That gesture of gratitude has a lot to do with Belize's independence. There's an entire untold history of how much the communist country actually supported Belize. Untold, because that was the height of the Cold War, and Belize had to be courting Cuban support on the down low, out of the sight of Uncle Sam. Yesterday in Havana, former Foreign Minister Assad Shoman told us why Cuba supported Belizean independence so enthusiastically:...
Assad Shoman, former Foreign Minister
"And he was a leader, I would say, among and with the people. He would have easily been seen talking to workers in a factory, to farmers on the land, students and teachers in their schools, as playing basketball with young kids, children, or slugging baseballs with professionals, or shadow boxing with Mohammed Ali."
"One of the most emotional things I saw on television was a young woman who was talked to on the street, the main street in Cuba - and was asked for her reaction, you know? And she said I want to send a message to the enemies of Cuba: "Don't think this is over; Fidel is gone physically, but his ideas and his example live on in all of us." And she said, "I am Fidel." You know? That's the feeling and that's the message."
"Physically Fidel is gone but morally and as far as ideas are concerned and willingness to resist is concerned, that is deeply embedded din the Cuban people. And there's no way that anybody you mention or others could now feel that they can eat Cuba. There's no way you can say that Cuba is any more vulnerable now than it was a week ago."
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