Fidel Castro: Loves The Internet... Even As Cubans Are Blocked From Using Most Of It

from the what's-good-for-me,-and-not-for-thee dept

Nearly a decade ago, we wrote about how difficult it was for Cubans to get access to the internet, with some resorting to bootleg access to get around the limitations. It wasn't just that internet access was hard to come by, expensive and incredibly slow, but that it was heavily filtered, leaving little access to many popular sites. Still, back in 2003, we noted (with some surprise) that Fidel Castro was saying that the internet was important in giving people a voice and breaking down communications barriers.

Apparently, he still believes that. While Castro hasn't been heard from as much since handing over control of the government to his younger brother Raul Castro, he's apparently still a fan of the internet, and has become something of an internet junkie. In a recent interview he's again talking up the wonders and importance of the internet, and notes that he reads 200 to 300 news items a day, and is a big fan of Wikileaks (no surprise there).

As for the vastly limited access on the island, he blames the US embargo (of course), but even if that explains the difficulty and expense associated with access, it does not explain the filters and the limits (including a long period -- only recently ended -- where Cubans weren't allowed to have computers with internet access in their homes). So, the overall position still seems pretty hypocritical. Internet access is important in "putting an end to secrets," as he says... but the Cuban government doesn't want that to apply to itself.

Filed Under: cuba, fidel castro, internet