Castro seeks out Robert Redford

Swiss Info / Reuters ^ | January 26, 2004 | Reuters

[LibFreeUSA]

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban President Fidel Castro, who has charmed some of Hollywood's biggest names, has paid a call on actor Robert Redford at his Havana hotel and discussed his latest film, on revolutionary icon Che Guevara.

Redford was in Cuba over the weekend wearing his producer's hat for a private screening of "The Motorcycle Diaries" for the widow and children of the legendary Argentine guerrilla fighter, who was Castro's comrade-in-arms.

"He came to me. ... He seemed in good health, good humour, good spirit," Redford said of the 77-year-old Cuban leader after their brief encounter at the Hotel Nacional on Monday.

Redford last saw Castro in 1988. The actor was said to have gone scuba-diving with the Cuban leader and was questioned by U.S. officials on his return to the United States.

In the 1990 film "Havana" Redford played a high-rolling American gambler during the final days of the Batista dictatorship, when Cuba was a mobster playground.

[DeFault User]

There was a recent biography on Che on the Discovery or History Channel. He was an MD from Argentina who became a Marxist revolutionary and joined up with Castro, fighting in the mountains. When the Revolution succeeded, he was a true believer who led Cubans out to the fields to cut sugar cane. He personally executed some of the regimes' enemies, but he found Cuba too tame and went to Africa to pursue revolutions there. Disillusioned with Africa he returned to South America and died in a guerrilla movement.

[Main Street]

...........................

[martin_fierro]

So, was that movie any good?

No. (That's "No" in English)

[LittleJoe]

Che has been dead for about 35 years. He had 4 or 5 children by two different women. The oldest might be about 45

Che is the brother of Fidel. Che's oldest daughter despised him and spoke out against him and Fidel along with Fidel's daughter who lives in America and despises Fidel. They don't get much coverage in our media.

[DeFault User]

I think you have Che confused with Raul.

[Main Street]

ErnBatavia; jtminton; cubreporter

That's because the "look" of Hollywood "stars" are just an illusion. Once you wash off all that thick make-up, special effects, and trick lighting, the only thing that's real, is their Commie politics.

[DeFault User]

See below:

http://www.brainyencyclopedia.com/encyclopedia/r/ra/raul_castro.html

[Main Street]

That's because the "look" of Hollywood "stars" are just an illusion. Once you wash off all that thick make-up, special effects, and trick lighting, the only thing that's real, is their Commie politics.

[BluSky]

The poster-man for liberalism:

Hopelessness, despair, bleak outlook, defeated, to name a few . . .

[LittleJoe]

You're right. Senility must be sneaking up on me!

[george wythe]

During the guerrilla war against the Bolivian goverment, the international communist vermin was fighting each other.

This Russian website has a nice chronology of Che's life in Bolivia. Note how many 'deserters' are blamed for disclosing secrets to the Bolivian Army. Similarly, Monje, Castro's man in Bolivia, did not hide his dislike of Che.

Guess who was the one to receive with open arms the remains of the communist guerrillas after the Bolivian government decimated them?

Yeah, Salvador Allende, the President of Chile deposed in the 1973 coup d'etat.

July-September 1966 Military training in Cuba of the group of volunteers chosen to accompany him supervised by Che himself. Preparations and first contacts in La Paz. Several meetings between Pombo and Mario Monje , Secretary General of the Bolivian Communist Party. Several of the Peruvian ELN leaders were taking part in the work in La Paz. [Note that Castro's hands are behind this 'spontaneous' guerrilla movement]

Late September 1966 Stormy interview between Pombo and Mario Monje, the latter definitely alarmed by Debray's trip, and by the preparations being made. Strained relations with the Bolivian C P.

Early December 1966 Visit of Mario Monje to Cuba.

31 December 1966 Interview between Che (Ramon) and Monje in the camp at Nancahuazu. Monje wanted to take over the politico-military leadership of the war, and Che refused. The result was a breach.

8-10 January 1967 A plenum of the Party's Central Committee, meeting in La Paz, ratified Monje 's positions.

4 April 1967 The army, guided by the two deserters, found and occupied the central camp. There they discovered an insufficiently buried diary kept by Braulio (Lieutenant Israel Reyes) on the march. Che consequently changed his pseudonym from Ramon to Femando.

4 August 1967 The two deserters, arrested soon afterwards, led the army to the 'strategic caves' concealed in the area around the central camp. The evidence found there (photos, notebooks, passports, files, etc.) made it possible for the authorities to disband the urban network (Loyola Guzman was arrested), and prepare a case for the ' Camiri trial ' which had up to then hung fire.

Sunday, 8 October 1967 In the Yuro ravine, now far from the Rio Grande, the column was located and encircled. Four guerrillas died in the fighting: Antonio (Captain Orlando Pantoja), Pacho (Captain Alberto Fernandez), Arturo (Lieutenant Rene Martmez Tamayo, Ricardo's brother) and Aniceto Reynaga (a Young Communist militant). Three were taken prisoner and murdered: Che Guevara, El Chino (Juan Pablo Chang, a Peruvian) and Willy (Simon Cuba, a Bolivian, formerly a miner in Potosi). The ten survivors were divided into two groups.

22 February 1968 Having crossed the Andes on foot, the guerrillas got to the Chilean border, 125 miles south of Arica. The Chilean socialist senator, Salvador Allende, made it his business to welcome them, and went with them as far as Tahiti

[dfwgator]

Castro got rid of his Trotsky.

And at the same time created his Horst Wessel.

[cubreporter]

Well that's true. Loved the way you put it. Thanks!

[cubreporter]

Well, I understand all that but I guess my question is why would RR be making a film to help his widow and his "children" who someone said the youngest I think would be 45 years old. How come RR doesn't help real children in our own country who are really children. Maybe he does but...it seems funny he would do this to benefit them. What's the deal here?

[cubreporter]

Wow, now I feel sick!!!

[DeFault User]

It likely has nothing to do with his family, rather that Che is the worldwide symbol of Marxist revolution and probably more recognized than Mickey Mouse.

[LittleJoe]

LMAO!
Redfords hero.

[Jorge]

Looks like they air-brushed out some of his wrinkles.

He does look really thin though.