To commemorate the 65th anniversary of the death and destruction inflicted on Cuba by the socialist revolution, communist dictator Raul Castro came out of hiding to remind everyone he wasn’t going anywhere. The nonagenarian tyrant appeared at an official event celebrating the anniversary of the communist takeover of Cuba, which occurred on January 1st, 1959. His message — and threat — to those present and the Cuban people was a simple one: “Here we are, and here is where we’re staying.”
‘Here we are, and here is where we’re staying’: Raul Castro appears with a threat
Cuban dictator Raúl Castro, “retired” from the country’s political life, reappeared on January 1st at an official event commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Castro revolution, held in Santiago de Cuba.
“Here we are, and here is where we’re staying,” were some of the threatening statements made by the former leader during his speech.
“Unity is our main strategic weapon. (…) Let us take care of unity, more than the apple of our eyes. I am convinced that it will be so,” he said, in a context where more and more Cuban people are openly expressing their rejection of the regime, which has subjected them to a severe economic and social crisis, as well as repression that includes over 1,000 political prisoners.
In this regard, nearly 6,000 anti-government popular demonstrations were recorded in the recently concluded year.
The official press states that “at another point in his speech, Raúl Castro called on compatriots to join in the tasks of the country’s economic recovery”; an empty speech for Cubans suffering from the worst food and health crisis due to government mismanagement the country has experienced in years.
One of Castro’s recent public appearances was in November, at a meeting on the Baraguá 2023 military exercise. While in September, he welcomed ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel upon his return to Cuba after participating in the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.
In February of this year, at 91, Raúl Castro was nominated as a candidate for deputy of the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba (parliament).
In April 2021, during the 8th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, Raúl Castro announced he would cease his functions as First Secretary, not because anything compelled him to do so, but to set an example, he stated.
Nevertheless, he has continued to symbolically preside over sessions of the National Assembly of People’s Power. Even the official press prioritizes and gives more importance to his presence, above that of Miguel Díaz-Canel.
Of course. It’s all about the dictatorship, I mean the “revolution,” staying in power forever. He’s telling Cubans on the island to suck it up and deal with it, no matter how bad it gets–and it’s plenty bad already.
And yes, albeit “retired,” the “general” is still wearing his costume and faux bling. Well, it fits.