Foreign Affairs

Inside Look Into ABC Reporter’s Torrid Affair With Fidel Castro

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Politico published an article Friday detailing an ABC News correspondent’s romantic affair with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Lisa Howard romantically connected with Castro during a rendezvous at the Hotel Riviera back in 1964, Politico claims.

“Finally alone with her, Castro slipped his arms around the American journalist, and the two lay on the bed, where, as Howard recalled in her diary, Castro ‘kissed and caressed me … expertly with restrained passion,'” the article reads.

“He talked on about wanting to have me,” Howard wrote but “would not undress or go all the way.” Howard felt their professional relationship would be destroyed if they slept together so she decided against it. Castro remained confident “that it would come naturally,” according to Politico.

Howard became became Castro’s top American confidant and began secretly relaying messages from Cuba’s regime to the White House and back again, Politico reported. She heavily sympathized with Castro and tried to convince America he was not a threat to the U.S.

Castro and Howard managed to keep the affair secret until their deaths; but after the release of declassified documents and the discovery of Howard’s diaries and letters — the secret’s out.

After scoring an interview with Castro, Howard received a bouquet of flowers from the Cuban dictator. She sent Castro a letter in return, saying, “I wanted to give you something to express my gratitude for the time you granted me; for the interview; for the beautiful flowers. I have decided to give you the most valuable possession I have to offer. Namely: my faith in your honor. My faith in the form of a letter, which, if revealed, could destroy me in the United States,” Politico reported.

Howard called the letter “a tribute, a poem to you — the man.”