Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
96HAVANA5288
1996-08-16 13:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Interests Section Havana
Cable title:  

FIDEL CASTRO TURNS 70

Tags:  PGOV CU 
pdf how-to read a cable
R 161300Z AUG 96
FM USINT HAVANA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2177
INFO AMEMBASSY NASSAU 
JTLO MIAMI FL
AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 
AMEMBASSY MEXICO 
USCINCACOM NORFOLK VA
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
AMEMBASSY CARACAS 
CCGD SEVEN MIAMI FL
DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 
WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC
AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON 
HQ INS WASHDC
COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
DIRFBI WASHINGTON DC
AMEMBASSY PANAMA 
AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 
USMISSION GENEVA 
USEU BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 
ALL EUROPEAN UNION POST COLLECTIVE
USIA WASHDC 9341
DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HAVANA 005288 


DEPARTMENT FOR ARA/CCA AND AID/AA/LAC (PETER 0RR)
ROME FOR THE VATICAN

E.O. 12958: DECL:X6
TAGS: PGOV CU
SUBJECT: FIDEL CASTRO TURNS 70

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HAVANA 005288


DEPARTMENT FOR ARA/CCA AND AID/AA/LAC (PETER 0RR)
ROME FOR THE VATICAN

E.O. 12958: DECL:X6
TAGS: PGOV CU
SUBJECT: FIDEL CASTRO TURNS 70


1. CLASSIFIED BY MICHAEL G. KOZAK, PRINCIPAL OFFICER
REASON 1.5(D).


2. (C) SUMMARY: FIDEL CASTR0 CELEBRATED HIS SEVENTIETH
BIRTHDAY AUGUST 13 AMID CHILDREN AND T0P REGIME
OFFICIALS IN A PARK FACILITY OUTSIDE HAVANA. DESPITE
CASTROS DENIALS OF A CULT OF PERSONALITY, THE
GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED MEDIA BUILDUP T0 THE BIRTHDAY
LASTED FOR SEVERAL DAYS. AMID THE OFFICIALLY-FESTIVE
AIR, THE UNDERLYING MOOD HAS WISTFUL, L0OKING BACK T0
THE PAST, NOT TOWARD THE FUTURE. THE CELEBRATION
REFLECTS THE DEGREE TO WHICH REGIME SUPPORTERS BELIEVE
THAT THE FATE 0F FIDEL AND THE REVOLUTI0N ARE
INTERTWINED. END SUMMARY.


FIDEL CELEBRATES AMID CHILDREN
--------------


3. (U) THE MAIN PUBLIC CELEBRATION WAS HELD IN THE
NEWLY-RESTORED PALACE OF THE JOSE MARTI PIONEERS, THE
CUBAN GOVERNMENT MASS ORGANIZATI0N FOR CHILDREN UNDER
FIFTEEN. THE PALACE IS LOCATED IN A PARK OUTSIDE
HAVANA, WHICH MEANT MANY HAVANA RESIDENTS WERE UNABLE T0
ATTEND DUE TO LACK OF TRANSP0RTATION. HOWEVER, THE
CUBAN GOVERNMENT PROVIDED DOZENS 0F BUSES T0 TRANSP0RT
CHILDREN TO THE FACILITY (F0R TWENTY CENTAVOS) FR0M ALL
HAVANAS MUNICIPALITIES. P0L/EC0N 0FFICERS WH0 ATTENDED
THE CELEBRATION FOUND A CROWD 0F SEVERAL THOUSAND
CONSISTING PRIMARILY OF CHILDREN ACCOMPANIED BY A PARENT.


4. (U) WITH CAMERAS EVERYWHERE, FIDEL TOURED THE PALACE
FLANKED BY CHILDREN, LISTENING T0 ADULT INSTRUCTORS
EXPLAIN THE VARIOUS FACILITIES: A MUSEUM, GAME R00M,
COMPUTER ROOM, ELECTRICAL ASSEMBLY ROOM, EVEN A SMALL
BAKERY AND LOW-ALCOHOL BEER BREWERY. B0TH FIDEL AND A
YOUNG PIONEER PAID TRIBUTE T0 THE EFF0RT 0F
RECENTLY-DECEASED GENERAL SENEN CASAS REGUEIR0 IN THE
PALACES RESTORATION. FIDEL SPENT ABOUT TWENTY-FIVE
MINUTES IN AN OPEN-AIR C0URTYARD IN THE PALACE WHERE
YOUNG PIONEERS MADE A PRESENTATI0N AND SANG "HAPPY
BIRTHDAY," AFTER WHICH CASTR0 BRIEFLY ADDRESSED THEM.


