South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela is being hailed as a hero but some South Florida lawmakers say people need to remember that he was too cozy with some of the world’s most oppressive regimes. Mandela angered many Cubans by forging close ties with Fidel Castro.
Florida Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart describes Mandela as a great man.
“A historic figure that will and should be remembered as just a ceaseless fighter for the elimination of apartheid in South Africa", Diaz-Balart said. "Every human being, however, has good things and bad things.”
According to Diaz-Balart and many Cuban Americans, Mandela crossed an invisible line when he visited Fidel Castro in Cuba shortly after his release from a South African prison in 1990.
Mandela had gained inspiration from the Cuban revolution and used that in his fight against South Africa’s white-minority government.
Diaz-Balart says as people remember all the good Mandela did they also need to remember his associations.
“The controversial aspects of are his close ties with some of the world’s, frankly, most murderous despots: Castro, Gadaffi and others that he was very vocal about supporting and helping because as he used to say, ‘Well they helped me’”, said Diaz-Balart.
During the Cuba visit, Castro awarded Mandela the Order of Jose Marti, Cuba`s highest civilian honor.