Below The Beltway

A group of Cuban soccer players have defected to the United States:
At first, Loanni Cartaya Prieto called his grandfather to say hello.
Prieto, a defender for the Cuban under-23 national soccer team, was in Tampa, Fla., competing in the regional Olympic qualifying tournament. His grandfather lives in West Palm Beach.
But after Prieto hung up, he had […]

Raul Castro has been elected selected as Cuba’s new President dictator.

A discussion over at The Liberty Papers.

Fidel Castro has resigned as President of Cuba:
MEXICO CITY, Feb. 19 — Fidel Castro announced early Tuesday morning that he is stepping down as Cuba’s president, ending his half-century rule of the island nation.
“I am saying that I will neither aspire to nor accept, I repeat, I will neither aspire to nor accept the positions […]

Apparently, some people think Fidel Castro is sending signals that he’s about to give up power:
MEXICO CITY — Fidel Castro indicated Monday in a statement read on state television that he was willing to hand over the reins of Cuba’s government to a younger generation of leaders. But his statement remained silent on whether he […]

Drudge and other sources are reporting rumors that Fidel Castro has died.
The Cuban Government is, of course, denying these rumors.
Since I have other activities planned for Saturday, his immediate death would be inconvenient.
Unless, of course, I could locate a ready supply of champagne and cigars.

We’ve heard these rumors before, but, quite honestly, it’s just too good not to write about.
Fidel Castro dead ?
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday Fidel Castro is “writing, and producing,” denying rumors circulating on the Internet that the Cuban leader had died.
Chavez, a close ally of Castro, has frequently provided information […]

That’s what Miami is planning when Fidel Castro finally dies:
MIAMI — The city of Miami is planning an official celebration at the Orange Bowl whenever Cuban president Fidel Castro dies.
Discussions by a committee appointed earlier this month by the city commission to plan the event have even covered issues such as a theme to be […]

We’ve heard these stories before, but Fidel Castro is reportedly in grave condition:
MADRID, Spain — Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro has had at least three failed operations and complications from an intestinal infection and faces “a very grave prognosis,” a Spanish newspaper reported Tuesday.
A Cuban diplomat in Madrid said the reports were lies and declined […]

And good news for the rest of us, because Fidel Castro is apparently near death.
Cuban President Fidel Castro is very ill and close to death, Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte said yesterday.
“Everything we see indicates it will not be much longer . . . months, not years,” Negroponte told a meeting of Washington […]