Castro Bombs in Madrid

MARK FALCOFF

MADRID—At the second summit of Latin American presidents and the prime ministers of Spain and Portugal, the big story was Fidel Castro’s first—and perhaps last—visit to Spain. The event was supposed to give a lift to the sagging prestige of the Cuban caudillo, hard-hit by the collapse of his erstwhile Soviet ally. Instead, the visit was a disaster, and Castro cut his stay short by several days. (As the conservative daily ABC observed, perhaps he was afraid that if he remained away from his troubled island much longer, he might not be able to return at all.)

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MARK FALCOFF

MADRID—At the second summit of Latin American presidents and the prime ministers of Spain and Portugal, the big story was Fidel Castro’s first—and perhaps last—visit to Spain. The event was supposed to give a lift to the sagging prestige of the Cuban caudillo, hard-hit by the collapse of his erstwhile Soviet ally. Instead, the visit was a disaster, and Castro cut his stay short by several days. (As the conservative daily ABC observed, perhaps he was afraid that if he remained away from his troubled island much longer, he might not be able to return at all.)