Goldberg a Fidel: "A lo dicho pecho"

Fidel Tries To Wiggle Out of One

Sep 10 2010, 9:28 PM ET

According to CNN, Fidel Castro is claiming that I misunderstood his statement, "The Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore":

In a speech at the University of Havana that was then broadcast on Cuban TV, Castro said he meant "exactly the opposite" of what was understood by Jeffrey Goldberg, who was interviewing him for The Atlantic...

On Friday, Castro said he was correctly quoted, but that, "in reality, my answer meant exactly the opposite of what both American journalists interpreted regarding the Cuban model. My idea, as the whole world knows, is that the capitalist system no longer works for the United States or the world," he said. "How could such a system work for a socialist country like Cuba?"

Castro called Goldberg "a great journalist." "He does not invent phrases, he transfers them and interprets them," he said. "I await with interest his extensive article."

First, thank you very much, Fidel, for the kind words. Second, I'm sorry to say it, but I think the expression, "The Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore" means, "The Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore."

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MORE ON Fidel Castro:
Jeffrey Goldberg: Fidel to Ahmadinejad: 'Stop Slandering the Jews'
Jeffrey Goldberg: Fidel: 'Cuban Model Doesn't Even Work For Us Anymore'

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Fidel says that his answer meant "exactly the opposite" of what Julia Sweig and I heard him say. Just as a language experiment, here is what the opposite of his statement would sound like: "The Cuban model works so well for us that we want to export it." But he didn't say this. What he said was -- well, you've read what he said. I'm not sure how this statement --accurately quoted, according to Fidel -- could mean anything other than what it means.