Fidel Castro retires.

Well nobody saw that coming did they?

Mr Castro has today taken the front page of news organisations the world over rivalling splashes & coverages of the recent past for the historic interest his announcement of retirement will sure be met with.

If you can read his language, then you can enjoy the letter in which he has announced his retirement here http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/2008/02/19/nacional/artic0....html

Of course many people will now start the usual what happens to Cuba after Castro thing. Just before they do that here, might I remind all that Castro isn't dead in any conventional sense nor even undead in the Ariel Sharonesque sense. His regime has already carried on under the "de facto" and "de jure" stewardship of his little brother Raul Castro without notable hitches or land invasions by either US forces or Cuban exiles loyal to Gloria Estaban. Raul has appeared to have enjoyed his stint as the only acting head of state known to have autism in history without encouraging a global change of attitude to either autism or Gloria Estaban. I first reported that Castro was dying when it appeared all but a certainty that he was in August 2006 http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77661

Thereafter indymedia ireland saw a very interesting feature on the usual what happens to Cuba after Castro thing. http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77672

Since then of course we saw him eat yoghurt with Hugo Chavez, drink orange juice with Hugo Chavez, sip a caipirinha with Gabriel Garcia Marquez & generally in most very acceptable terms - not be dead.

Nor is he dead now.

So in short - we ought know by now what will happen after Castro for we have been after Castro for a while now. Maybe some would like to think what will happen to Cubans after-after-Castro. I'll give you a clue - the swamp fascists will come out & neither his wikipedia nor his legacy will be safe, but somehow through it all his iconography, hagiography & achievements will be secured.