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Candles burning at both ends, Castro to mark
77th birthday amid crises
HAVANA, 12 (AFP) - The world's longest-serving
head of government, Cuban President Fidel Castro,
is to turn 77, still holding out against capitalism
as he faces a deepening economic crisis and international
isolation.
"We are a socialist country, and we will
continue to be socialist," he said in a recent
speech.
"Despite enormous obstacles, we are building
a new and more humane society with more experience,
enthusiasm, strength and dreams than ever,"
added Castro, who has led the only one-party communist
country in the Americas for more than half his
life.
Born August 13, 1926 in Biran, the son of an
immigrant landowner from Spain and a housekeeper,
Castro has become the sole leader in the western
world convinced that communism is the only way
"to achieve a society one thousand times
more just and more humane than the rotten system"
of his traditional enemy, the United States, and
his new source of headaches, the European Union.
Birthday time will not be a time for flashy public
celebrations, however; Castro has never cared
for such public events for himself. Indeed, Cuba
is utterly devoid of statues, signs, billboards
and photographs of the leader who has been at
Cuba's helm since January 1959.
But while Castro insists there is no "cult
of personality," warmest wishes are pouring
in all over state-controlled media. The weekly
"Tribuna de la Habana" on Sunday glowed:
"We see in you the defender of the humble,
... a paragon of tenacity, a rebel and strategist,
a good father of immeasurable wisdom and optimism."
The newspaper of the workers union, "Trabajadores,"
did not mention the birthday but took the occasion
to praise Castro as "our secret weapon, holding
the soul of a nation, in one word: Fidel."
State press agency AIN wished Castro a long life
and hailed him as a "modern Don Quijote."
As in years gone by, Castro will most likely
make a public appearance opening a new school,
or handing out diplomas to newly minted physicians,
moving forward with the "profound and transcendental"
Revolution on which he and Cuba embarked more
than 40 years ago.
The daring and vigorous attorney-turned-rebel
who marched into Havana decades ago today still
sports his trademark olive drab military gear
for most political occasions. But the hair and
emblematic beard are now gray, the feet drag a
bit, and the pace of Castro's legendarily lengthy
speeches has slowed.
Rumors about his health, a taboo subject, swirl
regularly.
Rather than avoid the subject, Castro faces it
head-on. He insists the Revolution will live on
without him. And a few months back he stressed
that "my destiny was not to come into the
world to rest at the end of my life."
"You have to have passions and dreams,"
he said recently, but "life has inexorable
laws." He promised to stay on as president
"until nature itself decides, not a minute
less and not a second longer."
His frenetic work schedule still includes statistics-laden
addresses that go on for hours; meetings with
visiting heads of state, politicians and others
from the early hours of the morning to the wee
hours of the following day; and personal supervision
of the implementation of government programs in
education and heath care.
But this ideal society concept does not mesh
with a complicated and crumbling reality. After
40 years of communism, more than 11 million Cubans
do not have their basic needs met.
Housing shortages hit crisis levels years ago.
Insufficient subsidized food supplies, combined
with low salaries that make purchasing nonsubsidized
food prohibitive for most, are dawn-to-dusk frustrations
for millions.
Limits on personal freedoms also take their toll,
and these are just the beginning of problems facing
Cuba's revolution.
The economy is limping, as a tough US economic
embargo, combined with a rigid communist bureaucracy
here, less tourism and sliding international prices
for top export sectors sugar and nickel, have
slammed the brakes on growth.
Castro's regime "tends to substitute reality
with its own vision ... in a sort of political
schizophrenia, an ideological unconciousness that
makes it lose all sense of reality," said
prominent dissident Elizardo Sanchez.
That "is an enormous obstacle" to potential
reforms," he told AFP.
The Cuban president drew fire from nearly all
corners abroad when in April a tough crackdown
against dissidents rounded up 75 of his political
opponents and sentenced them to up to 28 years
in prison. Then, three people who tried to hijack
a commuter ferry to get to the United States faced
swift summary trials and execution.
U.S., Cuba Compete for Pan Am Dominance
By Kevin Gray, Associated Press Writer
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, 12 - The race
for the most gold medals at the Pan American Games
usually is between the United States and Cuba.
This year is no different.
"It's again a struggle between the two countries,"
said Rodrigo Alvarez Cambra, a Cuban delegation
member. "May the best team win."
Through 10 days of competition, the countries
were running 1-2 in the hunt for gold in the latest
chapter of a rivalry that plays out on baseball
diamonds, gymnastics mats and boxing rings every
four years at the regional championships.
Heading into Tuesday's events, the United States
had 69 golds to Cuba's 53. The United States also
held the top spot in overall medals with 167,
compared to 110 for Cuba. Brazil was third with
75 medals, including 19 golds.
Some Cuban athletes couldn't hide their excitement
over their early gold rush. But they downplayed
talk of a rivalry with the Americans, and instead
focused on what one player called "team goals."
"All week we've said our goal is to get
more medals than we ever have," said Cuban
Yurisleidis Luepetey, who grabbed one in the women's
judo competition Sunday. "Just keep them
coming ... that's all I say."
American officials said they had taken note of
Cuba's success. The Cubans swept gold in Greco-Roman
wrestling, had strong performances in gymnastics
and beat the U.S. women's basketball team for
the fifth time in a row to take the championship.
The two countries also face off in Tuesday's
baseball final, with Cuba hoping for a ninth straight
gold medal at the games.
"The sports on the early part of program
are the ones they generally do well in,"
U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Darryl Seibel
said. "Cuba always sends competitive teams
to the Pan American Games, and they've done that
again here."
The Cubans got off to a rolling start last week,
winning all seven finals in Greco-Roman wrestling,
including a key victory by Mijian Lopez over American
Rulon Gardner, the 2000 Olympic champion.
In gymnastics, Eric Lopez took four individual
golds - in pommel horse, rings, vault and parallel
bars - to take his overall tally to six golds.
Cuba also won all four in judo.
The United States, meanwhile, has had inspired
showings in track and field and shooting. The
Americans took first in the men's and women's
400-meter relays, and the women's 1,600 relay.
The United States also swept the 100 for the first
time since the 1987 Pan Ams.
However, the next few days of competition will
offer the United States an opportunity to widen
its lead. Swimming events offer 30 medals in a
sport typically dominated by the Americans. U.S.
swimmers took three of the five golds up for grabs
Monday.
"They have a big advantage there,"
Alvarez Cambra said. "That's probably one
of our weak points. We'll just be hoping to hold
on to our second place in the golds."
Indeed, that is how the two countries have finished
in the previous two games. In Winnipeg four years
ago, the United States took 106 golds to Cuba's
69.
Cuba has only beaten the United States once in
total golds in recent competition. In 1991, when
the games were held in Havana, Cuba carried away
140 gold medals, 10 more than the Americans.
Still, officials from both countries said they
have reason to cheer.
"I think we've fared very well so far,"
Seibel said.
"Our success makes Cubans happy," Alvarez
Cambra said. "They're watching most of the
games live back in Cuba, where I'm sure everyone
is celebrating."
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