CASTRO & FRANCO

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Curious friendship between Spain fascist leader Francisco Franco, and Cuban communist leader Fidel Castro - both said by some to have Jewish heritage

Has been noted before on this site that Fidel Castro, is widely held to have the heritage of Spain's Sephardic Jews who nominally 'converted', the 'Marranos' or 'Conversos'

http://aanirfan.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-real-fidel-castro.html

http://aanirfan.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-mysterious-trudeaus.html

Many are puzzled by the curious deep friendship and bond between Fidel Castro (1926-2016), leader of Communist Cuba after his 1959 victory in the Cuban revolution, and Spain's fascist leader Francisco Franco (1892-1975), leading Spain after his 1939 victory in the Spanish civil war, defeating communists and leftists.

Much against expectations, and despite threats and even attacks on Spanish ships, Franco defied the USA-led embargo of Cuba, and maintained open trade relations with Cuba throughout his life, Cuba even declaring official mourning after Franco died.

Both Franco and Castro had roots in Spain's Portuguese-dialect-speaking Galicia region, one bond between them. But it is also argued by some that both had Jewish ancestry. One of Franco's mother's names was Bahamonde, said to be associated with Jewish Conversos.

Franco gave famous refuge to a number of Nazi fighters. But also, some tens of thousands of Jews found refuge and safe passage in Spain, though Franco had given 'lists of Jews' to Nazis.

Franco and Fidel apparently never met, though finally Fidel came to Spain in 1992 and was able to enter what had been the simple village house of his father, the emotional moment on film here at the 55 second mark -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEaUue0bwrY&t=55s

Catalonia's 3Cat TV channel did an hour-long 2016 documentary, 'Franco and Fidel: A Strange Friendship', here with English subtitles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79B_bcsp60U