The Black Lives Matter movement has come out in support of Fidel Castro, following his death on Friday, saying they must “come to the defense of El Comandante” and thanking him for safeguarding Assata Shakur, who’s on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list.
The movement penned an article on Sunday titled “Lessons from Fidel: Black Lives Matter and the Transition of El Comandante” on the Medium platform where they eulogized the passing of the Cuban dictator. The article, which was not bylined, was Tweeted out by the closest thing there is to an official Black Lives Matter account and also posted on the movement’s semi-official Facebook page.
The article claims Castro’s death has caused “an overwhelming sense of loss, complicated by fear and anxiety.”
“Although no leader is without their flaws, we must push back against the rhetoric of the right and come to the defense of El Comandante,” it added.
The article continues by portraying Castro as a model freedom fighter, who Black Lives Matter should strive to follow and emulate. It said: “As Fidel ascends to the realm of the ancestors, we summon his guidance, strength, and power as we recommit ourselves to the struggle for universal freedom. Fidel Vive!”
The movement then thanked the Cuban dictator for hiding criminals and domestic terrorists from the U.S government, such as Michael Finney, Ralph Goodwin, and Charles Hill — who hijacked an airplane from Albuquerque while being sought for the 1972 murder of New Mexico State Trooper Robert Rosenbloom.
Hill told a Washington Post reporter in the 1990s that he had no regrets about killing the state trooper, a father of two young daughters.
The BLM movement is also also “particularly grateful” to Castro for harboring “Mama Assata Shakur, who continues to inspire us.” Shakur, whose real name is Joanne Chesimard, is currently on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list with a $1 million bounty on her head.
She was convicted in the U.S. of killing a New Jersey state trooper, assault and battery of a police officer. After she escaped from prison, Castro granted her asylum in Cuba in 1984.
Another fine moment to be proud of.
