Castro

HAVANA -- The exodus of tens of thousands of people from Cuba is not another Berlin Wall collapsing on a Cold War dictator: Fidel Castro does not seem likely to fall soon.Though considerably weaker than 10 years ago because of the nation's dire economic straits, the 68-year-old maximum leader remains for many Cubans the symbol of national sovereignty.It was he who freed the country of its last vestiges of foreign domination, and it was he who established land reform, free schools and health care that are the envy of Latin America.

Chicago. -- The Cold War is over almost everywhere else. But it still separates the United States from Cuba.Exiles in Miami fulminate against Fidel Castro as if he were the devil.Castro, in return, props up his economically sagging island with bravado and bitterness. The loss of Soviet money has been a tremendous blow to Cuba, the principal result of the Cold War's end in Castro's eyes.The CIA gave a rare public report on its intelligence work when it told Congress that Castro is in financial straits.

IT LOOKS LIKE the Soviet Union already has at least one New Year's resolution: Get tiny Cuba off the dole.Despite billions of dollars in Soviet trade subsidies, Fidel Castro's Cuba has become one of the poorest countries in Latin America. Moscow, tired of propping up another welfare client state, will cut off all subsidized trade with Cuba on Jan. 1.Moscow's recent demand for hard cash in exchange for Soviet oil -- ending three decades of oil giveaways -- has prompted rumors of the rapid demise of the Cuban dictator.

COZUMEL, Mexico -- The presidents of Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela offered yesterday to help Fidel Castro overcome his differences with the United States.But the three oil-producing countries apparently stopped short of offering to open oil sales to Cuba that would break Washington's attempt to isolate the island.A communique issued by the three presidents after the meeting said that they had "offered their good offices" to begin a process of reconciliation between Cuba "and the countries with which it has differences."

Dale Castro, a former All-American kicker at the University of Maryland and member of the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame, has accepted the head football coaching position at Annapolis High. Castro, who was a three-sport standout (football, baseball, basketball) at Southern of Harwood High, still lives in that area. He is a guidance counselor at High Point in Prince George's County, a position he took after resigning as coach of the Eagles following four playoff appearances in 10 seasons, the last in 1997.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government's hopes of bringing Robert L. Vesco to trial in the United States have been dampened by Cuban President Fidel Castro's remark that it would be "immoral" to extradite the longtime fugitive financier.Instead, Mr. Castro said at a private dinner Sunday night with reporters and editors from Cable News Network, his government will investigate the case of Mr. Vesco. The financier was arrested in Havana this month ostensibly on suspicion of being a foreign agent.

MIAMI -- Cuban President Fidel Castro may be barred by legal technicalities from making a videotaped appearance as a witness in the trial of Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega.Potential legal problems associated with Mr. Castro's possible testimony in the trial were raised by U.S. District Judge William Hoeveler during a private conference in the courtroom with prosecutors and defense attorneys. It was conducted out of earshot of the jury and members of the public.The bench conference occurred in late September, and transcripts of the discussion were released yesterday.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- Cuban President Fidel Castro left here yesterday, no longer the Western Hemisphere's most awkward guest.The 65-year-old comandante of socialist purity had been polishing his reputation as a humorless curmudgeon, telling a summit of Latin presidents that they would not persuade him to alter his hard-line Marxist views -- views that even many Soviets now find appalling.At least four leaders and a king had failed to dent Mr. Castro's stoicism during most of the two-day summit of 19 Latin countries and their former colonial masters, Spain and Portugal.

It's not a pretty sight, seeing a relatively little guy sprawling painfully on the green Arena carpet, writhing in pain. When the Blast's Rod Castro does it, he does it so well, not even his wife knows if he will survive.It is the art of the dive: The Great Fake. The Big Fall. In other words, the ability to draw a foul call, even when a foul may not have been committed.The first time Castro's wife, Dianna, went to a game, Castro pulled one of his best injured routines."Dianna hated it," said Castro.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- Nineteen Latin American countries opened their first summit yesterday hoping to persuade Fidel Castro to end his 32-year-old Marxist rule.But in individual meetings with four of his colleagues, the Cuban president gave no hint that he was about to change.In his first public statement here, Mr. Castro said that he welcomed the chance to join Latin American forces but that Cuba "could not submit to political pressures" to change.Mr. Castro warned the assembled leaders against an overreliance on getting help from Western nations.