|
CHAVEZ IN HAVANA AGAIN
There’s Fidel, on his feet, in one piece!
WITH emotion and joy, the Cuban
people saw footage of the encounter between
Bolivarian leader Hugo Chávez and President Fidel
Castro on Monday January 29, broadcast on Tuesday
the 30th on Cuban television’s “Informative
Roundtable” program.
During their dialogue, during
which both presidents embraced and chatted standing
up, Chávez joked with Fidel, praising the progress
of his recovery: “I am gauging the decibels of your
voice. I think you’re speaking more loudly now than
you were 48 years ago when you went to Caracas,” the
Venezuelan statesman commented.
“This embrace and this sentiment
are from millions; we miss you, we love you, we need
you,” Chávez told Fidel, adding that many other
people were sending their greetings through him,
including Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.
The film footage showed Fidel
reading news reports referring to the negative
influence of climate change on human health.
Fidel then noted that Chávez was
among the first to speak critically about those
phenomena and their disastrous consequences for the
human race.
After their encounter, the
Venezuelan leader expressed his happiness at Fidel’s
progress, and said he found him with the same
lucidity and energy as always during the long,
two-hour conversation between them.
“He was in a good mood, with a
good expression, good spirits, and clarity — as
always — in his ideas and analysis,” Chávez stated.
Chávez said that the two “went
over data about the progress of the ‘energy
revolution,’ the oil issue, the threats from the
empire against the world, and potential new
conflicts, the ones that must be monitored.”
“And, as always, great
generosity, great human quality,” he added,
referring to Fidel.
“There’s Fidel, on his feet, in
one piece! And I pray to God that he continues to
recover,” Chávez exclaimed.
“I give to Cuba my heart and my
greatest feelings of satisfaction and happiness, I
would even say of jubilation, for finding Fidel the
way I have found him, and I would like to extend
that recognition to everyone: his family, comrades,
doctors and nurses, because I know the big effort
they are making,” the Bolivarian leader continued.
Chávez concluded: Fidel said a
few days ago that we have not lost this battle; I
would say more: we are winning it, and we will win
it.”
President Chávez returned to his country, and was
bid farewell at the José Martí International Airport
by General of the Army Raúl Castro. The Cuban first
vice president and minister of the Revolutionary
Armed Forces thanked him for his beautiful gesture
of solidarity.” |
