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Castro resigns as Cuba's president

Fidel Castro has voluntarily resigned. He has not been forced out and hasn't died on the job. Cuba is about as stable as you could expect considering the difficulties it has to content with.

Cuba is the only country on the planet where a military base and now a torture prison for people held indefinitely without charge or trial continues to occupy a part of the country�s territory. This is done by the United States government, whose public legislation commits it to the overthrow of the Cuban system and the restoration of capitalism. Through the laws such as Helms-Burton and Torricelli, and the Cuban Adjustment Act, Washington works ACTIVELY to overthrow the Cuban system.

Some things work, some don�t. Like any society, Cuba its flaws and contradictions, as well as solid achievements. No society is perfect. We can certainly learn a few things from Cuba�s experience. I think we can learn more than a few. If we want to bring freedom to Cuba, the best thing we can do is practice what we preach.

It's time and overtime to normalize relations with our small island neighbor. Both societies could benefit from a relaxation of tension between the two countries.

Castro a �president�? What a joke. He�s typical of other commies who place themselves in a position of power and give themselves flattering titles.

I was so glad to see this tyrant step down, for the last 49 years the Cuban people have paid dearly for his follies. This terrorist supporting regime has bought the Cuban people and the world nothing but misery. Its been 49 years and its time for free multi-party elections, respect for human rights and freedom of religion. I invite one and all to visit our blog on Cuba by visiting www.CubaCompanioni.blogspot.com

Fidel you need to be in jail. I remember when you shot all of the people after you came to power.

Fidel you need to be in jail.

This isn't news. Call me when he dies. That will be news worth reading.

The shadow knows.

Well at least this might give him more time to socialize with the likes of Robert Redford and Steven Spielberg, and legions of other stars and starlets who pay homage and break bread with this nasty dictator.

Maybe, also, the DMN could write a glowing tribute to him after he finally dies.. a slow miserable death, I hope.

Whether deliberately or by happenstance, Fidel has eased his nation and people into transition to another leader, probably his brother.
I'd bet if the embargo was ended 30 years ago the regime would have become increasingly redundant, and would have collapsed in the 80's.
Instead, here we are. It may happen yet, as Raul instigates some minor reforms, but it'll take a while.

When castro overthrew the batista regeim the firing squads were going full blast 24-7 to eliminate all opposition to his brutal dictatorship.he could not have done more damage to cuba had he personally dropped an atomic bomb on it.how anyone can call him a president is so pitiful so rediculous.when he finally passes away there will be such an outcry of freedom and complete joy in southern florida that will make all other celebrations totally pale by comparision.

Castro's gone!!! Hurrah!! this is awesome!

I'll have a Cuba Libre, please.

The King is dead. Long live the King.

The New York Yankees gave a try-out to an aspiring ball player in the mid-1950s. He didn't make the cut, so he returned home, attended law school, and from there became the leader of the Cuban revolution in 1959. I wonder how different the world would have been if Fidel Castro had become a Yankee.

For those who say Fidel wasn't a real President: a President is who *presides*, regardless of whether they became President by election or not. For example, the LDS Church is full of Presidents who were not elected but who preside in their respective offices.

I'll never understand the opinions of people like the first post-er.

He talks about what we can learn from Cuba. Can't he see that Florida is filling up with those who have "escaped" from this bastion of enlightenment? Just imagine Florida if Cubans were free to leave.

And the the fakeness of the contrived rallies in Castro's support. As my friend from formerly communist Poland told me - he and his comrades by duty and fear went to the organized rallies, but on the way home they said quietly to those they hoped they could trust with their true feelings: "we've had enough of this 'communist paradise'."

Castro sent 80,000 plus cubans as terrorist training troops to Angola. These troops trained people to kill and cut the bodies into parts -- hang them from trees to terrorize africans in hopes to change the political scenery -- towards socialism.

Batista killed over 20K and many tortured under watchful eyes of the US
Castro just shot them

Batista regime had high crime and citizens starving, but a very rich 1% calling the shots whispered to them by US officials.
Castro regime has many more poor, but not starving, and little to no crime.

Batista had religious freedom but hardly anything else
Castro the same

Batista had poor education and literacy rates.
Castro some of the highest in the world.

Batista was enormously supported and liked by the "5 mob families".
Castro was loved by all (the poor) and then his socialist ideas went sour.

The only people that know anything about Cuban history during the 20th century also know that pre-Castro was a horrible time except for the whining rich Cubans in Miami who profited off the poor every day Cuban citizen.
Castro did bring incredible reforms and with it terrible results, but no different than or worse than what went on before him.
Don't buy the embargo anti Castro rhetoric as it comes out of Miami or Bush Admin moths.

Castro cannot die quickly enough. May his successors have the good sense to sweep communism into the dustbin, and revive their national economy while at the same time liberalizing political relations with opposition parties, instead of hurling them into dungeons.

Castro never had to survive a fair vote. Once he assumed power he kept and guarded it jealously, like all communist thugs of the 20th century. And Cuba has been a ruined nation for 50 years.

Enough is enough. Dump the Fidel legacy into the sea. The man was a despot, and no amount of lipstick can beautify his piggish policies.

At least Castro was kept in power by the vote of the majority of Cubans (unlike the current US President).
In addition, the Cuban people have good education, social, medical systems and a lot of positives in their lifestyle.
It is interesting that they rebelled against a obressive government supported by the US, (why has nothing been learned by US administrations since then).
Long live Castro and the will of the Cuban people!

Other Latin American countries are so much better off than what is going on in Cuba. HA!! PLEASE!
We allow fleeing Cubans to come ashore and make them US citizens because we fear political reprisal from the corrupt Ex-Cuban wealthy in Florida, yet we criminalize fleeing Mexicans who are leaving often times worse living conditions and circumstances than those of Cuba.

Don't vomit all negatives on Castro. Yes the past 58 years have not been good for the country, but neither were the years before that or since since Cuban independence and the turn of the century. The US didn't complain an ounce when thousands of poor Cubans were being murdered pre-Castro under US control, yet the cry fould when Castro did it to the rich.

finaly he gone...