Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Hot Spot DXing: Cuba - Castro Resigns

The End of an Era
Dictator steps down after half-century in power

HAVANA — An ailing Fidel Castro resigned as Cuba's president Tuesday after nearly a half-century in power, saying he will not accept a new term when the new parliament meets Sunday.

"I will not aspire to nor accept — I repeat, I will not aspire to nor accept — the post of President of the Council of State and Commander in Chief," read a letter signed by Castro published early Tuesday in the online edition of the Communist Party daily Granma.
More from Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331149,00.html

Fidel Castro announces retirement
Cuba's ailing leader Fidel Castro - one of the world's longest serving leaders - says he will not return to the presidency.
BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Fidel Castro's Resignation Letter
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331165,00.html

Fidel Castro Resigns
HAVANA (Reuters) - Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro said on Tuesday that he will not return to lead the country as president or commander-in-chief, retiring as head of state 49 years after he seized power in an armed revolution.

Castro, 81, who has not appeared in public for almost 19 months after undergoing stomach surgery, said in a message to the communist nation that he would not seek a new presidential term when the National Assembly meets on February 24.
Related Reuters story: http://www.reuters.com/

Cuban Media: Castro Resigns as president
Castro quoted as saying he will not aspire to, nor accept another term as president
VOA News: http://www.voanews.com/english/portal.cfm

Related story: Castro is longest serving leader in Western Hemisphere
Fidel Castro is the longest-serving leader in the Western Hemisphere, holding on to power despite repeated efforts by the United States to end his rule. To some Cubans, he is a revolutionary hero, but to others, he is a ruthless communist dictator.
VOA News: http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-02-19-voa10.cfm

Communist icon Fidel Castro bows out
19/02/2008 10h15
Juan MabromataHAVANA (AFP) - Ailing revolutionary icon Fidel Castro permanently gave up the Cuban presidency on Tuesday, ending five decades of ironclad rule of the island marked by his brash defiance of the United States. In a message published by the online version of the Cuban Communist Party newspaper Granma, the 81-year-old Castro said he would not seek the presidency again when it is decided later this week.

"I neither will aspire to nor will I accept -- I repeat -- I neither will aspire to nor will I accept, the position of president of the council of state and commander in chief," Castro wrote, almost 19 months after undergoing intestinal surgery and handing power temporarily to his brother Raul Castro.
More from AFR: http://www.afp.com/english/home/

Miami's Little Havana Reacts
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331161,00.html

Bush: Post-Castro Cuba Should Begin Transition to Democracy
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331154,00.html

Radio Havana Cuba on shortwave
All times UTC

English
0100-0200 6000 6180
0200-0300 6000 6180
0300-0400 6000 6180
0400-0500 6000 6180
0500-0600 6000 6060 6180 9550 11760
0600-0700 6000 6060 6180 9550 11760
2030-2100 9505 11760
2100-2130 9505 11760
2300-0000 9505 9550
(Gayle Van Horn/Monitoring Times SW Guide)

Arabic
2030-2100 11750 11800

Creole
0100-0130 9550
2130-2200 5965 9505
2230-2300 5965 9505
2330-0000 5965

Guarani
2230-2300 17705
2330-0000 17705

French
0000-0100 9550
0130-0200 9550
2000-2030 9505 11760
2130-2200 9505 11760
2200-2230 5965 9505
2300-2330 5965

Spanish
0000-0100 5965 6000 6060 6140 9600 11760 11875 13760
0100-0200 5965 6060 6140 9600 11760 11875 13760
0200-0300 5965 6060 6140 9600 11760 11875
0300-0400 5965 6060 6140 9600 11760 11875
0400-0500 5965 6060 6140 9600 11760 11875
1100-1200 6000 6180 9550 9600 11760 11805 12000 13760
1200-1300 6000 6180 9550 9600 11760 11805 12000 13760
1300-1400 5000 9550 11760 11805 12000 13680 15370
1400-1500 9550 11760 11805 12000 13680 13760 15370
2100-2200 9550 11750 11800 13760
2200-2300 9550 11750 11800 13760

Portuguese
2000-2030 11750 11800
2200-2230 17705
2300-2330 13760 17705
2330-0000 13760

Quecha
0000-0030 17705
(DX Mix News # 505 via Alokesh Gupta)

Radio Havana Cuba - Multilingual archive audio only http://www.radiohc.org/

You can monitor the latest developments (Spanish only) online at:

Radio Enciclopedia http://200.55.129.7/radioenciclopedia (Windows Media Player)

Radio Rebelde http://www.radiorebelde.com.cu/
mms:media.enet.cu/radiorebelde (Paste URL into Windows Media Player)

Spanish
24 hours on 5025
0700-0900 11760
1100-1400 6140 9505 9600
1600-1900 15370 17735
1700-1900 11665 15570
(WRTVH)

Radio Marti Live (Office of Cuba Broadcasting) http://www.voanews.com/real/live/envivo.ram (Real audio service)
(Larry Van Horn/Btown Monitoring Post)