Fidel Castro edited the novels of Marquez
As it is reported by The Guardian, Marquez received from Castro implications concerning the actual and grammar errors in the text. The edition published the quotation of Dr Stephanie Panichelli-Batalla who read lectures on the history of Latin America in Aston University: ‘The president was an avid reader. When they met in 1977, they had several conversations about literature and eventually Fidel offered to read his manuscripts, because he had a good eye for detail’.
In such a way, Cuban dictator played significant yet unpredictable role in the world literature as Marquez followed all the notices which Castro who recently died had applied to Marquez. In the meantime, the corrections done by Castro were not ideological as they rather were similar to attentive and accurate editing of the text. Particularly, having read the book ‘The Story of Shipwrecked Sailor’, Fidel told to Marquez that there is a mistake in calculations relating to the speed of boat. Furthermore, Fidel gave an advice concerning the compliance of bullets included in the gun belonging to one of the characters. Additionally, Fidel told to Marquez that in ‘Chronicle of a Death Foretold’ there is misconception in description of the hunting rifle.
In 2010 Castro wrote a letter to Marquez where the president of Cuba claimed to be finding time for reading books even coping with the circumstances of earthquake in Haiti: ‘Your book Yo No Vengo a Decir un Discurso [I’m Not Here to Give a Speech] is disturbing. Enslaved by other obligations, I abandoned my duty and started reading. I missed your stories. The plague in Haiti reminded me of Love in a Time of Cholera’.
The friendship of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Fidel Castro became exception from the rules as quite frequently many great activists of culture and literature are situated in the opposition towards the ruling regime while dictators do not approve the ingenious masterpieces, especially when they see themselves from the literal side. However, Marques claimed several times to have criticized some features of ruling of Castro – never in public, but often face to face. Being influential and authoritative person, Marquez socialized with many political activists, for example, there is a fact confirming the discussion arranged between the writer and former president of the USA touching the ground of Cuban politics. As the result of such interference some dissidents were released.
