A WAR of words erupted at last night’s meeting of Cork City Council regarding a vote of sympathy for Fidel Castro.
City Hall Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins
Workers’ Party councillor Ted Tynan proposed the vote for the Cuban leader, who passed away at the age of 90 in recent days. Mr Tynan cited successes in the Cuban health and education system as reasons to laud the leader, calling on the Lord Mayor to open a book of condolence to mark the occasion.
He was backed in his proposal by Anti-Austerity Alliance member Fiona Ryan and Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould.
Others hit back, citing Castro’s human rights abuses as reason for not supporting the vote.
Ms Ryan hit out at the Lord Mayor for not opening a book of condolence.
“It’s quite astounding,” she said. “I would not be uncritical of Castro and feel that the fullest implementation of a true workers democracy wasn’t fully accomplished in Cuba.”
“However, some in this chamber decried the human rights abuses of Cuba which is quite extraordinary considering the Lord Mayor’s recent visit to China, a country which faces enormous criticism for its attack on human rights.
“It appears that concern surrounding human rights must only be applied if there is no profit to be sought by doing business with that state.”
Fianna Fáil councillor Terry Shannon offered an alternative vote of sympathy – to the victims of the Castro regime.
He said, “It’s not much good having that health and education system if you’re languishing in a concentration camp without so much as a trial.
“We can’t have a sliding scale of despots,” he added.
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