Latest news with #Marxist-Leninist
India Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
The Castro grandson who Fidels as Havana plunges into darkness
Cuba, long defined by the Marxist-Leninist and Communist legacy of Fidel Castro's iron-fisted rule and ideals, remains one of the poorest countries in Latin America. With the average monthly wage stuck at around $16.50, everyday life on the island is marked by struggle, scarcity, and sacrifice. But not for everyone, not for the Castro who 'Fidels' while Havana those untouched by Cuba's deepening crisis is Sandro Castro, Fidel Castro's grandson, whose life today is a stark contrast to the austerity preached by his 33, Sandro is a social media figure with over 121,000 Instagram followers. His content doesn't echo political ideology or social concerns; it's a glossy display of wealth, status, and inherited privilege. In one post, he's on a yacht sipping Cristal beer. In another, he races through Havana in a luxury Mercedes-Benz. His nightlife venue, EFE Bar, caters to Cuba's wealthy and well-connected, charging 1,000 Cuban Peso (approximately $42 or Rs 3,600) at the door and demanding a minimum spend of 15,000 CUP (approximately $625 or Rs 54,000) at its tables – figures wildly out of reach for most has posted reels with a soundtrack by Bad Bunny, mocking the long power cuts that have plagued the capital city Havana. In a cheeky jab, he even compared himself to the state electricity company, suggesting he too could hand out his countryside getaway, El Patrn, where nights can cost $100, he lounges and unwinds, while back in the city, fuel, medicine, and food are in short to Fidel's son Alexis Castro, Sandro was raised in Punto Cero, a tightly guarded compound that shielded him from the shortages and stress endured by average Cubans. His life was always that difference plays out online: he wears designer clothes, smokes expensive cigars, and plays reggaeton music from a seat of comfort that symbolises a family that never truly gave up the visibility of his wealth, Sandro's net worth remains a mystery. Analysts believe he profits from his bars – EFE and Fantaxy, as well as from his influencer presence and possibly from access to old family Fidel, who was once estimated by Forbes to be worth hundreds of millions, Sandro's financials are well has occasionally drawn criticism from within the establishment, but largely, there has been no formal a video of him flaunting a Mercedes went viral in 2021 during a period of severe shortages, he tried to walk it back, but the damage was comments about the "toys" he owned didn't sit well with people struggling to find bread and Cuba continues to decline. Its GDP shrank again in 2024, part of a five-year slide that has erased nearly a tenth of the cost of living is on the rise as incomes stagnate. People endure endless blackouts, empty shelves, and increasing hopelessness. And as all this unfolds, Sandro continues to post cocktails, luxury dinners, and Cristal for many Cubans, represents the hypocrisy of a revolution that demanded sacrifice from its people while shielding its own inner circle. His lifestyle, so at odds with the Cuba's reality, has made him a symbol of the very inequality the revolution once promised to abolish.- EndsMust Watch
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
V S Achuthanandan: A Rebel who redefined Kerala's political battles
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was V S Achuthanandan's wont to see divides everywhere. Where none existed, he would create one. He would position himself on one side and wage a battle. He has won some; lost some, and transformed himself in the process. His political longevity has surprised and irked many, for he was the archetypal voice of opposition – in his party and the larger society. As CPM state secretary (1980-1992), he ruled with an iron fist. Later on, however, he transformed himself into a critical insider, waging pitched battles against power concentrated in the hands of one-time party proteges. He was a hawk, who wouldn't budge from his notions of doctrinal purity, no matter what. That essentially meant he had to swim against the organisational tide. Though he was one of the 32 founding leaders of CPM in 1964, his deviation from the party line began the very next year. In 1964-65, almost the entire CPM leadership was accused of being Chinese spies and jailed during the India-China war. As a prisoner at the Poojappura Central Prison, VS organised prisoners and exhorted them to donate blood for Indian soldiers. The party prison committee rejected his proposal saying it went against Marxist-Leninist principles.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
A Rebel within
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was V S Achuthanandan's wont to see divides everywhere. Where none existed, he would create one. He would position himself on one side and wage a battle. He has won some; lost some, and transformed himself in the process. His political longevity has surprised and irked many, for he was the archetypal voice of opposition – in his party and the larger society. As CPM state secretary (1980-1992), he ruled with an iron fist. Later on, however, he transformed himself into a critical insider, waging pitched battles against power concentrated in the hands of one-time party proteges. He was a hawk, who wouldn't budge from his notions of doctrinal purity, no matter what. That essentially meant he had to swim against the organisational tide. Though he was one of the 32 founding leaders of CPM in 1964, his deviation from the party line began the very next year. In 1964-65, almost the entire CPM leadership was accused of being Chinese spies and jailed during the India-China war. As a prisoner at the Poojappura Central Prison, VS organised prisoners and exhorted them to donate blood for Indian soldiers. The party prison committee rejected his proposal saying it went against Marxist-Leninist principles.
