New Castro Letter Bashes Ethanol

Authorities To Publish 6th Editorial Attributed To Convalescing Cuban Leader

(CBS)  This article was written by Havana-based CBS News producer Portia Siegelbaum.

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Convalescing Cuban President Fidel Castro has issued his sixth editorial weighing-in on the current bio-fuel debate.

The government emailed an advance copy of the statement to the foreign press Wednesday evening. It's expected that the column will be published in the official state media Thursday morning.

Castro has not appeared in public for more than nine months now — since intestinal bleeding necessitated surgery, and forced him to turn power over to his designated successor, and younger brother, Defense Minister Raul Castro.

Cubans have only seen Castro in photos and video released periodically by the government via the state-run media. However, since last March, the 80-year-old former revolutionary has been expressing his views in editorials, dubbed, "Reflections of the Commander in Chief".

His latest column again warns that ethanol is not all it's cracked up to be, and charges that it's "false" to say ethanol is a "green and clean" alternative to fossil fuels.

Castro also cautions against using a food source to produce fuel for developed countries - possibly to the detriment of the diet of the world's poor. Castro says it's an "advance" that the debate on the merits of bio-fuels is heating up at the United Nations and in the global scientific community.

The Cuban leader has always focused on the issues of world hunger, poverty and the unequal distribution of wealth between developed and developing countries. He has shown a spotlight on issues ranging from the foreign debt of poorer nations, which he's called "un-payable", to infant mortality from preventable diseases.

There had been great expectation, fueled by encouraging comments from other government figures, that Castro would attend the annual workers' day parade on May 1, but he failed to appear, leaving his brother to head the event.

Still, officials refuse to rule out his return to power.

President of the Cuban parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, a close Castro confidante, recently told CBS News chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan that Castro, "is a man of big surprises."

"I will never forecast anything about him, because I know he is a very strong and healthy human being, highly motivated. Motivation — the sense of service, of mission that he has — may lead to many things that for others would be miracles," said Alcaron. "In his case, it would be normal, the normal way he has always lived."

[gunnerv1]

If communism is so great, then let it feed the world's poor. Just like it makes North Korea independent of food, energy, health care and so on.

[ov442]

I agree, For countries like North Korea or Cuba, when they talk, feeding the poor populace and educating is important.
when they do, building up a military they cant pay for to either invade a neighbor for gain, or defend against an enemy that isnt coming is more important.
In all economies, its the greedy power hungry leadership that obtains power for their own personal gain.
Communism = means leaders get opulance and the general populace gets equal parts of nothin.
Socialism = means leaders get opulance and the populace gets equal parts of a pittance
Capitalism = means leaders get ungodly rich beyond rediculousness, and the general populace gets unequal parts of whatever, while the ungodly rich make the cost of living skyrocket so theres always 35% of them living in poverty.

[kynoto]

"Even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a while". This dyed-in-the-wool Reagan conservative agrees with Fidel.

Ethanol amounts to burning topsoil, can't contribute more than a tiny fraction of our needs, and until recently, was not profitable except for gov't interference in the free market. It hurts the poor most because what tiny amount they may save on fuel is small compared to the increase in their food bill. It benefits a handful of businesses, the politically valuable agricultural community, and the pols they support.

And yes, it hurts poor countries most, just as the US sugar support program curtails foriegn (poor) countries' access to the US market for the benefit of a few wealthy farmers and a handful of corporations.

Half of my family are midwest farmers enjoying the most profitable corn market in memory, yet every one of them has enough sense to know that volume use of ethanol from corn is a bad idea. Should cellulosic ethanol become viable, the everything changes, but much of the infrastructure being built won't apply to cellulose.

Political buyoffs and gov't interference in markets may be hampering the natural forces that may bring cellulosic ethanol to reality, or other fuel sources.

Who would have thought that Castro would be championing free-market economics. Maybe while convalescing, he's been reading Hayek.

[canaima]

With potential large undeveloped reserves of newly-found oil deposits off the (northwestern) coast of Cuba, don't think for a moment that Castro's anti-ethanol stance is purely an alturistic & idealistic opinion.

In the end, no matter what world opinions on this subject are, Castro has his own selfish agenda of self-interest on this issue that Castro apologists will neglect to mention in public.

[rushman71]

Cuba doesn't have that much power any more. The battery is almost dead. There is no more Soviet Union. We are at peace with China, supposedly. Why can't we just swim over to there shores and take them over. Give them what they deserve: Freedom!!!!

[rushman71]

Cuba doesn't have that much power any more. The battery is almost dead. There is no more Soviet Union. We are at peace with China, supposedly. Why can't we just swim over to there shores and take them over. Give them what they deserve: Freedom!!!!

[rushman71]

Cuba doesn't have that much power any more. The battery is almost dead. There is no more Soviet Union. We are at peace with China, supposedly. Why can't we just swim over to there shores and take them over. Give them what they deserve: Freedom!!!!

[cfin5]

gunnerv1.....You got that right about communism as I dont see any such COMMItose inflicted countries on Gods green earth getting their borders invaded like ours is.......ov442 has posted a good "lowest common denominator" description of the top three types of world economic systems. I'll take capitalism as at least their will be someone with the wealth to hire us....... Has Castro rebuked Brazil about ethanol? Or is it all President Bush's fault again. Those kind of "duffusicktorian" comments snore me out.

[Rontimcoe]

Castro is an uneducated fool of a farmers son.

I bet he doesn't even know how to spell ethenol.

Why are his words even published.

He is a mongrel Spanish Joke. And is probably dead already.

[obiquital]

"Castro is an uneducated fool of a farmers son.

I bet he doesn't even know how to spell ethenol.

Why are his words even published.

He is a mongrel Spanish Joke. And is probably dead already.
Posted by Rontimcoe"
You spelled Ethanol wrong.

[gunnerv1]

Communisim works! just ask Kim Il, Hugo Chavez and Castro, They alone should be able to feed the worlds poor.

[lars008-2009]

another communism induced famine deaths like china, russia, cuba and n. korea...

Venezuela's Chavez announces plans for 'collective property' under shift toward socialism

Critics say reform has failed to revive Venezuela's agriculture industry, which does not produce enough food to satisfy domestic demand. The government has been forced to import food amid shortages of staples such as meats, milk and sugar.
"If Mr. Chavez really wants to help Venezuela's poor farmers, he must offer them technical assistance and sufficient financing because land doesn't become productive without investment," said opposition leader Alfonzo Marquina. "We're only seeing increasing shortages and more expensive products."
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/25/america/LA-GEN-Venezuela-Chavez.php

[gunnerv1]

"SAT CONG" Anyone from the Viet-Nam era will know this one.