Thousands of Argentines crowd Buenos Aires boulevard to hear Cuba's Fidel Castro speak

Associated Press | May 26, 2003 | KEVIN GRAY

[HAL9000]

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - To the cheers of thousands of screaming Argentines, Cuban leader Fidel Castro criticized U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and Latin America in a speech Monday.

Castro, who attended Sunday's inauguration of President Nestor Kirchner, was on his first trip to this economically troubled South American country since 1995.

Dressed in a dark blue suit and tie, Castro drew shouts of "Ole! Ole! Ole!" and "Fidel! Fidel!" as he spoke for more than two and a half hours outdoors on a crisp winter night.

Castro began by paying homage to Argentina-born revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, who served as one of his top advisers during the 1959 revolution.

"He was a wonderful human being, extremely intelligent and cultured, and who had an enormous sense of solidarity," he said.

Castro then compared his country's achievements in health care and education to levels attained by the United States in the same field. But his criticism of the U.S-led war in Iraq drew the loudest applause.

"We send our doctors, not bombs, to the farthest corners of the world to help save lives, not kill them," he said to a roar of cheers.

"The people of Buenos Aires are sending a message to those in the world who want to ride roughshod over our cities and our countries in Latin America," he added in a thinly veiled reference to the United States.

The speech was organized by a student group and originally planned to be held in an auditorium at the University of Buenos Aires Law School, but was moved outdoors after thousands swarmed the building to hear Castro speak.

Castro arrived in Buenos Aires on Saturday with more than a dozen Latin American leaders attending the inaugural ceremonies for Kirchner, a center-left former governor who took office as Argentina's sixth president in 18 months. Kirchner has promised a more protectionist stance to help lift the country out of five years of grinding recession.

Earlier Monday, the Cuban leader met with Kirchner for almost an hour. Argentine Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa later said Castro had asked the new president to strengthen the countries' ties by appointing a new ambassador to Cuba.

Former President Fernando De la Rua withdrew the Argentine ambassador in Havana in 2001 after Castro harshly criticized his government's decision to condemn Cuba in an annual vote at the U.N. Human Rights Commission.

This year, Argentina reversed its decision by choosing to abstain in the April vote.

[Filibuster_60]

The wonders of exporting free-market economics to countries that don't have the means to practice it.

One day we might find that huge swathes of Latin America have become havens for not only drug traffickers, but also Islamic terrorists and Chinese nuclear missiles.

[spyone]

A prior story stated the speech was cancelled. Is this a pre-written puff piece?

[Eyrie]

Dressed in a dark blue suit and tie, Castro drew shouts of "Ole! Ole! Ole!" and "Fidel! Fidel!" as he spoke for more than two and a half hours outdoors on a crisp winter night.

I hope they froze their asses off.

[dighton]

Another endless rant by that corpse Fidel. It goes on and on and on and ON.

[Filibuster_60]

I think it was cancelled because the authorities couldn't control the mass of hippies who wanted to hear him.

[RoseofTexas]

And in the latter days, they shall call EVIL good and GOOD evil....tick tock, tick tock, it's getting reallll close to midnight! Come Lord Jesus, Come!!

[liberalnot]

argentina's sixth president in 18 months.

how long will kirchner last?

chavez, castro, kirchner. all three economies in the tubes.

they oughta freeze dry castro and put'm on display at disney world in florida.

[jalisco555]

Argentina's slow suicide continues. I won't cry for them anymore.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[Reagan is King]

Wow, an overflow crowd at a 3,200 seat auditorium. /sarcasm>. Not exactly a big deal in a city of 12 million people. Isn't this event kind of getting overblown by AP?

[B-Chan]

At the risk of sounding un-christian:

Why is this human cockroach still alive?

[sackofcatfood]

Heck, wish I'd known about. I would love to go attend Castro's address. Afterall, wouldn't you want to see to his last speech, ever?

*evil grin*

[Kay Soze]

Argentina is the only country in South America thats doing worse than Cuba.

Argentina has to look up to see Cuba.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

*** Castro then compared his country's achievements in health care and education to levels attained by the United States in the same field. But his criticism of the U.S-led war in Iraq drew the loudest applause. "We send our doctors, not bombs, to the farthest corners of the world to help save lives, not kill them," he said to a roar of cheers.***

While Saddam and Castro imprison, torture and execute at home. Well, not Saddam anymore.