5. (U) THE PIONEERS PRESENTED CASTRO A STAR-SHAPED
CAKE; HE MANAGED TO BL0W 0UT M0ST BUT N0T ALL THE
CANDLES WITH ONE BREATH. A NUMBER 0F OFFICIALS
ACCOMPANIED CASTRO, INCLUDING BROTHER HAUL (IN CIVILIAN
DRESS),VICE PRESIDENT CARL0S LACE, HAVANA CITY
HISTORIAN EUSEBI0 LEAL, FEDERATION 0F CUBAN WOMEN
PRESIDENT VILMA ESPIN, HAVANA CITY C0MMUNIST PARTY CHIEF
ESTEBAN LAZO, COMMUNIST Y0UTH UNI0N (UJC) FIRST
SECRETARY VICTORIA VELAZQUEZ AND MINISTER OF SCIENCE,

TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT ROSA ELENA SIMEON. FORMER
OLYMPIC BOXING GOLD MEDALIST TE0FILO STEVENSON CARRIED
HIS YOUNG DAUGHTER IN TO HEAR FIDEL SPEAK.


6. (U) AFTERWARD, FIDEL GAVE AN EXTENDED INTERVIEW TO
SEVERAL CUBAN FEMALE JOURNALISTS WHO L0BBED QUESTIONS
THAT FURNISHED CASTRO AN 0PP0RTUNITY T0 REFLECT 0N HIS
HUMBLE YOUTH, HIS DAILY R0UTINES AND THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF
THE CUBAN REVOLUTION. IN RESPONSE TO AN EXCLAMATION
THAT HE MUST BE DROWNING IN WORK, CASTRO REPLIED THAT
"NOW I DO NOT HAVE S0 MUCH WORK," REFERRING TO THE
WELL-PREPARED CADRES AND GREATER INSTITUTIONALIZATION
OF THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT.


7. (U) THE GOVERNMENT-CONTR0LLED MEDIA HAD BEGUN T0
FOCUS 0N THE EVENT SEVERAL DAYS BEFOREHAND. NEWSPAPERS
RAN ARTICLES ON EVERY IMAGINABLE ASPECT OF FIDEL'S
LIFE: HIS YOUTH, HIS B0YH00D H0ME, HIS UNIVERSITY DAYS,
THE SIERRA MAESTRA, THE REV0LUTI0NS EARLY DAYS. THE
FRONT PAGE OF THE AUGUST 13 EDITI0N 0F THE COMMUNIST
PARTY NEWSPAPER "GRANMA" CARRIED A P0EM IN HON0R 0F
FIDELS BIRTHDAY CALLED "TIME D0ES N0T DEVOUR REDEEMERS"
BY JESUS ORTA RUIZ, THE REGIME'S CURRENT POET LAUREATE.
THE AUGUST 13 EVENING NEWS SPENT OVER HALF THE BROADCAST
ON THE CELEBRATION. THE NEWS HAS F0LL0WED BY EXTENDED
EXCERPTS FROM FIDEL'S POST-BIRTHDAY PRESS CONFERENCE AND
A DOCUMENTARY ON FIDEL'S LIFE CALLED "ANGEL'S SON"
(REFERRING TO FIDEL'S FATHER'S FIRST NAME). THE NEXT
DAY, "GRANMA'S" FRONT PAGE FEATURED A LARGE PH0T0 OF
FIDEL BLOWING OUT THE CANDLES 0N HIS CAKE; INSIDE HAS
ANOTHER PHOTO SPREAD OF THE CELEBRATI0N.

CULT OF PERSONALITY? WHAT CULT OF PERSONALITY?
-------------- -


8. (U) DESPITE THE MEDIA ATTENTION, THE OFFICIAL LINE
FOCUSED ON A DISINGENOUSLY-MODEST FIDEL FROWNING ON
ANYTHING THAT SMACKED OF A CULT OF PERSONALITY, BUT
SIMPLY UNABLE TO RESTRAIN AN ADORING PUBLIC. IN A JULY
20 SPEECH TO THE PIONEERS, CASTRO MUSED ABOUT HIS
UPCOMING BIRTHDAY: "REALLY WE HAVE NEVER CELEBRATED
BIRTHDAYS, THEY HAVE ALWAYS PASSED DISCREETLY, NOT EVEN
MENTIONED IN THE NEWSPAPERS. ONLY RECENTLY SOME HAVE
TAKEN THE LIBERTY...OF REMEMBERING SOME OF OUR
BIRTHDAYS; BUT WE HAVE ALWAYS RESISTED EVERYTHING THAT
COULD BE AN OFFICIAL CELEBRATION; NOR WILL THERE BE ONE
THIS TIME." BUT THE CELEBRATION HAD ALREADY BEEN
SCHEDULED, RIGHT DOWN TO LOCATION AND TIME: THE JUNE 23
EDITION OF THE COMMUNIST YOUTH UNION (UJC) NEWSPAPER
"JUVENTUD REBELDE" ANNOUNCED A "TRIBUTE TO THE COMMANDER
IN CHIEF FOR HIS SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY" AT 10:00 AM IN THE
PIONEER PALACE.


