assessing Cuba's politico-military affairs
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The Cuban Council of State, at the suggestion of its president, agreed to relieve José Ramón Balaguer Cabrera as Public Health Minister and promote in his place, Roberto Morales Ojeda (present Public Health First Vice-Minister).
Balaguer Cabrera, in accordance of the Politburo, will be reincorporated in the work of the Cuban Communist Party’s Central Committee. [Radio Habana Cuba]
(Images: Balaguer (l) in Cubadebate; Morales (r) in Cibercuba)
Tags: Central Committee, Cuban Communist Party, Jose Ramon Balaguer, Politburo, Roberto Morales
La Verdad Obrera (LVO), a publication of the Argentine Socialist Workers Party, has an interesting critical piece on the recent political developments in Cuba from a Trotskyist perspective.
The following incisive paragraphs were transcribed from the story:
Bureaucracy and corruption
Accompanying the announcement of prisoners being released and an economic adjustment is the corruption scandal at the highest levels of the state apparatus. Cuban authorities called upon Chilean businessman and Fidel Castro’s friend Max Marambio (ex-MIR militant, custodian to Salvador Allende and Marcos Enriquez Ominami’s presidential campaign director) to appear before them as he is accused of malfeasance and fraud against the Cuban state through his aliment company, Río Zasa. News of this tailspin into a scandal because of the strange death of general manager of the Chilean company Roberto Baudrand. Corruption in the highest levels of government splashed recently upon Cuban ministers Jorge Luis Sierra and Luis Manuel Ávila.
This situation confirms the denouncements reproduced in LVO 382 by Esteban Morales, researcher at the Center of Hemispheric Studies and United States in Havana, who was thrown out of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) for pointing out that “corruption is the true counterrevolution” (Esteban Morales’s blog, July 7) and correctly signals out that state corruption is the way to place capitalist restoration in leadership circles within the state and PCC.
Bureaucracy and power
The public reappearance of Fidel Castro, even though declarations have not been made, expresses the support of the historic leader to his brother and the existing unity in the old guard gerontocracy of the Castroist bureaucracy that is evermore supported by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) to exercise power with an iron hand and keep up under his control the new phase of the Cuban political process. The active reappearance of Fidel looks to put a limit to the conflict between different factions of the governing bureaucracy and discipline them in a time beset by a world crisis and financial upheaval, the regime’s challenge is to diminish the crisis over the masses’ movement of taking new steps on the road to pro-capitalist reforms.
In this sense, the release of anti-Castro opposition prisoners is far from being an expansion of freedoms and political rights of the worker and peasant masses of Cuba, so that they can organize themselves to defend their gains (as we Trotskyists explain) express an attempt by the bureaucratic regime, haunted by the specter of financial ruin, to reinforce a political bargaining and making concessions to imperialist and restorationist forces.
(Image: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.)
Tags: Castroist bureaucracy, Cuban Communist Party, Cuban political prisoners, Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, Esteban Morales, FAR, Fidel Castro, gerontocracy, Jorge Luis Sierra, La Verdad Obrera, Luis Manuel Ávila, Luis Manuel Ávila González, Max Marambio, PCC, Río Zasa, Roberto Baudrand
Esteban Morales, the Cuban academic who wrote the article “Corruption: The True Counterrevolution?” (published by the National Artists and Writers Union of Cuba in early April 2010, and later removed from its website) criticizing government corruption in Cuba as the greatest threat to the island’s communist system has been stripped of membership in the Cuban Communist Party as punishment for his criticism, reports Havana Times.
(Image: Esteban Morales. By Patricia Grogg-IPS.)
Tags: CCP, Corruption: The True Counterrevolution, Cuban Communist Party, Esteban Morales, government corruption, Havana Times, PCC
Cuba’s government has allowed Granma (Cuban Communist Party’s newspaper) to publish letters to the editor (here and here) critical of an economy devastated by decades of corruption and centralized power.
(Image: Granma, Carta a la dirección, 7 May 2010.)
Tags: Cuban Communist Party, Cuban Government, cubans, Economy, open criticism
Castro dies of natural causes under questionable circumstances. His brother Raul is still in control of the apparatus. An enormous funeral and wake is observed throughout the nation, but within days after the wake, Cubans begin to demonstrate openly against the post-Castro regime. Raul accelerates liberalizing policies and carefully consolidates preferential property rights for the Cuban Communist Party, including ownership of information systems and key foreign currency owners such as tourist hotels. This cynical abandonment of the revolution in favor of privileged survival is transparent to lower-ranking bureaucrats and outer-circle rivals. Violence breaks out between major institutions with historic grudges, and the competition is fueled as exile leaders and money are attracted to the fray. Leverage is soon applied to change migration, investment, banking and property ownership policies. Once this happens, the regime loses effective political control.
The above referenced quote is a scenario presented in a special issue of Military Review dedicated to Operations other than War published in January 1994.
