Leftists should join Castro for Cuban Revolution's 50th
Posted: 26 October 2008 0837 hrs

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LA PAZ : Bolivia's President Evo Morales proposed Saturday that leftist Latin leaders descend on Havana January 1 to stand strong and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution with ailing icon Fidel Castro.

"It is my greatest desire to go there with the social movements, and with the anti-imperialist presidents, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution" which falls January 1, 2009, Morales declared on a visit to the eastern city of Santa Cruz.

The first indigenous president of Bolivia, which has an indigenous majority, told a gathering of indigenous people from across the Americas that no one should "wait until Cuba organizes the event, but rather get organized ourselves.

"The presidents, and the social movements, should offer humanity an alternative to capitalism," Morales said.

"Capitalism is no solution for humanity, and never is going to solve the economic and social problems of most of the world."

And "the struggle of Comrade Fidel and the Cuban people has not been in vain," Morales said. "Now, they are not alone. We are here to defend the Cuban Revolution."

Morales is a close political ally of Fidel Castro, 82, who led communist Cuba for almost five decades, and of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Cuba's President Raul Castro, 77, in February was named officially to succeed his ailing brother, Fidel Castro, who has been recovering from major intestinal surgery and penning frequent political editorials in state media.

Fidel Castro has not been seen in public since taking ill in July 2006. It is not clear if he may be well enough to appear in public at any 50th anniversary events.

- AFP/vm