Reviews for La agonia erotica: De Bolivar, el amor y la muerte

The average rating for La agonia erotica: De Bolivar, el amor y la muerte based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-05-31 00:00:00 Patrick H Jones "The exploitation of one human by another must disappear before you can have real democracy" -Fidel Castro It is a hard task to present a coherent narrative about one of the most enigmatic figures of the 20th Century, Skierka tries to show us as much of Castro as possible, but really, it is impossible to separate the man from the history that surrounded him. It is fitting, then, that in a botched attempt at uprising that landed the young Castro in jail he declared: "History will absolve me!" There are three relationships that really come out as inseparable from Castro: America, Che Guevara, and the Church. Castro falls into the tradition of Latin American figures that sought to liberate the continent from imperialism. But unlike the Cuban revolutionary of the early 20th Century, Jose Marti, Castro appears to have genuinely kept the forces of the US at bay. This was not made any easier by an incredibly (and unfairly) hostile US. Castro is not the only leader forced into a marriage of convenience with the Soviet Union due to the lack of respect for the issues facing his country. That a tiny Caribbean republic can stand firm against a giant to its north is testament to the determination of a people to be free. This same freedom however, remains elusive to those within Cuba. It appears that the fateful embrace of Communism was helped a great deal by Castro's comrade Che Guevara. The Argentine doctor became the guiding light of Cuba's ideological agenda, screwed towards a global third world revolution. Guevara's ideas, such as intervention in the Angolan civil war and the creation of a 'new man' (the perfect socialist who felt no need for material incentives) cost Cuba a great deal, but made Cuba into a major power in the Global South. Today, Cuba's educational and health services surpass those found anywhere else in the developing world (and a few places in the developed world) and Cuba's global health initiatives have earned it worldwide respect. The most unexpected relationship was that with the Church. Castro was officially atheist, as was the constitution of the communist country. However, raised in the Jesuit tradition, Castro seems to have incorporated religious ideas into his philosophy. In conversations with Frei Betto, Brazilian priest, he discusses a Marxist understanding of the story of Jesus, a freedom fighter with an egalitarian message to the chagrin of an imperialist power. The visit of the pope to the island also appears to have aided in its international esteem, as well as increased religious tolerance in Cuba. Overall a satisfying story about a controversial figure.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-03-18 00:00:00 Mark Argires Castro is in his mid-eighties, my dad's age, and I wanted to learn more about his life. The Hawaii Public Library System has a bunch of biographies about the man, so I chose a scholarly one written by a European because I wanted a perspective that was not American or Cuban. This biography is studiously researched and does not seem unduly biased in any direction, given the controversial subject. It was not a quick-read, and bogged down sometimes in more minutia than I would have liked. However, I learned so much about the man and his beliefs, about the politics of revolution, and of both the USA and Soviet Union, about the struggles for freedom in Central and South America and Africa, about Che Guevera and his role in both Castro's life and world history. After learning about the abhorant role of the USA and our CIA in the colonialization and mafia-ization of Cuba under the brutal iron rule of Batista, I have a better understanding of the Cuban people's revolution and the events that shaped my own youth including the Bay of PIgs invasion,and the subsequent missile crisis, And, instead of learning about the devil, as Castry was portrayed, I have come to appreciate and admire the Cuban people and Castro's passionate and stubborn efforts to free their island-country from the tyrany of the USA government. Fidel Castro rose to power because the people of Cuba stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, and he is the only leader of a Third World Country that I know of who did not get rich off his revolution. Viva Castro! Viva Cuba!