Tags: Cuban Communist Party, Cuban military, Cuban political collapse, Fidel Castro, Kurdistan, Military Review, Operations other than War, Panama, Raul Castro, Somalia, u s army
The Cuban Intelligence Services (CuIS) found within the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of the Armed Forces, and the Cuban Communist Party could hamper or promote a transition toward democracy when Communism passes as a form of government.
Romania’s experience offers examples of which path a post-Communist government can undertake in restructuring its intelligence services instilling the establishment of democratic control over an intelligence apparatus.
Research Associate Chris Matei of the Center for Civil-Military Relations (CCMR) at the United States Naval Postgraduate School wrote an article titled: “Romania’s Intelligence Community: From an Instrument of Dictatorship to Serving Democracy,” published in 2007 by the journal International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence.
The article provides valuable lessons learned of democratic control over post-Communist intelligence services and the following paragraph best sums up that experience:
Romania’s intelligence system has followed a path from serving as an instrument of communist dictatorship to being an effective intelligence community under democratic control. This achievement is notable, considering both the relatively short amount of time for the transition and the foundations of the organization—the Securitate.
With the collapse of Communism in 1989, Romania transitioned from an authoritarian regime to a functioning democracy, thereby disproving scholars’ skepticism with regard to its low chances for democratic consolidation.
Its road to a free society has been long and difficult, but, despite a series of shortcomings and failures, Romania has built up from ground zero the basic democratic institutions (political society, rule of law, state-apparatus, economic society, and a functioning civil society), demonstrating that its ‘‘course towards democracy is irreversible.’’
Tags: Cuban Communist Party, Cuban Intelligence Services, CuIS, intelligence services, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of the Armed Forces, Romania
"Informal" market in Havana. Image: Los Angeles Times
Via Financial Times:
The Cuban government is considering easing its stranglehold on the retail sector in an effort to legalise the underground economy and reduce massive theft. A recent communiqué from the Communist party’s central committee suggested change was coming to one of the world’s two remaining Soviet-style command economies, the other being North Korea…Cuba is battling a liquidity crisis, shrinking production and increased pressure from a frustrated public and creditors.
Tags: agriculture, creditors, Cuban Communist Party, Cuban Government, liquidity crisis, Raul Castro, retail sector, underground economy
Aging nomenklatura. At top left: Fidel Castro (83), Raul Castro (77), José Ramón Machado Ventura (78), Esteban Lazo (64); bottom left: Juan Almeida (81), Abelardo Colomé Ibarra (69), Ramiro Valdés (76), Guillermo García Frías (80). Image: La Opinión A Coruña
Via Proceso:
Cuban authorities acknowledge the future of the revolution is in the hands of younger generations. However, the elderly dominate the pinnacle of power. The majority of members of the Politburo of the Cuban Communist Party – a major instance of power on the island – are septuagenarians.
Tags: Cuban Communist Party, Fidel Castro, gerontocracy, Politburo, power, Raul Castro
The Center for Strategic and International Studies has held throughout the year its Cuba Outlook Series covering several topics affecting the island nation.
Last week, the seventh installment (Cuba: An International Perspective) of the series took place as well as last month’s grassroots politics and the Cuban Communist Party were discussed.
Tags: CSIS, Cuba Outlook Series, Cuban Communist Party, grassroots politics
It was decided at a closed-door meeting of the Communist Party Central Committee that the 2009 Bastion Strategic Exercise will be held at the end of the year.
Tags: 2009 Bastion Strategic Exercise, Cuban Communist Party
In a meeting of the Communist Party Central Committee, officials agreed to postpone indefinitely the first party congress since 1997, which had been announced for late this year, the Communist Party daily Granma reported.
The daily quoted Raul Castro, who spoke to the party’s central committee, as saying, “Because of the laws of life, this will be the last (congress) led by the historic leadership of the revolution,” referring to age and time.
Tags: Army General Raul Castro, central committee of the communist party, Cuban Communist Party, PCC
Septagenarians control Cuba's destiny: present and future. Ramiro Valdez (l), Raul Castro (c), Machado Ventura (r). Image: Getty
Proceso, a Mexican daily, published an article this week in which Ra
Tags: agricultural minister, Council of Ministers, Cuba, Cuban Communist Party, cuban leader, Government, government decisions, government responsibilities, inner circle, military men, Politburo
Avoiding a social explosion is foremost on the minds of the Cuban nomenklatura. "El Maleconazo" which occurred on the streets of Havana's famous seawall in August, 1994 was the most significant demonstration of social unrest in the island.
A chorus of those sympathetic to the Cuban regime and/or part of the nomenklatura are voicing their opinion about the need to reform Cuba’s system or else social instability caused by a lack of change to the status quo will lead to political destabilization through violence.
A member of said chorus is Ignacio Ramonet (penned an autobiography of Fidel Castro and was editor-in-chief of Le Monde Diplomatique) who wrote a revealing article last week giving a purview of the current situation in Cuba.
