Best friends forever- Fidel appears on TV along with Hugo Chavez

Yesterday Cuban television showed images of ex-dictator Fidel Castro for the first time in three months (see above image). The images revealed a frail Fidel talking with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez with one image showing a copy of last Saturday’s Clarin newspaper as proof of the date the video was taped. Over the past few days there have been numerous articles on Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. Here are some of them:

Fidel Castro

* Some anti-Castro Cubans exiled in South Florida yearn for a free and democratic Cuba, and are “not rejoicing over the health problems that forced the long-time Cuban president to temporarily cede power.”

* Meanwhile, Miami government officials denied rumors that they were planning an official celebration with t-shirts and music to celebrate Castro’s death.

* Either way it’s doubtful that they would have attended a “Mass for Fidel’s Health” which took place over the weekend in Bogota, Colombia.

* At least Fidel can take solace in that he was granted the highest civilian award of the African country of Guinea Bissau. I suppose that means a lot, right?

Hugo Chavez

* Ex-U.S. intelligence chief John Negroponte said that Chavez’ form of “radical populism” is “threatening to democracies around the region (of Latin America).” Expect a half-silly, half-insulting reply by Chavez at any moment now.

* Then again there are those like Calvin Tucker who view Chavez’ “social revolution” as “the way forward, not a step back into the past.”

* Still, it would be nice if the real Hugo Chavez could please stand up- will he protect the rights of the wealthy while the economy continues growing or has his “revolution” gone too far in centralizing power and controlling the opposition?

Links- Guardian UK, CNN, TV New Zealand, Voice of America, Monsters & Critics, Foreign Policy- Passport, Global Voices Online, Granma International, ABC News, Guardian UK- Comment is Free, Guardian UK, Bloomberg, VivirLatino, El Universal (Venezuela)

Image- CNN

Tags- Cuba, Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro