(My new American Thinker post)
There is a very interesting article by Ann
Louise Bardach about President Obama's favorite Castro. It gives you a
little insight into the relationship of Fidel and Raul Castro. It also confirms
that President Obama is hoping that Raul Castro changes!
From
the beginning, the Fidel-Raul relationship has been clear to
all Cubans. Fidel is the GM and Raul the plant manager. Everybody knows
Fidel but Raul is in the back office making sure that the repressive machine of
the state is running smoothly.
This
relationship is probably based on "brotherly love". It may be also be rooted
on Fidel's ruthless control of power. After all, Raul is keenly aware that few
around Fidel survived to old age.
Back in 1959, Camilo Cienfuegos, the second most popular
leader of the revolution, disappeared
mysteriously in a plane crash. He had challenged Castro a few days before
about the arrest of Huber
Matos, the other commander who dissented and spent 20 years in
a torturous political prison.
Even Che
Guevarra, the darling of US college professors and the
uninformed, was eventually left alone in Bolivia, where he
was trying to start his own revolution. There are many Cubans who believe that
Fidel gave Che a choice: Go start your own revolution or I will execute as a
traitor for all of your criticisms.
Raul was faithful to Fidel all along. Then was given
control of the country in 2006 when Fidel announced his illness.
In the article, she tells of the story of how Raul
Castro is now in charge and hoping to change Cuba for the benefit of his son
Alejandro, the next Castro.
Before you go out and think that Raul Castro is a
moderate, or another despot changed by Obama's magical personality, remember a
couple of things that Anne Louise Barach explains:
And what a deal he has made with the United States, scoring the big-ticket items on his wish list: the release of the remaining Cuban Five prisoners, an avalanche of American tourists and their cash, a huge uptick in remittances and investment capital, while sliding off the U.S.’s state-sponsored terrorist list.Second, there is no indication that these reforms include political reforms. In other words, this is about saving the Castro family in power:
At the same time, he kiboshed most of the U.S. demands—open elections, human rights’ guarantees, $7 billion in U.S. property claims, an independent media and accessible Internet.
Nor will any dissidents be allowed to attend the embassy ceremony on Friday, a move widely viewed as a capitulation. (A senior State Department official explained Wednesday, somewhat improbably, that the absence of dissidents was due to “limited space,” while declining to give the number of invitees.
While America can merely claim that it has finally removed Cuba as a hot potato irritant for itself, its allies and neighbors—and retrieved the hapless USAID contractor Alan Gross—Raúl Castro has rescued his island-nation from bankruptcy, collapse and isolation.
These days, Raúl is building an even deeper legacy, one that will likely outlast both him and his brother—ensuring that the Castro family will hold the reins of power for some years to come.So this is why I say that Obama is the Castros' favorite American. He has made it possible for the family, and Castro Inc, to stay in power.
Not
bad for Raul Castro, a man drowning last fall but now firmly in control after
the Obama lifeline.
P.
S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and
follow me on Twitter.
Friday August 14: US embassy in Cuba, Clinton emails & other stories....... http://t.co/7WvqwJqOIG
Friday August 14: US embassy in Cuba, Clinton emails & other stories....... http://t.co/7WvqwJqOIG
— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) August 14, 2015
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