Castro Pulls Wool Over Reporters' Eyes, Former CIA Vet Says

Brian Latell, former top CIA analyst for Cuba and now a researcher at UM's Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, says that Castro is a master at manipulating foreign reporters who are granted rare interviews. I'm planning a story on Latell, author of the book After Fidel: The Inside Story of Castro's Regime and Cuba's Next Leader.

From The Latell Report:

"Fidel is always absolutely in charge, controlling every detail and circumstance of the meetings. He is always sure to be in top form, rested and at ease, while typically summoning exhausted reporters late at night, after interminable and sometimes humiliating waits. Matthews was made to secretly travel the length of the island and then traverse rough terrain on foot for his exclusive meeting. Other reporters since then have also had to perform physical feats, a few ascending Pico Turquino, Cuba’s tallest, and then finally allowed to interview Castro at the summit.

"The standard routine has been for reporters to camp in their hotel rooms in Havana, sometimes for days on end, waiting to be called to Fidel’s inner sanctum. Many patiently wait in vain. But even most of them feel a certain gratitude because, unlike the vast majority of journalists who would gladly interview Castro, they at least were finalists in his game. His calculus is to promote intense competition among reporters seeking to interview him, often pitting them against each other.

"Since Matthews, Castro’s record in manipulating reporters to advance his interests has been nearly perfect. The Times reporter was “far from the only American whom Castro had twisted into knots,” de Palma writes. Some, wittingly or not, have been transformed during their long, late night sessions with Fidel, into fawning advocates. Once selected to be in his presence, many ask him easy questions, fail to press him or follow up, and typically endure interminable speeches without daring to interrupt. Generally, they accept and write uncritically from his perspective, often, like Matthews, providing Castro with invaluable publicity for whatever policy initiative he may be pushing at the time.

"The ultimate form this seduction has often assumed is that reporters come to believe they can perform an historic role in advancing a rapprochement between Cuba and the United States. In the past it was a favorite tactic of the Cuban leader to falsely raise such expectations in interviews with influential journalists who then would meet with high level American government officials offering their services as intermediaries with Fidel.

"Herbert Matthews was never able to acknowledge how exquisitely he had been converted by Fidel into a cheerleader, and many other foreign reporters since then have fallen into the same trap. For almost fifty years now Castro has never had reason to change the tactics that have worked so well for him with the international media. It is only now, as his health deteriorates and his energy wanes, that he has cut back severely on the meetings with reporters that for so many decades he delighted in scheduling and that so bountifully served his purposes."

Comments

[luis martin]

Okay John Longfellow aka Lou Dobbs, post your crap so we can get going.....

[a thought...]

Castro has always been a master manipulator which is why he can manage to get the press to fawn over him as some sort of great leader. Please remember that some of history's greatest tyrants really knew how to spin it, either through speeches that lasted hours (Hitler; Castro) or through well-placed flunkies that promulgated their beliefs (Goebbels for Hitler). Thus the term, evil genius. hate calling these SOBs geniuses, though. However, the evil part fits quite well.

[John Longfellow aka Lou Dobbs]

luis,
Im bout to go lay out on the beach, and smack some fat Cuban diva butts. Probably will spring my hand. But, oh well!!

P.S.
A thought, really you are so smart. You dont sound like those other Little Havana divas. What is your educational background really? I mean, are you a college grad, or what? What is your story? I can literally envision the two of us slicing a wedding cake together one sunny day in Kentucky my adopted state. Think about it sugah!! Dont say anything for a day or two. Just consider the joyous possibilities. The nectar, which is John Longfellow.

[luis martin]

ahhh that should be good for laughs.. a 300 pound fatass tryin to hookup with .. what was it? "fat Cuban diva butts"

make sure you don't get mistaken for a life raft or something...

[luis martin]

when u commin down fat boy?? can't wait till june

[a thought...]

Luis, me vas a dar complejo about my Cuban butt...

[nonee moose]

loujohn:

dude, you're making me cry, i'm lughing so hard... this is what you should stick to... remember, tan, don't burn. you real Americans, you're so SPF90! LOL

[Juan (Pancho) Valquez]

Yea Fidel is a egotictical dictator that has a propaganda team working 24/7 and tries to control every piece of information that comes out of the island. That's how authoritarian governments operate.

Which is why exiles should want Americans to be able to: go to cuba, see the truth with their own eyes, and talk to the people themselves. Instead of getting their info about a neighboring country though carefully filtered propaganda or slanted national news institutions.

[John Longfellow aka Lou Dobbs]

Thought you guys might get a kick out of this article. You should go look at Castro picture. He looks "horrible."

