Fidel Castro resigns as head of Cuba’s Communist Party
http://www.thirdage.com/news/fidel-castro-resigns-as-head-of-cubas-communist-party_04-20-2011
Fidel Castro’s brother, Raul Castro, officially took Fidel’s place as leader of Cuba’s communist party Tuesday. Delegates first learned of Fidel’s resignation at Cuba’s four-day Communist Party congress held in Havana.
On-lookers reported seeing many of the delegates shed tears as an aide helped Fidel to his seat on the stage.
Raul has run the country since late 2006, when Fidel contracted a nearly-fatal stomach infection. Raul, appointed as first secretary of the party, chose 80-year-old veteran Jose Ramon Machado Ventura as his deputy and 78-year-old Ramiro Valdes as third-in-command.
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bye bye fidel..at least we will still get his weekly speeches about the world 
401
i have such mixed feelings about the man…
of course, i understand that if i were a cuban, i would most likely be in jail. that doesn’t change certain things though:
highest *average* standard of living among all latin american countries.
universal medical coverage. medical colleges which educated doctors around the world.
advanced organic agriculture.
stiff resistance over multiple decades to the USA and the corporations that own it. multiple fuck-yous to the cia.
the biggest misconception about fidel? that he’s a bolshevik. he isn’t and he never was. when he came to power, he naively believed that he could keep cuba “non-aligned” in the superpower contest. his rejection by the USA – a country he idolized both politically and culturally – led to the cuban alliance with the USSR.
thanks xxx..he is an enigma for sure