Fidel Castro didn't meet with
President Obama during his visit to the island last week, but the retired Cuban leader responded Monday with a long, testy letter that concluded: "We don't need the empire to give us anything."
Castro's missive, titled "
Brother Obama," rejected the idea that his country needs
U.S. assistance to stay afloat, arguing that
Cuba is perfectly capable of producing the food and economic prosperity needed by its 11 million citizens. Responding to Obama's suggestion that his visit should allow both countries to "leave
the past behind," Castro bristled, citing the failed
Bay of Pigs invasion and the five-decade-old economic embargo as realities that can never be forgotten.
"I suppose all of us were at risk of a heart attack upon hearing these words from the
President of the United States,"
Castro wrote in Cuba's state-controlled newspaper,
Granma. "
Nobody should be under the illusion that the people of this dignified and selfless country will renounce the glory, the rights or the spiritual wealth they have gained with the development of education, science and culture."
USA TODAY
First Take: Obama's Cuba experiment
Obama's historic trip to Cuba, the first by a
U.S. president in nearly 90 years, was designed to solidify the recently re-established political relationship between the
Cold War foes. During the trip,
Cuban President Raúl Castro met several times with Obama, conducted a joint press conference hailing the new relationship and seemed at ease and jovial with the U.S. president as they sat and watched a baseball game together.
USA TODAY
Cubans ruminate on past and future while listening to
Obama speech
Many have wondered how Fidel Castro has been reacting to the rapid changes that have taken place in Cuba since he stepped down due to an illness in 2008. His brother,
Raúl, has since changed many aspects of Cuba's communist system, allowing people to own, buy and sell their homes for the first time, allowing half-a-million state workers to become private entrepreneurs, and ultimately shocking everyone by beginning the process of normalizing relations with the U.S.
The revolutionary leader didn't mince words on the final
point, mockingly referring to Obama as "our illustrious guest" before dissecting and criticizing various aspects of his speech to the
Cuban people.
Castro quoted a section of Obama's address where he discussed the shared history of Cuba and the U.S. — both colonized by
Europeans who depended on slaves brought there from
Africa. Obama was trying to make the point that people in both countries are descended from slaves and slave-owners, but Castro focused on another population.
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President Obama's historic visit to Cuba
Fullscreen
President Obama and
First Lady Michelle Obama wave
President Obama and first lady
Michelle Obama board
Air Force One in
Havana on March 22, 2016.
Orlando Barria,
European Pressphoto Agency
Fullscreen
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama wave1 of 66 Cuban President
Raul Castro (2-L) bids farewell to President Obama, with members of the first family, The baseball field at
Estadio Latinoamericano is reflected President Obama talks with
Rachel Robinson, widow of President Obama shakes hands with
Tampa Bay Rays players President Obama, Cuban President Raul Castro and members Members of the
Cuban national baseball team observe
People cheer and wave Cuban flags during a
Major League President Obama waves to the crowd before he delivers Cuban prima ballerina assoluta and choreographer
Alicia President Obama walks onto stage before delivering
Young Cubans wait for the arrival of President Obama With his grandmother's portrait hanging nearby,
Angel Maria Castro shouts slogans celebrating the visit by People take photos as the motorcade of
President Barack A woman points out the U.S. presidential limousine First Lady Michelle Obama (L) accompanied by her daughters First Lady Michelle Obama gestures as she and her daughter First Lady Michelle Obama (L) speaks accompanied by President Obama meets with dissidents and other local President Obama and first lady
Michelle arrive for President Obama listens to questions along with journalist President Obama speaks at an event on entrepreneurship
- published: 29 Mar 2016
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