One of the most intriguing parts of The Boys from Dolores concerns a letter written by the boy Fidel Castro to FDR. According to Symmes, it's still in the national archives. I'd heard about it, but here is most of the text complete with mispellings:
My good friend Roosvelt
I don't know very English, but I know as much as write to you.
I like to hear the radio, and I am very happy because I heard in it that you will
be President for a new [periodo].
I am twelve years old. I am a boy but I think very much but I do not thing that
I am writing to the President of the United States.
[I]f you like, give me a ten dollars bill green american, in the letter, because
never, I have not seen a ten dollars bill green american and I would like to have one of them......
...If you want to make your sheaps, I will show to you the biggest (minas) of iron
of the land. They are in Mayari, Oriente Cuba.
Castro's reaction to whatever response he received:
"Yeah, well....He won the election. But the Americans are assholes. I asked for ten dollars and they didn't send me a cent."
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