Op-ed:
Raul Castro's Puppet-On-A-String
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on American
Political Radio
“His election is not by chance. It was planned by us in group, and
we decided that he’s the best option in our opinion.”
- Raul Castro on Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermudez becoming Cuba's
next president
For six decades they ruled with an iron first...first Fidel and then
Raul...the infamous Castro brothers. Turning the once beautiful
island nation of Cuba into a third world nightmare of sorts, this
once thriving nation saw its economy and infrastructure crumbling
under the 'bearded one's' communist rule.
And the Cuban people hoped that economically things would at least
get a bit better upon Fidel's death, but those hopes were short lived
for Raul was cut from the same cloth as his brother but just in a
slightly less in-your-face mode.
So as a new Cuban president now takes over the reigns of power know
this transition is not quite what it seems on the surface for Raul's
hand-picked successor is nothing but a Castro puppet-on-a-string. How
so...with Raul Castro remaining in place as First Secretary of Cuba's
Communist Party...the most powerful position of all...and with Raúl’s
son Col. Alejandro Castro Espín heading intelligence and domestic
security for the army and interior ministry...Raul's actual control
shows no real signs of abating especially with his now being freed
from the day-to-day responsibilities of a figurehead presidency. And
this means the agrarian revolution started by his brother Fidel...a
revolution fueled ever forward via pages taken from the communist manifesto by a man who in reality was not unlike a Mafia don...that
revolution remains in place...at least for the time being anyway.
And so with orchestration courtesy of all-powerful Raul Castro...who
was also the founder and head of the Revolutionary Cuban Armed
Forces...party loyalist Migel Díaz-Canel...who came up through the
ranks...became the sole candidate nominated to head Cuba’s Council
of State...the presidency if you will. And then in a vote of 603 to
1...remember there are no direct 'by the people' presidential
elections in Cuba just the nominating of municipal representatives who
in turn pick the president...the 57-year old Diaz-Canel...Cuba's then
national assembly vice-president...became what was being portrayed as
a consensus builder when in reality he is anything but.
So now as the reigns of power shift somewhat to a younger but still
decidedly communist leaning generation, know that this generation
born after the revolution is still a generation indoctrinated into
the ideals and tenets of communism, socialism and most decidedly
Castroism. This translates into Diaz-Canel's presidential
“anointing” being but a dog and pony show for all the world to
see while the Cuban people's sorry lot in life will see no change for
the better as this so-called election was but a regurgitation of
socialistic continuances of everything that was.
And while last
year then President Raul Castro himself spoke that economic reforms
were soon to come, even going so far as to say that, “We haven’t
renounced the pursuit of private-sector work”...know those words
were also just for show for now President Miguel Diaz-Canal has said
that, “There is no room for those who aspire to a capitalist
restoration...We will defend the revolution and continue to perfect
socialism.” In other words, it's more of the same old, same old,
for what the Cuban people have to look forward to is as per Diaz-Canal's
own words, a “continuity to the Cuban revolution,” and that if
any changes are to be made that they will always be in the “context
of existing Cuban socialism.”
So why did Raul
Castro bother to relinquish the presidency when Miguel Diaz-Canel is
Raul Castro...just minus 30 or so years of age?
Before that
question can be answered certain facts must be known, first of which
is that during his two terms as president, Raul did bring a certain
amount of “cautious reform” to Cuba including the introduction of
term limits (two 5-year terms total), in fact he himself will step
down as the head of Cuba's Communist Party in 2021. And Raul together
with then President Obama (calling him that still leaves a bitter taste in my
mouth) opened diplomatic but somewhat shaky relations with the
United States in 2014; he lifted some restrictions on commerce and
travel for Cuban citizens; and he also initiated the legalization of the sale
of real estate.
