat it! Unreal.

We'd be walking down the street with them and all of a sudden, they'd disappear. Only to reappear a few minutes later down the street. Why? The police were nearby and would arrest them if caught with us "devil" foreigners.

We went to the big square in Havana one day. There was a line all the way around the square. Probably close to 1km long. My buddy and I couldn't figure it out, so had a seat and bought an ice cream. Come to find out, the line was for the ice cream shop! On certain days, you could get a cone for 5 cents or so. Only for locals. We paid $1. They were standing in line for a 5 cent cone for hours. Unreal.

We'd sponsor a dinner for our friend and his family. They only had one table, 4 chairs and 4 sets of plates/utensils. We sat down with the father and our friend. Eating this great food. But wondering why everybody else was just sitting nearby not eating? Come to find out, it's done on a rotation basis, with the elders eating first. When we were done, the next set of 4 sat at the table, used the same plates (with leftover food, if any) and kept eating. Then the next set of 4, and finally the last. The youngest. And some items were finished. They just got what was left. Broke my heart to witness this.

Any government that treats it's people like this doesn't deserve respect.

The attached pic is from round 2 of dinner.

[nidieunimaitre]

I heard that a hotel / residential booking was compulsory to be allowed into the country? And that living with the locals was not allowed?

Is that just anti communist propaganda?

[geriatrickid]

He said Washington owes Cuba indemnifications "that rise to numerous millions of dollars" for damage caused by the embargo.

Which the US should pay.

As soon as Cuba pays back the $6 billion or so in real estate and businesses owned by Americans that Castro confiscated and or nationalized back in the late 50's.

Fidel has a big pair.

That confiscation was legitimate. In the USA the government regularly confiscates the proceeds of crime, and Cuba was one big corrupt puppet of US organized crime aka the Mob, aka the Mafia. Much of the property seized by the Cuban government was taken from entities which had exploited Cubans and acquired the property in a questionable manner. I see no reason why the Cuban government should compensate pimps, racketeers, mobsters, loan sharks, drug and booze smugglers etc. Oh sure, you will raise the issue that what about the factories. Ok. Cuba should give back these factories, once the former owners have paid for the industrial pollution they made. Americans don't want to accept the fact that the Americans who "owned" Cuban assets were for the most part crooks. Americans didn't object when the mobsters were running Cuba did they?

The embargo was unnecessary and has been petty vindictiveness for the last 20 years. In any case, the Europeans and Canada were delighted by the business opportunities created by the idiotic US foreign policy.

[craigt3365]

I heard that a hotel / residential booking was compulsory to be allowed into the country? And that living with the locals was not allowed?

Is that just anti communist propaganda?

I've not heard that. In 1997, Cuba started allowing private homes to rent out rooms. They are called casa particulars. I only stayed in these. Never in a hotel. Quite a few places I stayed in were skirting the law and I had to be careful entering and exiting. I wanted my money to flow to the locals, not the government.

Varadero use to be an area where locals were not allowed. I think that changed in 2008 or so. But it's mainly all inclusive resorts. So just showing up without a reservation can be a bit difficult. Maybe this is what you've heard/read?

Living with the locals can be very problematic. Not anti communist at all. It's reality. The locals are treated quite poorly by the government. As I indicated in my previous post. Even just walking around with them can get them into trouble. Isn't communism lovely?

[craigt3365]

He said Washington owes Cuba indemnifications "that rise to numerous millions of dollars" for damage caused by the embargo.

Which the US should pay.

As soon as Cuba pays back the $6 billion or so in real estate and businesses owned by Americans that Castro confiscated and or nationalized back in the late 50's.

Fidel has a big pair.

That confiscation was legitimate. In the USA the government regularly confiscates the proceeds of crime, and Cuba was one big corrupt puppet of US organized crime aka the Mob, aka the Mafia. Much of the property seized by the Cuban government was taken from entities which had exploited Cubans and acquired the property in a questionable manner. I see no reason why the Cuban government should compensate pimps, racketeers, mobsters, loan sharks, drug and booze smugglers etc. Oh sure, you will raise the issue that what about the factories. Ok. Cuba should give back these factories, once the former owners have paid for the industrial pollution they made. Americans don't want to accept the fact that the Americans who "owned" Cuban assets were for the most part crooks. Americans didn't object when the mobsters were running Cuba did they?

The embargo was unnecessary and has been petty vindictiveness for the last 20 years. In any case, the Europeans and Canada were delighted by the business opportunities created by the idiotic US foreign policy.

I think there are thousands of Cubans who lost everything who might argue with you about this. Not all were crooks and involved with the mafia.

[spidermike007]

Very amusing words from one of the great despot dictators of our time. What about the money he owes his people? When doctors are making $39 a month, the system is quite obviously broken. When surgeons have second jobs as tour guides, so they can feed their families the "Cuban dream" is obviously not working. And what about the billions of dollars he stole from his people? And what about the tens of billions his brother made from the trans shipment of drugs from Colombia? What about all of the lives he has diminished by his very presence? All of the political prisoners? All of the opposition figures they killed along the way? What about all of the people that his compatriot Che Guevara murdered? They are all serial killers.

This guy is a baboon. He completely destroyed the entire agricultural system in his country. The pharmacies and hospitals up until recently did not even have bandaids and aspirin, I used to bring those to Cuba, along with vitamins and other items they simply could not get there. I used to bring duffel bags full of bras and panties. The women there could not spend a months salary on a bra. They were wearing 10 year old tattered bras and panties. It was pathetic. They were very grateful!

The place was so broken down and dysfunctional. Great people. Horrific government, to this very day. The people absolutely despised their government. I heard this from countless people who would open up once I got to know them. I saw men arrested, for having a three minute conversation with me on the street. If a Cuban woman was seen with me in a car, she was hauled off to jail for two or three days. It was presumed it was about prostitution, drugs, or the completely forbidden use of dollars, as the government hated losing the tiniest bit of control. Raul Castro, and his older brother are absolute pigs. Despots. Freaks. For him to lecture the US is an amusing thing indeed. Why is this ideologue still alive? Why do the black hearts always live forever?

I have many friends who left behind mansions, and art collections worth tens of millions of dollars today. Are they going to be able to get them back from the people who seized them? Or from Museo Bellas Artes, which is an amazing museum full of stolen art? Who is the culprit here? Who is the true villain? The country that boycotted Cuba, giving the leaders the perfect excuse for a broken economy (which was caused by a failed communist system, and not the boycott), or the simpletons who lead their people down a ridiculous path of false socialism?

Do you realize that your post is about as effective as the North Korean propaganda?

Or perhaps you are an undercover commie agent, posting this nonsense to undermine the more serious criticism of Castro?

My favorite quotes are:

They were wearing 10 year old tattered bras and panties. It was pathetic. They were very grateful!

I saw men arrested, for having a three minute conversation with me on the street

If a Cuban woman was seen with me in a car, she was hauled off to jail for two or three days.

Raul Castro, and his older brother are absolute pigs. Despots. Freaks

the simpletons who lead their people down a ridiculous path of false socialism?

All true. All experiences first hand on many occasions.

[Nobb]

Is it about the money the owes you or the money Russia owes you for letting the missiles on your island. You thought you were hot but after the U.S. shut you down the Russians did not need you any more. You were there puppet and gave you nothing in return. How much does Russia owe you for being so stupid. All you are is a big man in a little country!