Workers’ Party to open Book of Condolences for Fidel in Cork after Mayor refuses to

Workers’ Party to open Book of Condolences for Fidel Castro in Cork

Cllr. Ted Tynan expresses disappointed that Cork’s Lord Mayor did not do so

The Workers’ Party in Cork has announced that it is to open a Book of Condolences in Cork City Centre on Friday and Saturday this week (2^nd & 3^rd December) to give Cork people the opportunity to expresses their sympathy for the Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.   The book will be open to sign on Patrick Street close to the junction of Academy Street from 12 Noon on both days.

Making the announcement, Workers’ Party Cllr. Ted Tynan said he was deeply disappointed that Cork’s Lord Mayor Cllr. Des Cahill (FG) did not follow the example of his counterpart in the capital and open such a book for citizens to sign.

Cllr. Tynan said that Fidel Castro was widely respected in this country despite the attempts being made in some sections of the media to blacken his name and rewrite history.

“The Cuban Revolution overthrew an obscenely anti-democratic puppet government which denied the most basic of rights to its citizens– education, healthcare and  even a basic standard of living.  Cuba under Batista was a playground for rich Americans and a haven for mafia run gambling, prostitution, drugs and crime.  In a short few years revolutionary Cuba destroyed all of that and created a nation where all citizens are truly equal.  They created the best healthcare system in the world and the highest literacy levels in the Americas. All of this was done despite a crippling economic embargo imposed by the United States for the last 54 years”, said Cllr. Tynan.

“Fidel Castro was and will always be a hero of the poor, the down-trodden and oppressed the world over.  If anyone is in doubt as to his popularity in Cuba they only have to look at the massive crowds which have been queuing up to pay their respects to Fidel in Havana over the last few days.”

“It is appropriate that Cork people get an opportunity to pay their last respects for Fidel Castro as they did in City Hall for the late South African President Nelson Mandela who was a friend and mutual admirer of Fidel and who called the Cuban leader “a source of inspiration to all freedom-loving people”, said the Workers’ Party councillor.

The Workers’ Party will be forwarding al signatures collected in Cork to the Cuban Ambassador in Dublin.