November 30, 1999: Headlines: COS - Oman: University Education: Cuba: The Daily: Oman RPCV David Fenner is planning on tucking away a souvenir pair of the several thousand Fidel Castro tickets printed by the UW. He found out yesterday morning that he won't be needing them Thursday night, the date the Cuban president was scheduled to speak at Meany Hall

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Oman: The Peace Corps in Oman: November 30, 1999: Headlines: COS - Oman: University Education: Cuba: The Daily: Oman RPCV David Fenner is planning on tucking away a souvenir pair of the several thousand Fidel Castro tickets printed by the UW. He found out yesterday morning that he won't be needing them Thursday night, the date the Cuban president was scheduled to speak at Meany Hall

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-43-253.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.43.253) on Friday, December 24, 2004 - 4:48 pm: Edit Post

Oman RPCV David Fenner is planning on tucking away a souvenir pair of the several thousand Fidel Castro tickets printed by the UW. He found out yesterday morning that he won't be needing them Thursday night, the date the Cuban president was scheduled to speak at Meany Hall

Oman RPCV David Fenner is planning on tucking away a souvenir pair of the several thousand Fidel Castro tickets printed by the UW. He found out yesterday morning that he won't be needing them Thursday night, the date the Cuban president was scheduled to speak at Meany Hall

Oman RPCV David Fenner is planning on tucking away a souvenir pair of the several thousand Fidel Castro tickets printed by the UW. He found out yesterday morning that he won't be needing them Thursday night, the date the Cuban president was scheduled to speak at Meany Hall

Castro cancels WTO appearance


LEADER: Campus loses chance to hear Cuban president at Meany Hall


Karen Gaudette
The Daily



David Fenner is planning on tucking away a souvenir pair of the several thousand Fidel Castro tickets printed by the UW. He found out yesterday morning that he won't be needing them Thursday night, the date the Cuban president was scheduled to speak at Meany Hall.

In a six-page letter to Representative Jim McDermott (D-Seattle), Castro announced Monday that he will not join the Cuban delegation attending this week's World Trade Organization ministerial conference.

The letter detailed Castro's concerns that the state department would not grant him a visa to enter the United States, said David Schaefer, McDermott's spokesman.

Though U.S. officials had indicated Castro would be allowed to enter the country, he said he was certain they would not do so.

"I did not want to be submitted to that humiliation," said the only president Cuba has known in the past 40 years.

McDermott, along with the Seattle City Council and King County Council, wrote Castro this summer extending their welcome should he choose to attend to WTO meeting.

"He also raised the issue of Miami-based groups protesting about whether he should be allowed to come," Shaefer said.

Castro alleged the U.S. government was conspiring to keep him from the conference.

"There was unquestionably a plot backed by the state department against my traveling to Seattle," he wrote in the letter.

The announcement disappointed organizers of the event, many of whom have put in 12-15 hour days preparing for the opportunity to hear from one of the world's most controversial leaders.

Since word first spread earlier this month that Castro was considering speaking at the UW, a variety of offices and departments on campus have worked to put together a program, printing tickets and organizing security.

Fenner, director of UW international programs and exchanges, led the effort, and said even though the event fell through, he's proud at the speed at which the UW prepared.

"It's better to plan an event and plan it well, than to have not planned an event and then tried to make it happen - that would have been a disaster," Fenner said.

"We chose the right path to take."

Interest was so high that the Latin American studies department had to install a larger phone system to handle all the calls, said Jennifer Aradana, assistant director of the Latin American studies program.

Eugene Hunn, the department's director, said he always figured it was a long shot, but that it was worth hoping.

"His fame, or notoriety, depending on your position, is certainly greater than many, so I think he would have been a person that many people wanted to hear. Clearly, the demand for tickets was certainly there," Hunn said.


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Copyright©1999 The Daily University of Washington





When this story was posted in December 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

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Story Source: The Daily

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Oman; University Education; Cuba

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