Sir, – I read with great interest Brendan O'Driscoll's article "Reflections on Fidel Castro's passing, from an Irishman in Cuba" (Life & Style, December 1st). He wrote of Fidel Castro's "lasting achievements'" in the areas of "health and education", "the high level of social and economic equality" and the "virtual absence of political corruption". He went on to contrast this with his personal experiences in Africa and Asia, where he saw "first-hand the high- and low-level corruption and mismanagement that destroyed public services".
While certainly not disagreeing with what he found in Africa and Asia, looking at Cuba, I would ask him, how is seizing supreme power by force, holding on to it also by force for 49 years, until forced by ill-health to surrender it, and doing so to your own brother, not a high level of political corruption? – Yours, etc,
MURRAY SMITH,
Dublin 6.