On 90th Birthday, Fidel Loses None of His Political Fire

In typical revolutionary fashion, Fidel Castro, who turned 90 on Saturday, thanked everybody for their birthday messages in a letter published by Cuba's state-run Granma—and used the opportunity to criticize U.S. President Barack Obama and warn against the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons.

INDEPTH:
Fidel at 90

In the letter, Fidel reflected on his childhood which he spent in Biran, eastern Cuba, close to Santiago de Cuba, recalling the time he was about "eight or nine" when his father jointly rented a piece of land with Spanish cultivators in Pinares de Mayari.

The place he grew up, added the former Cuban leader, was rich in precious minerals and resources which were "extracted daily" by "owners of a continent on the ground of rights conceded by a papal bull." 

Fidel's father died a few years before the 1959 Cuban Revolution triumphed and “suffered a lot” before then, said Fidel, alluding to the absence of himself and his brother, Raul.

At the time the Castro brothers were involved in revolutionary activities and Fidel had already “appointed who would replace (him) in case the enemy was successful in eliminating (him.)” “

"I was almost laughing at the Machiavellian plans of U.S. Presidents,” he added.

The 90-year-old leader also recalled how the revolutionary "Movement" formally started to mobilize a year after dictator Fulgencio Batista took power in a 1952 coup d'etat. This was around the time students and youth organizations were celebrating the century anniversary of Jose Marti's assassination.

“I was then convinced that no organization was ready for the struggle we were preparing,” he said, saying a “total confusion” was manifest in the nation's political elite.

ANALYSIS:
What Fidel Can Teach Us in the Age of the War on Terror

After remembering his childhood and younger revolutionary life—a task he promised he'd continue “if I had time”— Fidel warned the future of humanity was “facing its major risk,” as the planet was more and more populated everyday.

He concluded the letter by criticizing President Barack Obama for not apologizing about Hiroshima and Nagasaki during his recent visit in Japan, and warned that China and Russia should not be threatened with nuclear weapons. “They are very valuable peoples,” he emphasized.

The most important thing on the planet, he repeated, is to preserve peace.