Miami Marlins manager Ozzie
Guillen said something that is part of many, if not most Latin Americans’
opinions about Fidel Castro: a sort of admiration for surviving
everything that has been thrown at him for the past 50 years. “I respect Fidel Castro,” he said. “You know why? Many people have tried to kill Fidel Castro in
the last 60 years, yet that [guy] is still there.”
Today Guillen was suspended five games
by the Marlins. He gave a press conference in Miami where he apologized and
said that he doesn’t admire Fidel Castro. Asked about Hugo Chavez, he said he doesn’t
admire him either. He pledged to mend fences with the Cuban American community.
His original remarks in TIME
magazine drew protests
and threats of boycott from Vigilia Mambisa.
Herald coverage here.
Yet another example of the unbelievable degree of self-imposed censorship that still dominates Miami. And anyone who brings up the Hilter reference in Israel canard loses the argument immediately. There is no equivalency. What did Ozzie say? He commented only on how Fidel has survived so many assassination attempts, nothing more. He didn't comment on the system or its value. Obviously what he said struck a nerve, unmentioned, that these assassination attempts came from the same community that was so outraged. One only hopes the rest of the nation yet again sees the ridiculous hypocrisy of the hard right in Miami that continues to have so much say in Cuban policy.
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