Fidel Is Out of the Loop

CNN reported that Fidel Castro wrote publicly that he had no idea that Eugenio George, a famous volleyball coach, had died until he read about it in the newspaper. Here is the original message Fidel wrote in Granma. That was prompted by people asking him why he hadn't sent flowers.

That no one took the initiative to tell him is not particularly noteworthy. What's more interesting is that he chose to make a public statement about it, in large part to avoid losing face. But the fact that the founder of the revolution was reduced to whining publicly is, as far as I know, novel.

h/t Joenie Hilfer on Twitter