Word: castros
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...even as Washington's policy remains static, Cuban reality may be on the cusp of significant changes. Fidel Castro, who turned 75 last summer, may have outlasted nine U.S. presidents and everything from exploding cigars to botched invasions, but he cannot outwit time. Nor can the socialist economy he built largely on Soviet handouts resist the unsentimental forces of globalization that rule the post-Cold War world...
...Castro has raised the question of his own succession in public for more than a year now, and his invitation to Carter may be a sign that he's preparing the ground for a rapprochement between his successors and the old enemy. Castro's own idea of his succession involves handing over the commander-in-chief job to his brother Raul, who currently heads up the military. But Fidel is not expecting the charisma-challenged Raul to be the same sort of personality-cult leader as himself, and has already transferred much of the day-to-day running of government...
...Cuban economy has struggled since the collapse of its Soviet patron, and the recent coup attempt on Castro's Venezuelan ally President Hugo Chavez - in which Havana's lifeline to cheap oil was briefly cut - was a reminder of Cuba's continued vulnerability. The growing presence of European, Canadian and Latin American investors and the government's see-sawing policy toward small Cuban entrepreneurs signals the inevitability of capitalist reforms...
...West has been trying to understand Saddam's psyche for years. A few intimate details have long been observed. Saddam never sleeps in his grand palaces but moves each night to a secret house or tent. He smokes Cohiba cigars supplied by Fidel Castro. He dyes his graying hair black. He walks with a slight limp, allegedly from back trouble, but he looks remarkably fit when seen, usually sitting or standing, on TV. Invariably he now appears wearing immaculately tailored suits in place of the green army fatigues he once favored. Iraqis say he has not worn his uniform publicly...
...look forward to this opportunity to meet with Cuban people from all walks of life and to talk with President Castro," Carter declared before his departure. "More than a century after Cuba's independence, our two countries have not yet developed a constructive relationship, and although official interest sections were established while I was president, for the last 41 years our two nations have not had normal diplomatic relations. I do not expect this trip to change the Cuban government or its policies. However, it is an opportunity to explore issues of mutual interest between our citizens and to share...