A resurfaced story in the Montgomery Advertiser details an unlikely friendship between Democrat candidate Ron Sparks, running for his old job as Agricultural Commissioner, and the late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

According to the report, Sparks met with Castro in 2004 to discuss possible trade opportunities with the U.S.

“He had a strong grip,” Sparks recalled to the Montgomery Advertiser in 2016. “I’ve never forgotten what he had to say to me then and in the years that followed when I’d visit him again.”

Sparks served as commissioner for two terms from 2002-2008.

“Some would say any trade with Cuba would just be propping up Castro’s regime,” Sparks said. “We’d say our goal involved the service industry, something that could help more people in Cuba to find jobs.”

Sparks would later be a senior advisor for U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook) in 2018.

“I think he picked up during our conversations that I was trying hard to help his people,” Sparks said. “During our meetings over several years he got to know me better and that made things a lot easier.”

According to Sparks’ campaign website, he’s making his campaign about ” protecting consumers, opening markets for exports, and promoting Alabama farmers and our products.”

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee