Eritrea vs Cuba
Eritrean leader Isaias Afewerki wants critics to compare his country with late Fidel Castro’s Cuba and resents comparison with Kim Jong Un’s North Korea. But judging by Eritrea’s objective conditions, Isaias doesn’t look like the
Eritrean leader Isaias Afewerki wants critics to compare his country with late Fidel Castro’s Cuba and resents comparison with Kim Jong Un’s North Korea. But judging by Eritrea’s objective conditions, Isaias doesn’t look like the more jovial, sociable and friendly Fidel Castro (whom I once had the chance to interview as a radio journalist) who had less problems with his neighbors other than ‘imperialist’ America, of course.
While torturing, jailing and banishing his opponents, the Cuban tyrant enjoyed his revolution intensely and passionately. He once compared it to a man making violent love to his sweat heart – an act which, he thought might appear and sound disgusting to anyone looking in through a door key-hole although the lovers inside might feel they are in heaven.
Certainly, Isaias and his team can’t claim they are anywhere which remotely resembles to what we think is heaven as the country is surrounded by hostile neighbors, its soldiers are fleeing every day, many of its people suffer from drought caused food shortages. Even worse, the government is under rough and debilitating UN sanctions and there is the possibility Isaias and some of his aides might be indicted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
Sol May 1, 2017
Mr. Michael,
It is unfair to compare Fiedel Castro With IAA, Castro was a principled marxist while the maniac dictator of Eritrea is well known for sleeping with any side that will pay more. DIA can change his political stance according to the condition before couple of years he was standing with Iran, when KSA waged war against the Huthi he changed his position to be an ally of KSA and UAE. Even During his meda days he was the same.
k.tewolde May 2, 2017
Indeed Sol,megalomaniac with thoughts of grandiose coupled with sadistic perversion and essential inferiority complex.You can’t find the psychological aberration of the tyrant in DSM IV. There is no comparison there,may be with his brothers who he calls ‘baboons’ and refuses to relate with and trying to compete who rules the longest.
Asmara Eritrea May 2, 2017
I think Michael has a point. Both Castro and Isaias can be described as economically illiterate who brought their respective countries to their knees. But that is where the similarity, in my book, ends. Whilst Castro was an orator of the extreme. Isaias cannot chain a couple of sentences together (his thinking span is no more than a minute or two), whilst Castro can lecture 5 hours, non-stop. Castro enjoyed Cigars and smoked them elegantly whilst Isaias is on the bottle – rumours are that Isaias can consume a bottle of whiskey in no time and then uses the empty bottle to beat up people, including his cliques in order to keep them in their place. In a word, Isaias is bonkers.
Above all, however, Isaias as obsessively brutal on his own people – far more than anyone can accuse Castro of doing.
Eritrea forever, death to dictatorship.
alem May 2, 2017
Many of us do not know anything about cuban revolution and fidel castro. With out samary if what fidel did and failed to do, it is hard to compare the two. We know the sadist devil back home who is soaked in crimes. The peopl will not stop thinking of elliminating him, he will not stop torturing the people. Although bitter to swallow, he knows are the winners.
Z. Hagos May 2, 2017
A leader, who is confused and troubled, like Isaias, cannot stand on his ground because he is not principled. Indeed, one like Isaias, who always causes pains and leaves every day scars on his people cannot be considered a leader let alone to be compared to other great leaders. Great leaders create peace out of wars; negotiate successfully to resolve inescapable tensions and border disputes but we don’t see such qualities in Isaias. That is why some UN members call Isaias the master of stupidity because he could not even resolve the simplest problem with Djibouti. Great leaders don’t just romanticize troubles to cause hardship to their people.
hilmiab/tigray May 2, 2017
Her we go again the maniac from tigray instead of cleaning their own house vilifing eritrea. Let remind the author that the inquiry has been rejected cause enough evidence have been found. The only evidence they have are faceless, nameless witness, and child made pic, while our neighbors were massacring their in day light and no inquiry, so sad right ???
Senkam May 2, 2017
The old wedi Afom has no principle and never needed one. you need principle if you have grand objective to either lead your society into prosperity, inspire a generation, shape the future of a country politically, socially and economically. All of these go against everything what isias stands for. Old isias’z dream is how he can remain in authority without being accountable not just for corruption but even for not. having any national agenda. thats why vision, future, generation, people, country don’t mean anything. so,no worries about having any principle to lead such noble ideas that all sanefull idealists across the globe come about throughout human history to bring change in society.
isias’s principle is blind the people, spread lies, dissiminate false promises to keep them in limbo, control their life to the extent they go hungry,, pindown the young as slave so that they see no better future unless resort to desperate measure, never allow any legal body/system, instead install word of mouth orders and commands. This extends your rule till the end of your life. Way to go old tembenai.
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Eyob May 2, 2017
Isaias is worthless, good for nothing, dictator who has little concern if any for his people and country. Fidel Castro …….Cuba is the only country in the world which irradiated illiteracy.
hilmiab/tigray May 3, 2017
Hey Fake news against all odds
Eritrea stand with all your hatred
And your ill wish to destroy eritrea failed, look who is dying slowly TPLF REGIME so issayas is a mountains above all what you worthless can do sellout
adhanom May 5, 2017
Mr abraha
U can not compare vision with confusion. Castro had a vision which was widely accepted by his people and beyond, iseyas is a sack full of confusion. He is mentally not sound and honesly he is unfit to lead or be lead. He is a gang member and a criminal who knows people will not have mercy on him. He knows his fate is gadafis fate.
alem May 6, 2017
I would compare iseyas with mengistu easily with few differences. But the writer intentionally or inadvertently added few misleading facts. 1. There is no debilitating un sunction on eritrea but an arms embargo which is nominal. There is self imposed sunction by iseyas and his corupt generals on eritreans and eritrea. 2. Djibuti and sudan are not hostile neighbours.3. Starvation in eritrea is direct result of the sunctions on us by iseyas’ s regime. Mr abraha knows these facts well and chose to twist them.
berhan gedem May 6, 2017
I can’t compare Castro and Isayas the difference is at large which mean Castro smarten than Isayas because he defend his principle socialist principle near big enemy for him.
While Esayas he don’t have any principle like prostitute he can go any where any time he is ignorant tyranny non like in our twenty first century stupid leader in this planet he torture and killed his own people.