THERE were what seemed to be an uncommon number of affecting deaths in 2016. For me, the demise of Fidel Castro was not one of them. Even in my youth, I never bought into the myth of the man. I was never able to see Castro as the great hero that some made him out to be. But neither was I susceptible to the demonising propaganda.
There is no denying that Castro’s regime did great things for the people of Cuba. That small, poor, isolated nation managed remarkable achievements against daunting odds. Doubtless, that regime also committed some horrific crimes. These crimes are not minimised in any way by acknowledging that they were probably no worse than the acts perpetrated by regimes that those demonising Castro found it expedient to befriend. That, as they say, is politics.