But even those
reforms in no way went nearly far enough in regards to actual
economic reform as new licenses for up and coming small private
businesses...businesses like restaurants, taxi companies, and operations aimed
at the “big money” tourism industry...while still leaving the Cuban
economy’s most important economic sectors like energy, mining,
telecommunications, medical services, and rum-and cigar-production in
the hands of the state...those licenses have not only slowed down but have for all
intents and purposes stopped with Cuba's rank and file Communist Party
officials claiming that they need to make sure these new private
businesses are paying taxes and obeying the law.
Translation:
private business owners and young so-called “upstart entrepreneurs”
were making more money than said rank and file Fidel loyal officials
were. Jealousy and envy are powerful weapons in the hands of those
who wish for a slowing down or a halting of economic reform for to
them economic reform signals a flaw if not a failure of the
revolution's socialistic collective agenda.
And failure of the
revolution remains most decidedly not an option.
So where will this
once minister of higher education and former Raul Castro bodyguard's
hand fall in all of this, for if now President Miguel Diaz-Canel delays
for too long the public's call for much needed and much demanded
economic reform, a dangerous precedent will be set with both
generalized economic collapse and general discontent hanging over the
horizon. And if he decides that economic reform is not to be addressed,
Díaz-Canel's painting of himself as both an adherent to the economic
policies of Raul Castro and as a consensus builder...while at the
same time disavowing the entirety of capitalism...will all be for nought.
“There’s no space here for a transition that ignores or destroys
the legacy of so many years of struggle,” now President Miguel Diaz-Canel said in his
acceptance address.
But
Diaz-Canel...who Raul says will now hold power until 2031...knows
that if he plays his cards right a loosening on private enterprise
might still be in Cuba's future without compromising Fidel's
dream of a socialist utopia. And to accomplish this he must put in place a
version of what's known as “market socialism”...the very system
China now uses to bolster its once dragging economy.
But
will “market
socialism”...which
is a predominant state-owned sector within an open market
economy...as in a
government controlled compromise between socialist planning and free
enterprise...a
blending of the two is you will...will that be
enough to herald in the true economic reform the Cuban people both
need and want? It seems only time and Diaz-Canel's promise of
reform...albeit cautious reform on his timetable and willingness
alone... will tell, for no matter if “market
socialism”
does become the answer to Cuba's economic woes it will still see
businesses being publicly owned but with production and consumption
being guided by market forces instead of by government planning, but sadly those businesses would still not be owned by the Cuban people themselves.
But at least
that's a start and reform does indeed have to start somewhere for
otherwise the now Cuban stagnant economy, along with most cities and towns in a total state of disrepair, will continue on its
downward spiral. Remember, the revolution under Fidel's guidance saw Cuba’s
economic model being dependent upon having a patron...a sponsor...and
while the Soviet Union picked up the country’s tab, if you will,
Russia for the most part no longer does. And the economic help gotten from
Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela, both before and after his death and Venezuela's own
political and economic collapse, is now almost nonexistent, leaving
Cuba mired in debt and despair it seems it will never see its way out of.
Now as for the
answer to the question of why Raul Castro really stepped down.
Claiming that by his stepping down he now looks forward to having
more time to travel the country...I ask Raul travel to do exactly
what...and all I can come up with is he will continue to push forward
the revolution's now failing agenda in a last ditch attempt to ward
off what might be yet a new Cuban revolution...one to bring Cuba into
the 21st century and finally leave the 1950's behind.
But sadly for now
the Cuban people's suffering continues on for not much relief is
expected for the island nation, for while some Cuban's hoped that
Raúl’s stepping down as president might be their long awaited relief
from a revolution proven to have gone sour...all sadly remains status
quo for now. And while there might be a new presidential figurehead
in town running Cuba's daily operations...Miguel Diaz-Canel neither
stirs the Cuban people's passions nor is he expected to bring much change
for Raul Castro still controls the army and the party, and the reality is that he who
controls those controls Cuba. It cannot be said any plainer than that.
Copyright @ 2018 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor /
All Rights
Reserved.
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For
more political commentary please visit my RIGHT
SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The
National Patriot to read his latest article The Evolution of Monumental Idiocy
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