Castro Calls Condoleezza 'Mad;' Cuba 'Haven for Universal Ethics'

Reacting with derision to news that Washington has new plans for 'political transition' in Cuba, Fidel Castro Called Condoleezza Rice a 'madwoman' and President Bush 'foolish,' 'absolutely crazy,' and 'disgraceful.' According to this article from Mexico's La Chronica De Hoy, the Cuban dictator dubbed the plan, 'laughable' and 'a joke.'

Translated By Carly Gatzert

December 24, 2005

Mexico - Original Article (Spanish)

In a mocking tone demonstrating irritation, Cuban President Fidel Castro dubbed U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a "madwoman" and referred to Bush Administration plans for a peaceful political transition on the Caribbean island [Cuba] as a "joke."

"Can there be anything more laughable than assigning this  madwoman [Rice] to talk of transition now?  … They are absolutely crazy.  They are disgraceful," said Castro during a session of the National Assembly.  On December 20, 2005, following a meeting of top Washington officials of the U.S. Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, Rice deemed it necessary to accelerate the transition in Cuba and announced that a plan to meet this objective would be presented to President Bush in May.

"They want to speed up the transition. One has to laugh when confronted with this Commission, this gang of shit-eaters who are undeserving of the world's respect," said Castro, scoffing in reference to the U.S. government's agenda.

INVINCIBLE

Castro guaranteed that his country has not "even slightly deferred [to the U.S.]" and that the revolution that has reigned in Cuba since 1959 is "stronger" and more "invincible" than ever, as he stressed the "impeccable conduct of the revolution." 

"These idiots who are now discussing transition believe in crime and the elimination of individuals [Castro], while we believe in the endurance of convictions," he added.  The Cuban President stated that, "attacking Cuba is like attacking the safe haven for universal ethics," and he assured that Cubans are "defeating the dishonesty." Castro rejected U.S. government plans to establish a political transition in Cuba and said that instead, it would be in the United States where this would occur. 

"As we are confronted with this [proposal,] we should consider the possibility of forming the Cuban Commission for Transition in the U.S., because the only transition that will occur in Cuba is one toward communism," emphasized the Cuban leader, who considers U.S. President Bush to be "absolutely crazy" and "disgraceful."

RESPONSE

For her part, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice declared yesterday in Washington at the final 2005 meeting of the U.S. Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, that "after 46 years of cruel dictatorship, now is the time for change in Cuba." Furthermore, she urged the commission to seek more ways "to help Cubans hasten the day when they will be free from the oppression" that they have been living with for four decades.

BASEBALL

The Cuban leader also made reference to the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and the agency's opposition to Cuban participation in the World Baseball Classic to take place in Puerto Rico next March. 

"Now, with a baseball, almost the entire world has announced that they will withdraw if [the U.S. attempts to] exclude Cuba from this league.  The U.S. has created another major problem for themselves in this case of political-athletics," Castro said. 

Without changing his tone, Fidel Castro said firmly that George W. Bush "is very foolish," and he accused the U.S. President of not knowing "who Cuban baseball players are" and of being unaware that the Cuban team is the Olympic and World Champion in baseball.

Castro, with ever-increasing vigor against the U.S. government, said that [Bush] doesn't know how to govern his country, that he doesn't read, that he goes to bed late and "walks like a zombie," and that his inability to handle the situation when America confronted Hurricane Katrina shows the fallacy of his presence in the office of President.

HAVANA: 'MILITARILY INDESTRUCTABLE'

Yesterday, the Latin American News Agency echoed Castro's declaration before the National Assembly of People's Power, that the White House is making a mistake if it intends to invade or destroy Cuba, because the country [Cuba] is militarily indestructible.

In reference to recent announcements by top Washington officials regarding their new measures against Cuba, Castro responded that, "They are quite mistaken … if they believe that they can invade Cuba. The aggressors will end up with a mass burial," he advised.

Castro questioned what the Bush Administration could possibly do, given the reality that 182 countries of the United Nations voted to end the U.S. blockade against Cuba, with only four countries yielding to U.S. influence.

GUANTANAMO

Broaching the subject of the Guantanamo prison, where U.S. soldiers have been accused of mistreating and torturing prisoners, and emphasizing the increase in nations interested in accepting Cuban medical assistance, Castro stated "Everyone can see that we don't mistreat anyone.  Rather, we take care of the needy."

Castro also rehashed his criticism of Washington for its ties to organizations and individuals that practice terrorism against Cuba. The criticism from Havana about these connections had the desired effect and forced Washington to act against these criminals, as in the arrest in Miami of prominent terrorist Santiago Alvarez Fernandez-Magrina.  Castro also pointed out that the Bush Administration has so far failed to account for how Alvarez' accomplice and fellow terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, who the Venezuelan government demands be turned over, entered U.S. territory.