Castro Cedes Power To Brother Rául

Fidel Castro, who took control of Cuba in 1959, rebuffed repeated U.S. attempts to oust him and survived communism’s demise almost everywhere else, temporarily relinquished his presidential powers to his brother Rául on Monday night due to ''an intestinal crisis'' that requires ''complicated surgery,'' according to a letter read on Cuban national television.

"Intestinal crisis" - I always knew he was full of shit.

Hopefully his prognosis will soon be upgraded to “died screaming in indescribable agony."

A couple of weeks ago the internet and Wall Street were reeling about a rumor that Cuban leader Fidel Castro had died. So far the news of his imminent death has been greatly exaggerated, but time will eventually catch up with him and his death will bring about the island's day of reckoning.

Castro has been in power for more than forty-seven years. He has ruled his island ruthlessly, seizing property and crushing dissent. He remains a Communist a generation after communism has been proven to be an enemy of freedom and progress.

The Bush administration has plans in place to aid post Castro Cuba. They just issued a new "Assistance for a Free Cuba" report, and the biggest emphasis is to help to promote democratic opportunity, to help promote an independent civil society that can form the basis of support for democracy later on when it's possible.

Fidel Castro will die some day. And when he does, Cuba will change.

All of this we know. What we don't know is what Cuba will be like after he dies. The fervent prayer of freedom lovers everywhere, and especially refugees from the Castro dictatorship, is that the next Cuba will be free, prosperous and peaceful.