Teasing a Tyrant

DJ's in Miami are in hot water for placing a "crank" call to ... Fidel Castro!

'[Enrique] Santos and [Joe] Ferrero host "El Vacilon de la Manana," or "The Morning Joker," show on Spanish-language radio station WXDJ-FM in Miami.

'On June 17 they phoned Cuba's foreign relations ministry and pretended to be aides to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, an admirer of Castro. They said Chavez needed to speak urgently to Castro because he had lost a suitcase full of sensitive documents during a recent trip both leaders made to Argentina.

'The call was transferred through several government officials and when Castro came on the line, the pranksters used recorded snippets from a Chavez speech to make it seem the Venezuelan leader was calling -- phrases like "Fidel," and "How are you?"

'After getting Castro to agree to hunt for the suitcase, they called him a killer and told him he was on a Miami radio show. Castro replied with a string of curses and hung up. '

If you're charitably disposed towards Fidel, you'll be glad to know that the DJ's face a fine of $4000.

Is that a lower price than they'd pay in Cuba?!