he interviewed Castro in his mountain hideout in February 1957. Matthews depicted Castro as a youthful idealist fighting for a democratic Cuba: “It was easy to see that his men adored him and also to see why he has caught the imagination of the youth of Cuba all over the island. Here was an educated, dedicated fanatic, a man of ideals, of courage and of remarkable qualities of leadership.” And, Matthews insisted, “there is no communism to speak of in Fidel Castro’s July 26 Movement.” Instead “the best elements in Cuba—the unspoiled youth, the honest businessman, the politician of integrity,
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