Alina Fernandez

By JOHN NORTH

The daughter of Cuban communist revolutionary Fidel Castro interspersed vignettes of her personal experiences as a toddler and a teenager, with her recollections of her father, the revolution he led and the often horrible results it spawned during a speech Sept. 28 at UNC Asheville.

Alina Fernandez’s 30-minute speech, followed by a 45-minute question-and-answer session, drew a standing-room-only crowd of about 400 people to the 300-seat Humanities Lecture Hall.

Fernandez, 55, an outspoken critic of the Cuban communist regime, is the author of a 1998 book titled “Castro’s Daughter: An Exile’s Memoir of Cuba.” The program was co-sponsored by UNCA’s chapter of HOLA (Hispanic Outreach for Learning Awareness) and the Student Government Association.

She began by asking, rhetorically, “Why am I here tonight? I was eventually (after three years of trying) able to escape my own country in December 1993” to Spain with the help of a fake passport and disguised as a Spanish tourist wearing a wig. She fled because of her dissenting political views. Her daughter escaped later that month and they celebrated New Year’s Eve together that year. From Spain, she moved to Miami.

“In my case, everything started with something called a ‘revolution’ ... I come from a country where ‘the revolution’ is endless.”

She told of the trials and tribulations of living under her father’s stern — and often ruthless — rule, from when he seized power in 1959 until she fled the country 34 years later.

As an illegitimate daughter of the Castro, she lived her young life with her mother, Natalia “Naty”

Revuelta Clews, who was born in Havana in 1925 and married to Dr. Orlando Fernández. Alina became a model and public relations director for a Cuban fashion company, according to the University Program Board..

As for her personal life, she recalled her sadness — at the age of three — of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck cartoons being replaced on Cuban television with executions ordered by Fidel Castro, as well as the dictator’s daily seven-hour speeches.

Natalia, her mother, “was beautiful and turned into the toast of Havana,” with her long blonde hair, tanned features and voluptuous figure. Fernandez said “good luck seemed to follow” her mother in whatever she did.

After Natalia married a doctor, Fulgencio Batista in 1952 took over the country in a coup d’etat that, Fernandez recalled, “was not popular with most of the people.

“Sometime after the (Batista) military strike,” Castro, then a young rebel leader, received a key from Natalia in an envelope, inviting him to use the house (in which she and her husband lived) to work out of” to stage a revolution.

“The day, in 1953, when Fidel attacked, my mother was dispatched to delver the revolution’s manifesto to Havana. “Many men died on both sides. Fidel escaped to the mountains.”

She said Castro’s then-wife discovered her husband was in love with another woman, when love letters mailed by the rebel leader and Fernandez’s mother accidentally went to the two spouses excluded.

Fernandez told the crowd that there are two lessons to be learned from the situaton — that “men can cheat, even if you’re in jail — and, if you’re looking for a way to divorce, this is a cheap way.

Fidel Castro in his early days.

In the end, they (Castro and her mother) got together and they produced me.” (The crowd applauded.)
By Jan. 1, 1959, Batista had left Cuba and “the rebels and their revolution triumphed. “Frdel Castro arrived in Havana sevral days later to give his first speech — it lasted about seven hours.”

She said that, despite the length of his speech, “he was charistmatic and mesmerizing.”

She noted that when Castrol and his men marched into Havana, the capital city, “women on the streets threw flowers at the hairy rebel men” in delight.

Fernandez recalled that the TV screens in Cuba quickly went from “liberation” to “to the wall,” meaning mass exections ordered by Castro and his top leaders.

Many people fled Cuba after Castro took over “and I was told there were traitors — ‘worms’ — that’s what they called people who left the island.”

She added, “Private property was seized or destroyed, including hotels, even parking meters.” With a laugh, she quipped that maybe the destruction of the parking meters was one of the few bright spots in Castro’s revolution.

On a more personal level, Fernandez recalled, as a toddler, seeing ‘the tall, hairy man (Castro) in a cloud of blue smoke (from his cigar-smoking) in a chair in the living room” of her mother’s house.

Meanwhile, executions (of alleged traitors) were to take the forefront.” Amid the horrors, she said 48,400 children received visas to go to the U.S. in an operation called the Peter Pan Transport.

“The first institution destroyed” under Castro’s dictatorship “was the family,” she said. Also, “Fidel Castro got worred about (so many) people leaving the country, so it (immigration) was made much harder.”

What’s more, she said, “Churches had to close down. Freedom of speech, too,” was ended.

“Intellectuals were called ‘homosexuals’ and sent to ‘cultural’ camps.”

Farms were transformed into collectives and “since 1960, Cubans survived with what’s called a rationing booklet ... It was never enough (food and drink)” on which to comfortably survive. “That’s why Cubans have had to live on a black-market basis.”

Fernandez, who was a toddler in the early years, said, “A child is able to adjust to anything.”  Instead of her beloved American cartoons, the Cuban TV screens were filled with Castro and his lengthy speeches. There also were silent Russian cartoons, which, Fernandez quipped, “Even if they had sound, they would have been boring.

“But these times were so creative and exciting” to many Cubans,” she said. “The first idea was literary. Fidel Castro decided everyone needed to be educated ... He taught farmers how to read.”

