While most people think that George Orwell’s novel 1984 stood for communist regimes, Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, son of Cuban President Fidel Castro, believes Orwell’s bleak vision represents “double-standard” democracies, such as the one practiced by the United States.
In an interview with The Daily Star Friday, Castro denounced American hegemony over world affairs, saying that people have the right to liberty and self-determination.
Castro, bearded and dressed in a modern suit and speaking fluent English, argued that the purpose of his regional tour was to strengthen educational, scientific and Information Technology cooperation ties between Cuba and Arab states. He came to Lebanon Thursday on a two day-visit.
“In the Arab world in general, and Lebanon in particular, you have high quality universities and well educated people. The purpose of my visit is to examine the potential of exchanging expertise and cooperation.”
Whether his visit was also aimed at soliciting support from Arab states after relations deteriorated between Cuba and some European countries, Castro said that Cuba has always been on good terms with the Arab world, and that some European countries were speaking against his country upon American instigation.
Relations between Cuba and the EU deteriorated after the Cuban government cracked down on 75 dissidents in March and sentenced some of them to 28 years in prison. A number of those either arrested or killed were European citizens.
“Our government was implementing the law against some terrorists,” Castro said, adding that Cuba is against all forms of terrorism and that it was among the first countries to denounce the Sept. 11, 2001  terrorist attacks in the US.
“Terrorists hijacked two of our airplanes and flew them to the US,” Castro argued, saying that in a separate incident, terrorists tried to hijack a ferryboat in the port of Havana.
Reports of the Cuban bust stirred up negative reaction and a wave of denunciation, especially in Europe, with some EU states denouncing “Cuba’s violation of human rights.”
The European criticism prompted the Cuban president and his brother and commander of the armed forces, Raul Castro, to lead demonstrations in front of the Spanish and Italian embassies in Havana. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Aznar was called the “new Fuhrer,” in reference to Adolf Hitler, and banners were held up denouncing “Benito Berlusconi,” a comparison between Italian fascist Benito Mussolini and current Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Spain, Italy and Canada threatened to prohibit their citizens from traveling to Cuba, and the US called off an annual agricultural exposition, which was held last year in Havana with the participation of American firms.
When asked whether Cuba feared a drop in foreign tourists might negatively affect the economy, Castro said that this scenario “is still hypothetical,” adding that even if it happens, “his country is strong enough to take such blows.”
Castro commented that such countries call themselves democracies while at the same time their governments try to limit freedoms by controlling tourism in accordance with their political schemes.
Castro, who graduated in nuclear physics from Moscow, criticized what he called American “double-standard” democracy. “They accuse us of violating human rights. What about the 600 detainees that the US brought to Guantanamo Bay?”
Castro denounced the misinformation that the US disseminates about its enemies while hiding its own violations. “You have to keep in mind that America controls 85 percent of all news pictures (and footage) distributed around the world. America controls the media.”
He also condemned the American monopoly over information technology and internet usage, saying “95 percent of the Windows program is in American hands. Africa’s share in world usage of the internet is 0.45 percent and Latin America’s share is 2 percent.”
He also highlighted the hardships his country faces to acquire internet technology.
“You certainly won’t have  Cisco coming to install some equipment in Cuba.” Still, the Cuban government has succeeded in providing internet access for its professional sectors, Castro said, in medicine, engineering, academia, and journalism.
In light of all of this American “injustice,” Castro reached the conclusion that America does not practice the democracy that it preaches. The US also manipulates facts, he said.
“Who enjoys human rights? Do Palestinians enjoy human rights?” he asked, adding that Cuba has always denounced all kinds of occupation, and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
“We severed our diplomatic ties with Israel after the 1973 war and we still stand alongside the Arabs in the Palestinian issue,” he maintained.

(The Daily Star on line) 21/06/03