The romanticizing of Franco by some conveniently excuses his alliance with Hitler and his sending of divisions of men to fight alongside teh Wermacht and Waffen SS. Although he stayed neutral during World War II, he was not unfriendly to the Nazis and Fascists.

Even thought Humberto makes a good argument about what Franco supporters where all about, lets be honest about his support for Germany. The soldiers he sent to support Germany where sent specifically to fight the Soviet Communists on the Eastern Front, he forbade them to fight against the western allies. It was called the Blue Division and was dedicated solely to fighting 'the Bolsheviks'.His subliminal affinity for Castro is disgusting, but he was no friend of the Communists. In fact, his 'soft spot' for Fidel may have been a manifestation of his anti-Americanism and the fact that Castro was the standard-bearer for that feeling. The left in Spain reviles Franco, yet many socialist programs like their universal healthcare where a product of his regime...funny, isn't it; fascism/socialism/communism ---- read Jonah Goldberg's "Liberal Fascism".

They are all shit systems.

I'm glad someone wrote a post on this. Cubans go on and on about the bastard Zapatero, and deservedly so, but he definitely didn't invent this wheel. The fact is Spain has been playing Castro's game since Day 1. Even under Aznar, only the rhetoric really changed. It was still BUSINESS as usual. Too many vested interests, too much residual sense of colonial entitlement, and yes, WAY too much anti-Americanism. If Spain has to choose between sticking it to the US and helping Cuba, Cuba's gonna get screwed. After all, the dastardly Americans "stole" Cuba from Spain when Cuba was a MAJOR cash cow, not to mention the matter of pride.

Castro, Inc. has had its way with Spain more often and in more ways than Billy C. did with Monica. All Spain has ever done is assume the position yet again. It's beyond disgusting that Bush could be more unpopular with the Spanish than Castro, but there you have it.

In light of historical considerations, only the Vatican (given what it supposedly represents) can compete with Spain in terms of infamous behavior towards Cuba. I personally blame Spain more than I do the Soviets, because to them Cuba couldn't mean anything much except an opportunity they couldn't pass up. To them, Cubans might as well have been stupid little aliens wearing signs saying "Use me."

But Spain is a VERY different story. There's the little matter of four centuries of shared history and intimate connection. Cuba, at least in 1959, was unquestionably the most Spanish of all Spain's former colonies; perhaps it still is, deep down. Spain used and abused Cuba for eons, and it was guilty of MAJOR atrocities such as the many, MANY thousands of CIVILIAN (noncombatant) deaths caused by Gen. Valeriano Weyler's concentration camps during the War of Independence.

I could go on, but it's not hard to do the math. And by the way, all my ancestors came from Spain, so my blood is more Spanish than that of Spain's current king, queen or crown prince. The royal family's surname is, in fact, French, not Spanish. King Juan Carlos, like so many supposed champions of freedom and democracy, was not above smooching with fidel before media cameras, and his son Prince Felipe was not above sitting next to fidel during an official function; no doubt they chatted amicably enough.

In other words, nobody in Spain has the moral authority to tell me SHIT, and I'm hardly the only Cuban who can say that. So please, don't even try that "mother country" BS on me, OK?

Mother country my ass. My maternal great grandfather was a mambí.

The Spanish Division Azul kicked major Soviet ass on the Leningrad Front. Hitler himself praised them as "absolutely fearless--as good as the best Wermacht divisions," which is saying something when you consider (in purely military terms) what the German army accomplished against almost unimaginably overwhelming odds for four years. The Spaniards were all genuine volunteers too.

Franco used them much like Castro uses his doctors and others. The Germans paid well (by Spanish standards) and these Spanish soldiers were clothed and fed by the Germans who also paid them. Many of the Spaniards then sent home their "remittances."

As volunteers The Division Azul practiced genuine "international (Fascist) solidairty," unlike the hapless Cubans Castro dragooned and shipped to Angola, Somalia, Eritrea, etc.