638 Ways to kill CastroDo you think this title sounds ludicrous? Oh, probably it does but it only sounds…

Yesterday (26th July) was one of the most important national holidays in Cuba (maybe even the most important). However if you follow US press you’d ask yourself “Why on Earth they celebrate that day??? They should erase it from their nation’s memory!” and that would be quite reasonable question when you see this title: July 26th Marks Anniversary Of Castro’s Failure, Cuban Revolution
Isn’t that tremendously malicious when you know how that “failure” has raised national spirit to struggle against the regime, when you know that was the dawn of Revolution? (truth maybe I founded isolated article but still)

For those of you who don’t know 26th July 1953 is the day of the attack on the Moncada Barracks which failed indeed but there were many casualties on both sides. Castro was arrested and since he was/is a lawyer has decided to defend himself. In his speech he said historical sentence ”History Will Absolve Me”, sentence which became the foundation of the 26th July Movement. For more about attack, trial and whatnot you should check great film by Yanara Guayasamin “Cuba, the Value of Utopia” (my review is HERE). (I just wanna stress here that I’m not expressing my opinion is Castro good president or dictator?)

But let’s go back on the topic. I don’t know does the date has anything with it but yesterday I watched this amazing film 638 Ways to Kill Castro directed by Dollan Cannel (check the link) as a part of Free Zone festival.
At first, indeed I thought the title is kind of sarcastic exaggeration but NO IT’S NOT! It’s a story about 638 recorded attempts of Castro’s assassination!

And gosh, you should see that. It’s as if you are watching one of the James Bond movies. It’s a collection of the most impossible and most bizarre ideas you could(n’t) imagine!

Exploding cigar that was intended to blow up in Castro’s face is one of those. Since Castro was fascinated with scuba-diving CIA made search of Caribbean mollusks looking for a shell to contain lethal quantity of explosives, which would be painted vividly to attract Castro’s attention; Then making toxic diving-suit; poison pills; bacterial poison (Clostridium botulinum) to be placed in Castro’s handkerchief or in his tea and coffee; poisoned cigars; CIA has even made agreement with mafia to assassinate Castro … etc

Here is little statistics: During Kennedy there were 42 attempts; Nixon 184; Carter 44; Regan 197; Bush senior 16, Clinton 21

We could see testimonials of people who participated in those attempts, former FBI and CIA agents. One of them have ”as being Catholic” (who ”don’t believe he’ll go in paradise”) had moral dilemma but then he said to himself: “Government is asking that from me so who the hell am I to worry about me?” WOW someone would say that is patriotic!

But to be honest what shocked me the most (I guess I’m too naïve) is the treatment that those evident terrorists have in US (one of them is calling Bush administration “allies”). Namely we can see people who are openly talking about their attempts to kill one foreign leader how freely live in Florida with their families and having business and are financing other groups who are still attempting to kill Castro!?!? On the journalists question “Do you think you are terrorist” one of them (Antonio Veciana I think) replies “yes, I was terrorist then”. Just like that! I didn’t know that acts of terrorism have dead line after which everything is OK.

Or with Orlando Bosch, man who is prototype of terrorist. He organized airplane crash 1976 of the Cubana air company by putting bomb in the plane. It has 73 victims, all civilians; the only Cuban “officials” were members of Cuban fencing representation (all teenagers).

He was arrested but Republican Congresspersons Ileana Ross and Connie Mack organized intensive lobbying for him and eventually President George H. Bush has released him from jail. On the journalists question is he responsible for that plane crash Orlando Bosch replies “Not only for that one. They are accusing me for plane crash above Jamaica and for crash of cargo-plane above Cuba. And I say In war everything is allowed and I’m in war against Fidel Castro”. Those are words of a man who received personal pardon from then president George Bush in spite of the arguments and protests.

In fact many of those men who would be undoubtedly qualified as terrorists in any other country or even in the States if they their target is not Castro are friends of president Busch’s family. We can see them on many photographs with both Georges and Jeb Busch, current governor of Florida. Man who ordered execution of Che Guevara, Felix Rodriguez has a gift with this note: “With highest esteem and admiration – George Busch”

Many of these assassinators-in-attempts are living in Florida as I said but they even have a game in which they are killing Castro every month. It is absolutely ridiculous game which reminds on paintball where everyone wears uniforms, weapons and they are sneaking around the house where “Castro” (with the beard of course) have a meeting with his gang. Then suddenly they are jumping in the house, taking “Castro” outside where he begs for his life. Then they ask “Castro” why he killed so many people and he replies (falling on the knees) “Oh forgive me! Forgive me!” Naturally every month they are showing no mercy.

You can’t imagine how idiotic that looks. And those people (there is entire anti-Castro organization) are personal friends of Jeb Busch.

Former US diplomat in Cuba Mr. Wayne Smith (executive secretary of President Kennedy’s Latin American Task Force and chief of mission at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana) quoted Mr George W. Busch (there is part of that speech in the film as well) when he said that “everyone who is hiding, protecting, supporting, financing terrorists is a terrorist himself” and he absolutely agreed with him and added “but that is precisely what US government is doing with these terrorists. So isn’t Busch terrorist as well?”

Well maybe he’s not. Maybe he just read book written by some other, much, much clever George (who must be right. Right?). And there it says very clearly:

“All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others”