Cite: www.drudgereport.com

Castro healthy enough to live till 140
years old: doctor
May 19 4:47 PM US/Eastern

Cuban President Fidel Castro, who turns 80 this year, enjoys vibrant health and will live to 140, his chief doctor said.

Doctor Eugenio Selman-Housein, who heads Castro's medical team, denied that the longtime leader has Parkinson's disease, as the CIA reportedly believes.
"Every day they invent a new one," Selman-Housein said. "He will live 140 years."

Castro's health, once a taboo subject in the communist-led island, has become a topic of discussion since he fainted in public in 2001 and slipped and fell before television cameras in October 2004.

Castro, who quit smoking his trademark cigars in 1986, has led Cuba since 1959. He turns 80 on August 13.

[leftside]

What is the point of this piece? Do reporters go to Jamaica or Peru or France and expect to be granted an interview with the head of state?

Was Herbert Matthew's really "made to secretly travel the length of the island and then traverse rough terrain on foot for his exclusive meeting?" Or was a civil war going on with Fidel in the high Sierra's surrounded by army checkpoints who would certainly not allow a journalist to proceed?

And the famously overplayed Matthews article, if anyone has actually read it, is not a cheerleader piece at all. Funny thing is no one seems to remember the same "commie" NYTimes printed a piece weeks earlier - based on Batista's lies - that Castro had been killed. They don't remember that Matthews called the revolutions advance a "worsening" and "grave" situation for Cuba. That the Times printed verbatim fabricated responses from Batista's defense minister....

The central unaswered question Latell poses is how exactly does Castro possess this divine power to seduce journalists and turn them into fawning supporters? Is it mind control techniques learned from the Russians or is it an (by all accounts) quite amazing personality?

A final question for Oscar, should a (former) top CIA agent on Cuba be trusted to tell the truth about Castro? Has the CIA record on Cuba (now inventing a Parkinson's disease) engendered any trust?

[Robert Barrocas]

Pancho,

In theory what you are saying makes sense. But what makes you think that Americans who travel to Cuba would be allowed to see anymore than the Europeans or the Canadians are? The Cuba that the Cuban government wants you to see is a far cry from the real Cuba.

[GD]

A couple of things: I believe a book on this guy would be more appropriate than some of the other suggestions I've heard, as good as those may be.

Now you still have the opportunity to go and discredit this former CIA guy, which is what I believe you may be inclined to do (as Leftside has already started doing for you there in his most recent remark).

It sounds very appropriate to me that all of you lefties feel compelled to jock (kind of rhymes with suck) Fidel, above all others. Sure, you're swooned by DeVillipan, and you just melt in the presense of Billy Cliton, and even find yourselves impressed with Evo Morales, but none of them really touch the core of your heart, of your very being, the way Ol' Fifo does.

And the funny thing is that you guys talk evil crap about our President, a decent man, and then go out of your way to defend a stinking (literally) dictator like Fidel.

You know it's just remarkable how you can be so concerned about destroying Bush and simultaneously practically in the same breath, want to be first in line to apologize for Fidel.

I can't forget how rabid the left was about Pinochet, and so rabid about Francisco Franco, and you just get soft in the knees when confronted with Fidel.

Where is the left now? Why don't they speak up against Fidel? How can the left be so in bed with this guy and we still take anything they say seriously? Should they all not be discredited for their complicity in perpetuating that horror?

This is a good time to remind JohnLongfellow or whatever LouDobbs piece of excrement. Why don't you reiterate that crap you talked about how the left was going to pay back the Cubans in Miami for helping elect George Bush. What was it exactly? What was it you were suggesting? Please enlighten us.

[Don't hold your breath.......]

As for Castro his doctors and their claims of his longevity...Remember Billy Joel sang it best..."Only the good die young..."

[Robert Barrocas]

GD,

The love affair that certain elements of the political and entertainment sectors have with Fidel Castro makes me sick as well. I suggest you read a book titled "Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant" by Humberto Fontova.

[Floridiano]

All dictators are charming people. Hitler and Stalin were charming.

[Floridiano]

Longfellow...aka..Warthog...

Portorro, ¡qué cansino eres!
Oye, los cubanos no tienen la culpa de que seas jabao y no un descendiente de los peregrinos del Mayflower.
Eres tan "real American" como los pendejos pasuos de tu negro culo.
Portorro, deja la bebida y las drogas y busca un trabajo, vago.

[Chris Brown]

"Once [reporters are] selected to be in his presence, many ask him easy questions, fail to press him or follow up, and typically endure interminable speeches without daring to interrupt. Generally, they accept and write uncritically from his perspective..."

It sounds as though you're describing the USA White House press corps.

