Fidel on Obama: Let's wait and see

A cryptic Fidel Castro addressed the Obama election in one of his newspaper commentaries. In the midst of a discussion of the financial crisis and the just-concluded Washington summit, he makes this digression:

Many seem to dream that after a simple change of leadership in the empire, this would be more tolerant and less hostile. Apparently, contempt for the incumbent ruler makes some entertain illusions about a probable change in the system.

The innermost ideas of the citizen who will take over the issue are yet unknown. It would be extremely naïve to believe that the good will of a smart person could change what is the result of centuries of selfishness and vested interests.

This, I think, is in keeping with Cuban foreign policy in recent years, which has kept an eye on the United States as always, but has concentrated its diplomatic work elsewhere. I also think it means that if the relationship is to change, the first move will be Washington’s, or it will be in private.

Fidel’s commentary is here in English and here in Spanish. The excerpt above is from Granma’s translation.