Then Evo arrived ...

You would have thought Evo Morales had enough problems to deal with back home, with his popularity among Bolivians rapidly falling, continuing strikes by teachers and bus drivers and political trouble in at least four provinces …

Well, he still has time to visit his old friend and mentor Fidel Castro and wish him a speedy recovery, etc, etc.

According to news just delivered by Cuban television, Morales has made a surprise lightening visit to Havana where he is said to have spent two hours talking to the 80 year old dictator. He also met Raul Castro, the man who is supposed to be running Cuba at the moment.

No photographs or footage of the visit have been made public so far, so we don’t know yet whether the ailing Castro wore that coquettish burgundy red dressing gown he apparently reserves for visits from Hugo Chavez.