Yahoo! July 9, 2001.
Castro: Havana to Host Rebellion Day
By Tony Smith, Associated Press Writer
HAVANA, 7 (AP) - In apparently good physical health, Fidel Castro (news -
web sites) addressed a cheering rally of 20,000 outside Havana on Saturday and
announced that this year's National Rebellion Day would be held in the Cuban
capital.
The Cuban president made an unscheduled appearance at the rally in Bejucal,
a town seven miles south of the capital, accompanied by his brother and heir
apparent, Raul Castro.
The brothers, flanked by top-ranking ministers and Communist party
activists, stood at the front of the crowd waving Cuban flags as speakers and
musicians sang and chanted revolutionary messages.
The crowd cheered wildly when, toward the end of the rally, Castro climbed
the stairs to the stage unaided and made an unusually brief, eight-minute
speech.
He announced that Havana would hold this year's National Rebellion Day
rally, one of the most important holidays on this Communist-ruled island.
It marks the first day of armed insurrection in 1953 by the Castro brothers
against the then-dictatorship of Fulgencia Batista. Each year it is celebrated
in a different part of Cuba.
Castro's appearance Saturday came amid mounting rumors the 74-year-old
leader's health could be deteriorating.
Two Saturdays ago, Castro swooned in front of the microphones as he
addressed a rally under the blazing tropical sun outside Havana.
He reappeared later that day and has shown himself at several public events
since. The government has referred to the fainting incident as "momentary
fatigue.''
Castro looked in good physical shape Saturday. He stood and chanted for more
than an hour with the rest of the crowd, flanked by Raul - who turned 70 last
month - Vice President Carlos Lage and Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque. He
climbed and descended the stairs to the podium accompanied by his staff but
without assistance.
Castro's speech, although brief, left the crowd in no doubt that he believed
his Communist regime would continue after his death.
"There will be more and more Socialism in Cuba,'' Castro said. "The
Cuban revolution is not the work of one man alone, it is the work of past and
present generations - the fruit of the heroism of an indomitable people.''
"Millions of Cubans will know how to defend (the revolution) to the
last drop of their blood,'' he said.
Janet Reno Takes to Fla. Airwaves
By Ken Thomas, Associated Press Writer
MIAMI, 7 (AP) - In South Florida, ground zero for people who believe Elian
Gonzalez should not have been returned to Cuba, Janet Reno doesn't shy away from
defending her decision.
The former attorney general who authorized the boy's seizure has been
hitting the radio talk shows, saying she wants to openly discuss the issue and
help her hometown move on.
The media tour lets her "work through the issues in a thoughtful way,''
she said. But it also has another purpose: It gives her a sounding board as she
considers a run for Florida governor.
"I want to make sure that I look at the issue and see: Can I be more
effective on the inside or the outside?'' she said.
On Thursday, Reno spoke over a light pulsating rumba on WMGE, a "Jammin'
80s and 70s'' station.
"I have considered every day what I did,'' Reno said. "And no
matter what you think of what I did, you've got to understand that it was for
one reason. To be vilified for returning a little boy to his father is not a
pleasant circumstance.''
Disc jockey Gino Latino, who thought Reno was wrong to allow Elian's father
to take him back to Cuba, offered her a parting gift: a container of milk.
"You see, from 7 years of age in Cuba, children can't drink milk,'' he
said on the air. "When you drink it today maybe you'll think of Elian and
you'll consider what you've done.''
Milk is hard to come by in Cuba and has been rationed for young children.
Reno said she had to reject the offer because it wasn't skim milk.
"She gets to hear the good, the bad and the ugly,'' said Florida
Democratic chairman Bob Poe, a former radio producer.
Reno, a former Miami prosecutor, has spoken on Coral Gables' WQBA, a
Cuban-American talk station. She gave interviews on three stations Thursday and
appeared on cable TV's MSNBC.
South Florida could be an important constituency in the race, and Elian's
case is ingrained in its consciousness.
The boy, then 5, survived a November 1999 ship sinking in which his mother
was killed as she attempted to reach the United States. Relatives in Miami
fought a seven-month custody battle to keep him, but courts sided with his
father. Reno authorized federal agents to seize Elian from the relatives' home,
and his father is now raising him in Cuba.
Reno is repeatedly asked about her decision, and her speaking engagements
frequently draw protests.
"Elian is imprisoned in Cuba ... how can you say you have no regrets?''
one caller asked Thursday.
Reno's friends say she is not hiding from criticism. She has no aides to
schedule her appointments and typically drives to speeches in her red pickup
truck.
Reno tells her audiences that whether she runs for governor or not she wants
more money for early childhood development, smaller class sizes and better-paid
teachers, retraining for workers and respite care for the elderly.
"She wants folks to know that she's not writing off any voters or
anyone with concerns with Florida,'' said Hugh Westbrook, CEO of a Miami-based
health care corporation and a longtime supporter. "She isn't afraid to meet
with any group or any constituency.''
Republican Gov. Jeb Bush filed this week to seek a second term, and several
Democrats have expressed interest in the race.
State Sen. Daryl Jones of Miami and Tampa lawyer Bill McBride have both
opened campaign accounts. Retiring Ambassador to Vietnam Douglas "Pete''
Peterson, U.S. Rep. Jim Davis (news - bio - voting record) of Tampa, and House
Minority Leader Lois Frankel of West Palm Beach are considering runs. Reno
hasn't publicly set a deadline for deciding if she'll run.
Some Democrats privately worry that Reno's past and changes to the election
calendar could foil their plans of defeating Bush. The Legislature eliminated a
primary runoff, meaning a Democratic candidate would only need a plurality to
win the nomination.
In a crowded field, analysts say Reno's name recognition could help her win
the primary but her politics and past throw into question her ability to attract
toss-up voters.
"Eliminating the runoff primary really hurts the Democrats in this
particular election,'' said Florida State University political scientist Lance
DeHaven-Smith, "because they'll likely nominate someone who is too liberal
for the state.'' | 
