Reading the newspaper headlines this week it looks like Andres Oppenheimer’s and other author’s predictions of Fidel Castro’s demise have finally come true. (There are dozens of books with titles like “Castro’s Final Hour” or “After Fidel” that have been published over the last 50 years since Fidel came to power.) However, the million dollar question is: Will things actually change now that Fidel has retired as commander in chief?
The long illness that forced Fidel to temporarily transfer power to his brother was hardly the “transition” that most people would have hoped for. The Cuban government showed it could function even without Fidel the micromanager running things on a day to day basis. Now that Raul Castro will permanently assume the role of commander in chief it looks like the government’s structure will largely remain intact. Also, Fidel announced that he would write prolifically and continue to fight for the revolution. For now it looks like Fidel will exert much power from behind the curtains.
How much longer will the Cuban people have to wait to be able to hold free and fair elections and join all other countries in the region that have managed to transition to democracy?
Published Date: February 20, 2008