9. (U) THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED MEDIA DUTIFULLY PLAYED
ITS ASSIGNED ROLE. THE AUGUST 11 EDITION OF "JUVENTUD
REBELDE" DECLARED ALMOST APOLOGETICALLY "TODAY WE WANT
TO TAKE LICENSE...WE KNOW THAT FIDEL WOULD PREFER
ANONYMITY, BUT IT WOULD NOT BE FAIR...TO DEPRIVE
OURSELVES OF THE JOY OF CELEBRATING HIS SEVENTIETH
BIRTHDAY." EVEN AS THE HOOPLA REACHED A MIND-NUMBING
CRESCENDO, FIDEL INSISTED TO A REPORTER ON AUGUST 12:
"MY BIRTHDAY HAS NO IMPORTANCE...SOMETIMES, THINGS ARE
BEYOND OUR CONTROL BECAUSE WE CANNOT PREVENT PEOPLE FROM
DOING CERTAIN THINGS. I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO DISCOURAGE
IT...THEY WENT AHEAD AND DID IT. NEWSPAPERS HAVE
PUBLISHED A FEW THINGS ON THEIR OWN." INTERVIEWED AFTER
THE PALACE CELEBRATION, FIDEL REMINDED REPORTERS HE
"FOUGHT" AGAINST A CULT OF PERSONALITY, GOING SO FAR AS
TO PROHIBIT OFFICIAL PORTRAITS OF ANY GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS.

A FOCUS ON FIDEL'S AGE, PHYSICAL SAFETY
--------------


10. (U) THERE WAS PALPABLE OFFICIAL NERVOUSNESS OVER
FIDELS AGE. ORTA RUIZS AUGUST 13 FRONT-PAGE PAEAN
PROCLAIMED CASTROS ENEMIES "WANT TIME TO CONDEMN YOU TO
DEATH...THEY COUNT YOUR HOURS, IT ENCOURAGES THEM TO SEE
YOUR WHITE BEARD...YOUR GRAY HAIR DELIGHTS THEM." IN AN
AUGUST 12 INTERVIEW, CASTRO ANSWERED A NUMBER OF
QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS HEALTH, INCLUDING HIS DIET, WEIGHT
AND EXERCISE. FIDEL ASSURED THE REPORTER HE WAS IN GOOD
HEALTH, ADDING "I DO NOT KNOW WHY PEOPLE PAY SO MUCH
ATTENTION TO OUR HEALTH. THIS REVOLUTION HAS BEEN MADE."


11. (U) IN ADDITION TO AGE, PART OF THE BIRTHDAY HYPE
FOCUSED ON CASTROS PHYSICAL SAFETY. THE AUGUST 11
EDITION OF "JUVENTUD REBELDE" CARRIED A FULL-PAGE
ARTICLE FEATURING INTERVIEWS WITH THREE 0F CASTR0S
PERSONAL MINISTRY OF INTERI0R B0DYGUARDS. FOLL0WING THE
AUGUST 13 EVENING NEWS, A BRIEF DOCUMENTARY ENTITLED
"BRAVE AND LOYAL" RECALLED FIDELS BODYGUARDS 0VER THE
YEARS.


12. (C) COMMENT: DESPITE THE OFFICIALLY-FESTIVE AIR,
THE UNDERLYING MOOD HAS WISTFUL, LOOKING BACK T0 PAST
EVENTS, NOT TO THE FUTURE. N0TWITHSTANDING OFFICIAL
DENIALS OF A CULT OF PERS0NALITY, THE C0NTINUING
OBSESSI0N WITH THE PERSON 0F FIDEL CASTR0 STRONGLY
SUGGESTS THE DEGREE TO WHICH REGIME SUPPORTERS BELIEVE
THAT THE FATE OF FIDEL AND THE REV0LUTI0N ARE
INEXTRICABLY INTERTWINED. THE CELEBRATI0N 0F HIS
SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY SURROUNDED BY CHILDREN MAY ALS0 HAVE
BEEN INTENDED TO SHOW HOW THE REV0LUTIONARY TORCH HAS
BEEN PASSED AND ACCEPTED BY Y0UNGER GENERATIONS. THE
1994 RAFTER CRISIS WOUNDED THE REVOLUTIONS IMAGE BY
SHOWING THE DISAFFECTION OF THE TWENTYSOMETHING
GENERATION, THE FIRST GENERATION BORN AND EDUCATED UNDER
THE REVOLUTION.


13. (C) FIDEL SEEMS -- IN HIS WALK, GESTURES, ETC. --
OLDER THAN HIS SEVENTY YEARS. YOUNGER BROTHER HAUL
EASILY OUTWITTED HIM IN A CHILDRENS GAME PLAYED DURING
THE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION IN WHICH EACH COMPETED TO LIST
ITEMS BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER "M": FIDEL STUMBLED
AFTER PROFERRING "WOMEN" (MUJERES) AND "MACEISTAS"
(INDEPENDENCE FIGHTERS). THESE LAPSES NOTWITHSTANDING,
THERE ARE PROBABLY STILL MANY YEARS OF LIFE LEFT IN THIS
AGING T0TALITARIAN REBEL.

K0ZAK