Shafaq News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Georges Abdallah to walk free after 41 years in French prison
Shafaq News – Paris A French appeals court has approved the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a Lebanese leftist activist imprisoned for 41 years over the killings of two diplomats in the early 1980s. His conditional release, set for July 25, 2025, comes after decades of legal delays, international pressure, and repeated parole blockages. Abdallah, now 74, is one of Europe's longest-held prisoners. He was arrested in Lyon on October 24, 1984, and later sentenced to life in prison for complicity in the assassinations of US military attaché Charles R. Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Bar-Simantov, both gunned down in Paris in 1982. French authorities also linked Abdallah to an attempted assassination targeting a US consul in Strasbourg in 1984. A former teacher and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Abdallah co-founded the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions (LARF), a Marxist-Leninist group that coordinated attacks in France during the early 1980s. The group claimed responsibility for the killings, citing retaliation for US and Israeli operations in Lebanon. Although Abdallah became eligible for parole in 1999, his release has been consistently blocked by French authorities, often following US diplomatic intervention. In both 2003 and late 2024, French courts approved his conditional release based on deportation to Lebanon. Each time, prosecutors appealed the decisions, invoking new anti-reoffending laws and citing his lack of remorse. On Thursday, however, a Paris appeals court ruled that Abdallah may be freed and expelled from France, provided he never returns. His attorney, Jean-Louis Chalanset, confirmed that Abdallah plans to return to Lebanon. The court based its decision on his "irreproachable" prison record and judged that he no longer posed a threat of engaging in terrorist activity. The decision remains subject to further appeal, but legal experts say there is little time for France's Court of Cassation to intervene before his scheduled release. Abdallah's case has long divided opinion. Supporters in Lebanon and parts of the international left regard him as a political prisoner and a symbol of resistance. The United States and Israel, however, continue to regard him as a terrorist who orchestrated politically motivated murders.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Maintain soft approach towards Nitish Kumar but target BJP leaders, Tejashwi tells INDIA bloc leaders
Ahead of the Bihar Assembly election, the INDIA bloc held its latest meeting in Patna on Saturday (July 12, 2025) at the official residence of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav. Top leaders of the Opposition alliance, including Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Alavaru, Bihar Congress State president Rajesh Kumar, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani along with senior leaders of the Left parties were present in the meeting, which lasted for over six hours. After the meeting, Mr. Yadav posted a message on his X account saying: 'Today, in the meeting of the coordination committee and various sub-committees of the INDIA bloc, meaningful and positive discussions took place on various election-related topics.' Mr. Yadav leads the coordination committee consisting of 21 members from all the six parties of INDIA bloc. The three Left parties comprise the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India (CPI). Sources in the meeting said that talks were also held on the joint campaign and manifesto of the alliance. A senior leader who was present in the meeting requesting anonymity said that Mr. Yadav asked the leaders of INDIA bloc not to vehemently attack Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and maintain a soft approach towards him while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders should be the main target. EBC vote-bank Asked about the reasons behind such an approach, the leader said: 'There is a perception that Nitish Kumar is still the leader of the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) vote-bank, which is the largest chunk in Bihar of over 36%. So, targeting him will not bring much benefit to INDIA bloc and also due to his falling health condition. So, we have been asked not to go hard on Mr. Kumar and BJP leaders should be on the radar.' After the meeting, Mr. Sahani of the VIP said the discussions were 'intense and long'. He added that the seat-sharing talks for the election will be finalised soon. 'We are not in a hurry. Many a times, the [alliance] candidates are changed after seeing the opposing candidates. So, let's wait for that. However, those who are likely to contest the election are already doing their campaign in their respective Assembly constituencies,' Mr. Sahani said. The VIP chief projected himself for the post of Deputy Chief Minister from the EBC category if the INDIA bloc forms the government asserting that there is no confusion about the Chief Ministerial face for which Tejashwi Yadav has been accepted by all the parties in the alliance. Mutual distrust: JD(U) Janata Dal (United) State spokesperson Anjum Ara, in a media statement, targeted the Opposition meeting alleging that leadership crisis and mutual distrust among the partners in INDIA bloc is at its peak. 'No party is ready to compromise in front of their personal interest. On one hand, Mukesh Sahani is demanding 60 seats, on the other hand Congress and Left parties are also engaged in imposing their own conditions. In such a situation, it has become clear that the grand alliance has neither policy, nor leadership nor any common vision,' Ms. Ara stated.