What you're really saying, though, is that Castro is smarter than the reporters. Of course, that not saying much when speaking of your average reporter. Castro has also outsmarted, like, five USA presidents (I've left Johnson, who had other things on his mind; Carter, who was sensible enought to not be bothered; and Ford, who wasn't around long, from the list.

[Chris Brown]

Robert Barrocas,

Just so you know a fact. I have traveled to Cuba three times since 2003 and all three times stayed in casas particulares, ate in private restaurants, traveled around as I pleased, and spoke to whomever I wished, often about politics.

If you're going to make pronouncements you should at least know what the hell you're talking about.

I suppose you also think Cuban children are taken by the government from their parent and sent off to indoctrination school, as was averred by a fellow a I know. Those who place their thoughts into the public discourse have a responsibility to stick to facts.

[Floridiano]

Chris

In Cuba you are a "Yuma". You are allowed to do and say whatever you want. A Cuban is allowed to adscribe to your line of political thoughts to extract money, particularly if you are one of those Canadians with a Che beret.

The opinion of a hard-currency carrying tourist is not relevant, and even party officials will agree with you if you invite them to a beer.

They have several "rolls of film", one for commies and another for "gusanos".

Not Cubans. Cubans are not allowed to express themselves in public, and if they are overheard by a confident they might end up in jail. They are not allowed to write, to read independent free press and dish antennas are forbidden. Even Spanish glamour magazines are forbidden.

No need to kidnapp children to indoctrinate them. The entire education system is just political indoctrination.

[Robert Barrocas]

Chris Brown,

Do me a favor, don't insult my intelligence. I am a Cuban American and, like most Cuban Americans, I refuse to travel to Cuba while Castro remains in power. What I said was based on conversations I have had, in person and online, with Americans and Britons who had traveled to Cuba. I was led to believe that a system was in place to keep tourists confined to the more "manicured" parts of the island.

What did you think about the REAL Cuba?

I know that children are not taken from their parents by the government. That is not necessary, as Floridiano stated, political indoctrination is ingrained into the education system. This is first-hand knowledge passed on to me by relatives who attended school in Cuba before coming to this country.

[Floridiano]

Roberto

Well, tourists and "cubanos del exterior" are free to wander around the island and go wherever they want to go. The only place I had to ask permission was Caimanera, besides Guantanamo.

In fact I only visit places where there are no tourists.

Education there is indoctrination, so is TV, paper, everything. Now the education system is in total decay, there are no teachers and they use kids to teach other kids (maestros emergentes). I just visited one school and all of them were watching documentaries on VCR.

Documentaries during 8 hours. Not long ago, school assistance was compulsory and was enforced, but now you see many young kids out of school, lurking around, soliciting tourists.

[a thought....]

Robert and Floridiano, thanks for hopefully enlightening Chris. Typically, when people go on vacation, they seek out the best parts of the place they go. Out of curiosity, how many families were crammed in those "casas particulares" that he visited? Did he see "el pueblo" hanging at Varadero? You can say what YOU want; nothing will happen. Have you ever heard of "Comite de Barrio?" You are not going to see "Cuba"; you are going to see what they want you to see. People who say they've been to "Cuba" are like the people who say they've been to Miami because they went to South Beach.

[Robert Barrocas]

Floridiano,

Thank you for sharing your observations about life on the island.

I suppose this gives new meaning to the pro-Castro sympathizers who are quick to point out Cuba's advances in education.

[Floridiano]

Robert

Most tourists, (except Italians, Spanish, and Cubans from outside), never venture out of their resort areas or are herded like cows.

Most tourists come in package tours with not much money to spend, in "all-inclusive" packages, and Cuba is an extremely expensive place if you are not familiar with the country.

For example, Paco Beaner stated that he made love with a Cuban girl with 10 dollars, that's preposterous and that shows that he's never been to Cuba. Probably a Mexican bracero earning the minimum wage.

In Cuba 10 dollars are 8 cuc, absolutely nothing. Cuba is very expensive for US Dollar carrying tourists for two reasons:

Dollars are worth 20% less that the national currency and Cuba is Euro oriented.

With 10 dollars Paco Beaner could probably get a blow job with a very old and toothless woman in Los Pocitos, Havana.

Canadian tourists are despicable, they are always drunk and are rowdy people, they pay from 50 to 200 dollars for the ugliest women you could see on earth, and when the go back to Canada they probably brag about their conquests and complain about their exhausted visas.

[Suse]

Will the Cubans and their spawn in Miami screw up Cuba again?? Probably not, Castro's legacy will live on because it's been protected from American influence and Miami is too comfortable.

[Jimmy D.]

The Canadians in Cuba today are doing the exact same thing that Americans did in Cuba in the 50's! History repeats itself, just no casinos.