How is it justified that the Cuban president has been the same one since the year 1959?
RA: Well, I have to say that we have not had the same president since 1959. Fidel Castro has been our president since 1976, when the National Assembly elected him. The justification can be found in his personal merits, which are many, his undisputable leadership capacity and his exceptional dedication to work, which have motivated the Assembly to re-elect him since that date. First, he had to be proposed as a deputy by the Municipal Assembly of Santiago de Cuba and succeed in being elected as such, through a free election with secret ballots. Then he had to be proposed as a presidential candidate and elected into the National Assembly in the same manner. There are different anti-Castro groups who argue that the US blockade against Cuba is a mistake, since it permits the Cuban government to use it as an excuse to prevent reforms. What is your opinion about that? RA: This is foolish thinking that reflects repugnant cynicism. The blockade, or more accurately, economic war, is an abominabl
