Fidel Castro Resigns as Cuba’s Leader

Fidel Castro, leader of the Cuban Revolution and dictator of that sad country for 49 years, has decided that enough is enough. At 81, he is no longer physically capable of boring the masses with 7 hour speeches, so he has retired. That changes almost nothing since he stepped aside in favor of his little brother Raúl.

The state-run newspaper Granma ran a letter yesterday from Mr. Castro that read in part, “I will not aspire to neither will I accept — I repeat I will not aspire to neither will I accept — the position of President of the Council of State and Commander in chief. It would betray my conscience to occupy a responsibility that requires mobility and the total commitment that I am not in the physical condition to offer.”

Optimism broke out among those opposed to Mr. Castro. Francisco “Pepe” Hernandez, President of the Cuban-American National Foundation [CANF], a leading anti-Castro exile organization, said, “After 50 years, there is no more one-man rule in Cuba because his successors cannot maintain the same power and the same position that he attained during the last 50 years.” President Bush said, “Eventually this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections. And I mean free and I mean fair,” rather than the kind in Florida that handed the White House keys to him.

More realistic views came from people like Janisset Rivero, the executive director of Cuban Democratic Directorate, who said, “I think there have been preparations taking place for quite a while to assure the crowning of Raúl Castro. It doesn't mean any change to the system. It doesn't mean there will be freedom for the Cubans. One big dictator is replacing the other. It will be a big deal when political prisoners are released, when political parties are allowed to organize, when the country stops being ruled by a single party.” She is absolutely right.

That won’t be happening any time soon, though, because the leader isn’t going anywhere. He may not be president, but his brother is, and Fidel Castro will control what happens in Cuba until the day he dies. He only quit as president of the Council of State and commander-in-chief; he remains first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party. As anyone who can remember the Soviet Union knows, that is the important position in a Marxist-Leninist state.

© Copyright 2008 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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