Another “masterpiece of the time,” she said, with a decided note of sarcasm, were committees for vigilance, which she described as “a sort of secret police.” The committees were formed, resulting in neighbors spying on neighbors. “It was very sad — family members began accusing each other,” with the consequences severe for those accused.

As for Castro, she said, “This man ... visited our house very often — mainly at night because, as many people know, Fidel Castro is a night person.” Fernandez said her mother always “was very excited” to see Castro, “but my grandma called him ‘the devil.’”

In Cuba, “Fidel was everywhere,” Fernandez recalled. “He was on TV about nine hours every day. His longest speech was 12 hours,” which she called a world record.

Fernandez marvelled that, in just one year, Castro had accomplished so much, as he took over as chief of the army, “executed any potential enemy of the revolution,” made an ally of Russia, “established ‘Hate to America’ at an international level,” and basically controlled every institution and person in Cuba.

“‘Hate to America’ was his main campaign theme,” she sressed. Castro dwelt on that angle to distract his countrymen from the abysmal situation on the island.

In looking out the crowd at UNCA of mostly young faces, Fernandez asked, “Did you know Cuba was involved in every guerilla war of the 20th century?”

The Middle East and Africa, in particular, have been areas where concentrated Cuban guerilla efforts have been focused since 1960, based on Castro’s whims, she said.

“By the time I was 10 years old, I was told (Castro) was my real father. I wasn’t surprised,” Fernandez said evenly.

She eventually married and had two careers. She gave birth to her daugher in 1977. Fernandez said she saw behind the deception of the revolution early in her life and joined the dissident movement in 1979.

“The revolution becomes a dictatorship when the state owns your personal life,” she said.

She praised a Spanish tourist for helping her to leave Cuba with a falsified Spanish passport. Fernadez also thanked the American government for helping her get her daughter into the U.S.

During a question-and-answer session, someone asked her for “the truth” about Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara.

There are “lots of stroies about Che Guevara,” Fernandez replied. “He was sent to the Congo” to fight after the Cuban revolution succeeded. “After that, he was sent to Bolivia,” where he met his demise.

“Che Guevara had a very sad role in Cuba. He was in charge of executions on half of the island. Fidel Castro was in charge (of executions) on the other half.”

Another person asked her view on U.S. foreign policy toward Cuba.

She said the trade embargo has “lots of holes in it.” Also, she said Castro has used the U.S. blockade as his “biggest propaganda tool ... Fidel is a genius, there’s no doubt about that. ... He could turn defeat into victory” on a regular basis.

Another person asked if Castro — through the revolution — had a vision of a free Cuba “and it failed. If so, why?”

“That’s what we don’t know,” Fernandez replied. “History is written by the victors ... Maybe being admired by all those people affected him.”

A woman noted that she has visited Cuba and, “if they’re raised to hate Americans, I have never seen it.” She said she was treated wonderfully by the Cubans.

“No — (they are friendly) because they love your dollars,” Fernandez said.“It’s a love-hate something.”
Someone asked what happened to her mother.

“Well, she’s still there,” Fernadez answered. “She’s one of the believers and thinks things will change for the best,” eventually..” To another question, she revealed that she and her mother “didn’t have a very good relationship.”

Another person asked, “How intrusive were the secret police in your family” when she was growing up?
“If you have contact with Fidel Castro, then you’re watched 24/7,” Fenandez replied.

“Was your father (Castro) subject to a moral code?” a man asked.

“I don’t know,” Fernandez replied. “He was so far from a normal person ... He’s a very bizarre person, emotionally. ... I think he sees emotions as a weakness ... My mother (often) felt very betrayed by him .. He was known as a very big liar.”

Another person noted that Cuba is known for sending its doctors and medical students around the world to help others in need.

“It’s a good thing (for places) elsewhere,” Fernandez said. “It’s a great propaganda tool” for Castro. “In Cuba, there’s a doctor for every 80 to 90 people.” At the current rate, she quipped that, soon, every Cuban will have a personal doctor. “They are paid $100 a month,” which she termed big money in Cuba.

She said most people do not know that Cuba “exchanges” its doctors to other countries for oil and cash.
A young man questioned Fernandez’s portrayal of Cuba’s guerilla efforts abroad, noting that South African leader Nelson Mandela appreciated Cuba’s help in the battle to end apartheid in South Africa. He added that Mandela’s love of Castro is well-documented.

“Some people are over-loved,” Fernandez replied. “I can tell you we’ve got some poliitcal prisoners in Cuba who have been in jail longer than Mandela.”

As the young man expressed further disagreement with her assessment, Fernandez asserted, “I’m saying we (Cubans) didn’t deserve to be used for that (guerilla warfare on foreign shores).” She reiterated her characterization of a scenario, when, on an island of 11 million people, Castro violently seized power and, under his dictatorship, “we paid a terrible toll (in lives) for that.”

Another person asked, “Would you ever go back” to Cuba?

“I don’t know,” she answered. “I wouldn’t be the first person on the first plane ... It took me three years to get out of that place.”

An older man said that, in his view, Castro was the only leader in Latin America who seemed to want to help his people.

“Well,” Fernandez said firmly, “I encourage you to go there and spend your last years there.” Her comment triggered applause from the audience.

Another man said, “The problem is, we’ve been free so long, we don’t understand what freedom is. We appreciate your speaking up.”