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<a href="http://www.granma.cu/INGLES/2006/agosto/lun14/34fidchav.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.granma.cu/INGLES/2006/agosto/lun14/34fidchav.html</a><br><br>
</font><font face="Georgia" size=5><b>Unforgettable afternoon<br>
between brothers<br><br>
</b></font><font face="Georgia" size=3>AS he announced on Saturday at the
launch of his presidential candidacy, Chávez came to Havana to celebrate
Fidel’s 80th birthday with the Cuban president. Raúl received him at the
airport and gave him the affectionate embrace of a people grateful to the
friendly leader for his human grandeur and attitude of
solidarity.<br><br>
Fidel was awaiting Chávez in the bed in which he is recovering and they
spent more than three hours of emotive conversation, recounting
anecdotes, laughing, photos, gifts, a light snack and the joy of a close
friendship. “This is the best visit that I have made in my whole life,”
affirmed the Venezuelan president who, impressed at the president’s
capacity for recovery, exclaimed:<br><br>
“What kind of human being is this? What material is he made of? As you
say, he is like the <i>caguairán</i> (hardwood tree).<br><br>
Chávez confessed to Fidel that, to surprise him, he had spent a week
trying to paint his portrait, but finally abandoned it in the early hours
of August 13, dissatisfied with his profile of the president’s nose, so
that, in addition to the cup from Napoleon’s dinner service that Bolívar
kept and the liberator’s dagger, he decided to bring him a painting by
José Antonio Quintero, a new generation Venezuelan artist. <br><br>
For his part, Raúl gave the Bolivarian leader a portrait of Fidel painted
in 1959 by the eminent Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros, which was
hung for a long time in his office at the Ministry of the Revolutionary
Armed Forces.<br><br>
It was an unforgettable afternoon, shared by brothers in blood and cause,
which brought new strength and encouragement to the warrior
<i>Comandante</i> of a thousand battles in a new victory for
life.<br><br>
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<a href="http://www.granma.cu/INGLES/2006/agosto/lun14/34fidchav.html">
Unforgettable afternoon between brothers<br><br>
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