By Associated Press. Bostom.com
6/6/2001 03:14.
BOSTON (AP) Upon hearing that U.S. Rep. Joseph Moakley, D-Mass., was
seriously ill, Cuban leader Fidel Castro sent him a letter offering his best
wishes and remembering their meetings over the years.
When the late congressman's protege, Massachusetts Democrat U.S. Rep. James
McGovern, visits Cuba later this month, he will posthumously hand-deliver
Moakley's two-page reply.
''I remember with great pleasure the exchanges we had along these years, in
which we talked about a variety of topics in a respectful way,'' Castro wrote
the ailing congressman April 23. ''The consideration and esteem of those who
shared the privilege of knowing you will always be at your side.''
Moakley's office told The Boston Herald it will not disclose the contents of
the letter until it is delivered to Castro. It was described as a mix of
personal messages and policy.
McGovern, who was an aide to Moakley for 14 years, will be in Cuba June
22-23 to speak at a forum sponsored by the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy.
Moakley, 74, died on May 28 of leukemia.
He first met Castro in 1995 at the United Nations, where the two men traded
Boston Red Sox caps and souvenirs and Cuban cigars.
The two met again when Moakley visited Cuba in 1996 with a business
delegation. Moakley returned again in 1998 for the visit of Pope John Paul II,
and finally in 2000 with a group of Massachusetts educators.
While he was one of the most vocal advocates for an end to the U.S. ban on
trade with Cuba, saying it would help democratize the island nation, Moakley
remained a sharp critic of human rights abuses there.
Moakley also earned respect in Cuba for his role in the investigation of the
murder of six Jesuit priests in El Salvador.
Castro wrote Moakley announced in February that he was suffering from an
incurable form of leukemia and would not seek a 16th term in Congress.
It was upon hearing that news that Castro sent the most recent letter.
''I have recently had news, from your common friends, of your health
conditions and I decided the write you a few lines, aware that I run the risk of
(disturbing) your rest,'' Castro wrote.
In the letter, Castro praised Moakley's fighting spirit, strength, dignity
and the ''affection of the people you love.''
''I wish to express my gratitude for your efforts to lead the historical
conflict between our two countries, through constructive paths of
understanding'' Castro wrote.
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