By Prensa Latina
Caracas : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has hailed the election of Raul Castro as president of Cuba and described him as one of the authors of the Cuban Revolution of 1959.
Chavez was speaking Sunday during his weekly “Alo Presidente” television programme.
The leftist president of Venezuela said his new Cuban counterpart has been an inseparable partner of his brother Fidel Castro since the days of Moncada and the Sierra Maestra, the two most important name in the history of the country’s socialist revolution.
The Cuban revolution began with the failed attack by the rebels on the Moncada army barracks, in which most of the leaders were killed or arrested by the then dictator Fulgencio Batista. The rebels then retreated to the Sierra Maestra mountains to regroup themselves for the second wave of attack that unseated Batista.
“Raul has always been there, in silence but actively working, faithful to the revolution, to the Cuban people and to Fidel,” Chavez said.
He pointed out that the Venezuelan revolution owes many thanks to Fidel Castro, Raul and the Cuban people.