There’s Fidel, on his feet, in one piece!
WITH emotion and joy, the Cuban people saw footage of the encounter between Bolivarian leader Hugo Chávez and President Fidel Castro on Monday January 29, broadcast on Tuesday the 30th on Cuban television’s “Informative Roundtable” program.
During their dialogue, during which both presidents embraced and chatted standing up, Chávez joked with Fidel, praising the progress of his recovery: “I am gauging the decibels of your voice. I think you’re speaking more loudly now than you were 48 years ago when you went to Caracas,” the Venezuelan statesman commented.
“This embrace and this sentiment are from millions; we miss you, we love you, we need you,” Chávez told Fidel, adding that many other people were sending their greetings through him, including Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.
The film footage showed Fidel reading news reports referring to the negative influence of climate change on human health.
Fidel then noted that Chávez was among the first to speak critically about those phenomena and their disastrous consequences for the human race.
After their encounter, the Venezuelan leader expressed his happiness at Fidel’s progress, and said he found him with the same lucidity and energy as always during the long, two-hour conversation between them.
“He was in a good mood, with a good expression, good spirits, and clarity — as always — in his ideas and analysis,” Chávez stated.
Chávez said that the two “went over data about the progress of the ‘energy revolution,’ the oil issue, the threats from the empire against the world, and potential new conflicts, the ones that must be monitored.”
“And, as always, great generosity, great human quality,” he added, referring to Fidel.
“There’s Fidel, on his feet, in one piece! And I pray to God that he continues to recover,” Chávez exclaimed.
“I give to Cuba my heart and my greatest feelings of satisfaction and happiness, I would even say of jubilation, for finding Fidel the way I have found him, and I would like to extend that recognition to everyone: his family, comrades, doctors and nurses, because I know the big effort they are making,” the Bolivarian leader continued.
Chávez concluded: Fidel said a few days ago that we have not lost this battle; I would say more: we are winning it, and we will win it.”
President Chávez returned to his country, and was bid farewell at the José Martí International Airport by General of the Army Raúl Castro. The Cuban first vice president and minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces thanked him for his beautiful gesture of solidarity.”
Meneame
del.icio.us