Castro brothers plan The party must go on

Posted on Wed, Jul. 12, 2006

CUBA
Castro brothers' plan: The party must go on
By JAIME SUCHLICKI
jsuchlicki@miami.edu

The recent reestablishment of the secretariat of Cuba's Communist Party,
the purges and replacements of party officials and the growing
prominence of Raúl Castro in the Cuba-controlled media strongly suggest
that the younger brother is increasingly managing and running the
government's day-to-day operations.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of subsidies to
Cuba some 15 years ago, Fidel Castro streamlined the party and
eliminated its secretariat. Only the politburo remained as the principal
decision-making body within the party, under Fidel's and Raúl's leadership.

In the years following the end of communism in Europe, the military in
Cuba increased significantly its control over society and the economy.
Most major state enterprises and key sectors of the economy fell under
the control of active or retired military officers. During these years
the party took a back stage role and became more bureaucratized and corrupt.

The reappearance of the secretariat earlier this month, led by Fidel and
Raúl and composed primarily of party officials from the various
provinces, signals the revival of the Communist Party, the only party
allowed in Cuba, as a key player in the succession process. As Raúl has
emphasized, the future leadership of Cuba after Fidel's disappearance
should not be embodied in a personalized caudillo, but rather it should
be represented by Cuba's key communist institutions.

The Castro brothers hope for an institutionalized succession that would
guarantee the continuance of the present system and ideology into the
indefinite future. The military, the party, and the security apparatus
are to ensure the continuation of the revolution ``into the next
millennium.''

Fidel's deteriorating health and Raúl's own frailty (he's 75 years old
and a heavy drinker) are accelerating the move toward succession in Cuba
and the search for an institutionalized model that would preserve the
current system. The message from the leadership is clear: There will be
no ''glasnost'' or ''perestroika'' in Cuba and no Gorbachev will be
allowed to emerge.

Ideological rigidity and political and economic centralization are the
policies to guarantee a successful succession and prevent Cuba's
transformation into a democratic, market-oriented economy. In the
international arena, maintaining an anti-American posture, solidifying
alliances with friendly regimes primarily in Venezuela, China and Iran,
and seeking new anti-American allies and supporters throughout the world
are the key moves that strengthen the Castro brothers' strategy and
could guarantee the longevity of successor regimes.

Jaime Suchlicki is professor of history and director, Institute for
Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/15018903.htm