Castro the 'Lennonist' (Castro unveils John Lennon Statue in Havana)

BBC News ^ | Saturday, 9 December, 2000

[F14 Pilot]

The Cuban President, Fidel Castro, has paid homage to John Lennon at the unveiling of a statue of the late pop singer in Havana.

The ceremony in the Cuban capital's El Vedado Park coincided with the 20th anniversary of John Lennon's murder in New York.

President Castro praised Lennon as a revolutionary, whose thinking and ideas made him great.

In the 1960s, when Lennon's band The Beatles topped the charts throughout the world, the Cuban authorities denounced their music as decadent.

But an official statement said recently declassified US documents showed how Lennon had suffered for his opposition to the Vietnam War.

Mr Castro said he was sorry he never met the former Beatle.

Echoing the lines of Lennon's song Imagine, Mr Castro said: "I am a dreamer who has seen some of his dreams become reality."

The Cuban sculptor Jose Villa Soberon said his statue of Lennon was "not a formal work".

Peace and tranquillity

The statue is of a long-haired Lennon sitting casually on a park bench, dressed in jeans and wearing his trademark wire-rimmed round glasses.

"People, lovers can sit next to him, read a book," said Mr Soberon, quoted by the French news agency AFP.

It's a tranquil Lennon, without demons, sitting in the park as if he were visiting us."

Lennon never visited Cuba. But according to Francisco Lopez Sacha, head of Cuba's national writers' association, "the tenets of our Cuban revolution match the beliefs of John Lennon".

The former Beatle was shot dead by obsessed fan Mark Chapman on 8 December 1980 as he left his New York apartment.

[F14 Pilot]

[WinOne4TheGipper]

This is five years old.

[Borges]

Lennon was outspoken in his love of living in America and when he was in England apparently voted for the Conservative Party.

[Mikey_1962]

"If you carrying pictures of Chairman Mao,
you ain't goin' to make it with anyone anyhow"

Take that Commie scum!

[ncountylee]

The park would be better served if they planted some grass.

[headsonpikes]

"You say you want a Revolution,...

[RambozoDClown]

"Lennon never visited Cuba. But according to Francisco Lopez Sacha, head of Cuba's national writers' association, "the tenets of our Cuban revolution match the beliefs of John Lennon"."

yeah, I am sure John Lennon would have loved Cuba!/sarc on

[nuconvert]

Exactly

[Unam Sanctam]

Echoing the lines of Lennon's song Imagine, Mr Castro said: "I am a dreamer who has seen some of his dreams become reality."

Castro has certainly done his part to demonize and outlaw religion -- Lennon would be so proud!

[dead]

You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well, you know
We're doing what we can
But when you want money
for people with minds that hate
All I can tell is brother you have to wait
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right

You say you'll change the constitution
Well, you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution
Well, you know
You better free you mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right
all right, all right, all right
all right, all right, all right

[rod1]

Poor Fidel,

He had asked for a statue of Lenin!

[F14 Pilot]

I know!

[andy58-in-nh]

Imagine there's no Castro
It's easy if you try -
No Hellish prison
Beneath Havana's skies.
Imagine all the people
Loving life and free...

You may say I'm a dreamer,
But I'm one of many men
Who hope one day they'll join us,
And Libertad will reign again.

With no apologies to John Lennon.

-Andy

[stocksthatgoup]

This is great will match up great with all the 1950's & 1960's automobiles in Cuba.

[Stayingawayfromthedarkside]

Who wrote that song?

[Borges]

Lennnon!

[F14 Pilot]

lol

[Stayingawayfromthedarkside]

Thanks