MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Fidel Castro prefers to meet “lady” presidents, says Raul

Fidel Castro met Ptes. CFK and Michelle Bachelet

The presidents of Argentina (Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner) and Chile (Michelle Bachelet) met with the ailing leader of the Cuban revolution because they are “ladies” revealed this week his brother and president Raul Castro who added that this means that “not all visiting leaders to Cuba get to see him”.

Raul Castro's statements were made public following the end of Guatemalan president Alvaro Colom visit to Cuba, who was unable to meet with Fidel. "Not everybody can see him. He received the two presidents (Argentina and Chile) because they are ladies. They were insistent on that when they requested the interviews", said Raul Castro at Havana's airport where he said farewell to Guatemala's Colom. The Guatemalan president intention was to extend to Fidel his country's most valued honour the Grand Collar of the Order of the Quetzal, which he had to deliver through his brother and presidential successor Raul Castro. The Cuban president recalled that Mrs. Kirchner insisted in meeting with Fidel Castro during her official visit to the island in January even when she was preceded by her counterparts from Panama, Martin Torrijos and Ecuador, Rafael Correa, in the same month but with no Fidel appointments. "I told Mrs. Kirchner, said Raul Castro, other presidents have been to the island,"he can't see all of them". But then she replied, "I'm a lady". Yes went on the conservation, "behind you is another lady from Chile (Ms Bachelet). Mrs. Kirchner insisted, "It's only two of us, surely he can see us". "I spoke about it with Fidel and he then decided to receive them, but he can't receive all leaders", underlined Raúl. The last male president to meet with Fidel Castro was Russia's Dmitri Medvedev, November 28th last year.