Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Politics

Still Castro's Cuba, but not same one

Raul Castro appears to be settling in to his role as the replacement for his brother Fidel.

By DAVID ADAMS
Published July 27, 2007

Raul Castro listens to his introduction before speaking Thursday in Camaguey to honor the start of Cuba's revolution.
	[John Pendygraft | Times]

CAMAGUEY, Cuba - It looks increasingly as though Cuba's leadership has passed definitively to Fidel Castro's younger brother. In his second major public pronouncement since his brother's illness a year ago, acting President Raul Castro on Thursday praised his countrymen and said the government may consider some economic reforms.

Delivering the country's annual July 26 address marking the 54th anniversary of the launch of Cuba's revolution, Raul Castro seems to have settled comfortably into his new role as top leader. Speaking in the eastern city of Camaguey, he commended Cubans for the way they have performed during Fidel Castro's yearlong absence.

"These have truly been very difficult months," he conceded. But he quickly added that contrary to the predictions of "our enemies who were wishing for chaos ... and for Cuban socialism to collapse," Cubans continue to go about their daily lives "with serenity, modesty and discipline."

The same applied to the government. "Despite our deep sorrow, no task was left undone," he said.

In a dig at the U.S. policy of seeking to undermine the Castro brothers, he added, "How little they have learned."

It has been almost a year since Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who turns 81 on Aug. 13, fell ill and relinquished power, albeit provisionally. Precise details of his illness and where he is being treated have been kept a state secret.

It could be several more months before any decision is formally announced about Fidel Castro's future political role. For now Cuban officials are still holding out the possibility that the "commander in chief" may make a full comeback.

Most Cubans appear unfazed by Fidel Castro's long absence. "This revolution isn't about one man, as such," said Octavio Herrera, 50, a local Camaguey university professor who attended the speech. "It's about ideas. Men die, but ideas don't."

Herrera said he was impressed by the speech and by Raul Castro's realistic approach to Cuba's problems. "We don't have it easy, but I am going home today more optimistic than I was this morning."

In his speech, Raul Castro, 76, wasted no time in getting to the state of his brother's health. "To the delight of our people he is already taking on more and more intense and highly valuable activities," he said.

The ailing Cuban leader is recovering from undisclosed abdominal surgery last July 31. He has not been seen in public since then. Early images of his convalescence showed him bedridden, looking frail and emaciated.

But he has recently been photographed meeting foreign heads of state and a delegation from China. The strongest sign of his recovery came June 5 when he appeared in a televised interview, looking stronger that he has in months.

Raul Castro made no bones about the difficult economic situation the country is in and the impact of his brother's absence. But he has so far given no hint of any major departure in his policies from his brother's strict adherence to socialism and state control of the economy.

Instead, he peppered his speech with reference to his brother's teachings, quoting him at key moments. While he said some economic reforms were being looked at, he did not go into details, besides mentioning the need for greater food production, energy efficiency and foreign investment.

Cubans appear to be getting used to the new, low-key leadership style of Raul Castro, a man who despite his lengthy revolutionary career at his brother's side, has consistently avoided the limelight.

Unlike Fidel Castro's typically improvised, four- or five-hour marathon speeches against the injustices of imperialism and the virtues of socialism, his brother prefers to stick to a prepared text, delivered in about one hour. He used the opportunity to reiterate an "olive branch" offer of dialogue with the United States, which he first made in a speech in December.

Indicating that he had little expectation of a change of policy in the Bush administration, he said Cuba would have to look to the next American government. "If the new United States authorities were to finally desist from their arrogance and decide to converse in a civilized manner, it would be a welcome change," he said. "Otherwise, we are ready to continue confronting their policy of hostility, even for another 50 years, if need be."

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack responded coolly to the comments. "The only real dialogue that's needed is with the Cuban people," McCormack said in Washington. "If the Cuban people were able to express their opinion on the question of whether or not they would like to freely choose their leaders, the answer would be yes. Unfortunately, that's not a dialogue that is taking place in Cuba at the moment."

The ceremony held this year in Camaguey, Cuba's third-largest city, marks the July 26, 1953, attack by both Castros and a ragtag rebel band on the Moncada army barracks in the eastern city of Santiago.

The attack failed and many rebels were shot to death in the chaotic fighting or captured and killed by government forces. But it became a rallying cry for a subsequent revolutionary movement that gained new strength and eventually toppled dictator Fulgencio Batista in January 1959.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. David Adams can be contacted at dadams@sptimes.com.

[Last modified July 27, 2007, 07:02:35]