Published Sunday, January 21, 2001, in the Miami Herald

Here's an area in which both the outgoing and incoming presidential administrations share common ground: Both assess dictator Fidel Castro as a dinosaur, one who has long overstayed his power.

This week, outgoing Secretary of State Madeleine Albright expressed regret that her tenure in office would end before that of Castro's in Cuba. In light of the regime, she said "I wish them the actuarial tables in Cuba.'' It was inspired black humor.

At age 74, Castro has surpassed the average life expectancy for men on the island, which is about 68 years.

In the words of incoming Secretary of State Colin Powell, the dictator is like "an aging starlet who will not change in his lifetime, and we will have to keep containing him. . . .

"This is one of the last surviving dictatorships in the world,'' Powell said at confirmation hearings. He added that Castro's "day has passed, they're living in a time warp.''

He also suggested that the trade embargo of Cuba would not be softened. "It is President-elect Bush's intention to keep the sanctions in place.''

Copyright 2001 Miami Herald

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