GERRY Adams has caused worldwide controversy by shaking hands
with Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. But yesterday the
president of Sinn Fein outdid himself when he grasped the hand of his
hero, the Cuban president Fidel Castro.
As one of the major figures of the latter part of the 20th century,
Castro was a key player in the Cold War, with the Cuban missile crisis
threatening to plunge the world into nuclear war during Kennedy’s
presidency.
To Irish republicans who closely studied other conflicts around the
globe while waging their own bloody war, Castro and his fellow
revolutionary leader Che Guevara were inspirational figures.
It came as little surprise, therefore, that a broad grin broke out on Mr
Adams’ face during his first encounter with Castro at a rally in a
schoolyard in the humble district of Ceiba in Havana.
The president, in full military gear, was ushered towards Mr Adams,
shaking his hand before engaging in a brief conversation.
After the Cuban national anthem and a nod to the president from the
Sinn Fein leader, Castro took the stage and delivered a one-and-a-half
hour speech on education. It was not clear later whether Mr Adams
intended to pass on the details to his Sinn Fein colleague and Northern
Ireland education minister, Martin McGuinness.
