Castro’s legacy

From The Economist print edition:

Look a bit further ahead, and two broad scenarios seem possible in Cuba. The first is one in which the Communist Party oversees the introduction of capitalism while retaining political control—in the mould of China, Vietnam or, closer to home, Mexico in the heyday of the Institutional Revolutionary Party. That seems to be the route favoured by senior figures in the regime, few of whom show any signs of being closet democrats. The other scenario is the one long dreamed of in Miami and in Washington, of the regime’s sudden collapse and, it is assumed with a confidence many Iraqis may find worryingly familiar, a swift move to liberal democracy.

The first prospect stems from the notion that Cuba is somehow different—its people won’t want democracy. The second argues that the only exceptional thing is Mr Castro: remove his evil genius and the regime will crumble. In fact, the truth seems somewhere in between. To get a sense of what might—and should—happen, start by cutting through the fog of propaganda surrounding Fidel himself.

Related posts

• Will Cuba Become a Global Ethanol Player? (0)
• US intel analyzes video of Fidel (0)
• The World in 2008: Cuba (0)
• The comandante’s last move (0)
• Raúl’s rise (0)