Ramonet states: “Raul Castro and his team have dedicated themselves to three pressing problems: food, public transportation, and housing. Three domains where shortages, poverty, and dysfunctions favor permanent unrest of the population.”
He cites Aurelio Alonso, sub-director of Casa de las Am
Tags: Cuba, Cuban Communist Party, Cuban Government, Economy, Havana, Raul Castro
The Economist takes a look at the last 50 years of the Cuban revolution:
Half a century on, the euphoria is long gone. Everyday life in Cuba is a dreary affair of queues and shortages, even if nobody starves and violent crime is rare. It is the only country in the Americas whose government denies its citizens freedom of expression and assembly. Cuba
Tags: Cuba, Cuban Communist Party, Cuban Government, Fidel Castro, Havana, Latin America, Raul Castro, Revolutionary Armed Forces, Western Hemisphere
An October photo of a frail Fidel Castro with Ministrel Kirill (Russian Orthodox Church). Image: mospat.ru
Fernando Ravsberg of the BBC writes from Havana about the debate going on in the streets of the capital. Many are asking themselves if there is a paralysis in the reforms started by Ra
Tags: Cuba, Cuban Communist Party, Cuban Government, Fidel Castro, Havana, party congress, PCC, US
Army General Raul Castro wearing a white guayabera gave a televised address before the National Assembly (Cuban Parliament) yesterday addressing critical issues befacing the country.
The BBC calls Castro’s address his most sombre assessment of Cuba’s economic situation since he succeeded his brother Fidel in February. He said would have to lift restrictions on salaries more slowly than anticipated and key reforms could be affected by global rises in food and oil prices.
Castro said “the salary problem” was being studied and would be addressed “gradually and according to priorities” but that quick action may not be possible.
Castro’s speech was preceded this week by National Assembly meetings in which government officials warned that belt-tightening would be needed due to rising prices for fuel and imports. They also said the government would decentralize a sagging construction sector to make it more efficient and consider raising the retirement age to help Cuba cope with an aging population.
[Photo: AFP]
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Tags: Cuban Communist Party, economic situation, Economy, National Assembly, Raul Castro
Via CBS News:
Rafael Hernandez is the editor of Temas magazine, a Cuban political journal and outlet for critical public debate, as well as a forum where writers broach previously taboo subjects, like the prevalence of domestic violence in Cuba or the fact of racial discrimination.
When Raul Castro took over as Cuba
Tags: Communist Party Congress, Cuban Communist Party, Raul Castro
Colonel Alex Crowther (Research Professor of National Security Studies in the Strategic Studies Institue of the US Army War College) has penned an editorial on Cuba, Raul and the military. He is also the author of Security Requirements for Post-Transition Cuba.
As Louis XV allegedly said, “Apres moi, le deluge.” Certainly people have thought that Cuba after Fidel would be the same. How would a Cuban state that revolves around him survive his departure? How would a government where no decision is too small for his attention function? How would the generations who have known no one other than the “Maximo Lider” handle the change? Luckily for the Cuban government, the answer is
Tags: Carlos Lage, Council of Ministers, Council of State, Cuban Communist Party, FAR, Fidel Castro, MINFAR, MININT, Ministry of the Interior, National Assembly, Raul Castro, Revolutionary Armed Forces
“The broad support that acting Cuban President Raul Castro receives from the military, security services and the Communist Party will likely enable him to maintain stability, security and his own position following Fidel Castro
The Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Director of National Intelligence (Mike McConnell) was presented to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today.
The DNI assessment of Cuba is as follows:
Raul Castro has served as Cuba
Tags: Cuban Communist Party, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Raul Castro, Venezuela
Marc Frank of the Financial Times summarizes the current state of Cuba’s “electroral” politics and speculation on Fidel Castro’s future.
In an indication that it is not yet time to count Fidel Castro out of Cuban politics, the increasingly frail 81-year-old leader of the Cuban revolution will contest for a seat in the National Assembly in the parliamentary election this weekend.
The election – in which Cubans vote on candidates who have been selected by the ruling Communist party – kicks off a two-month process that will eventually lead to the selection of a president, vice-president and executive bodies for new five-year terms.
It is expected to clarify the future role of Mr Castro, who temporarily handed over his executive responsibilities to his younger brother Ra
Tags: Carlos Lage, Cuban Communist Party, Cuban Government, Fidel Castro, National Assembly, Raul Castro
Brian Latell’s latest assessment of the Cuban transition is published in today’s Wall Street Journal:
Without a hint of irony, Fidel Castro asserted twice last month in columns in Cuba’s Granma newspaper, that he is not one “to cling to power.” The truth is that few world leaders in modern times have ruled as long as he has. On New Year’s Day he began the 50th year of his dictatorship.
But now, at the age of 81, handicapped and incapable of providing coherent leadership, the end of his historic reign is imminent. He has not been seen in public for more than 17 months after ceding authority “provisionally” to his brother Ra
Tags: Carlos Lage, Cuban Communist Party, Cuban Government, Economu, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Oil, Raul Castro, Venezuela
Chris Simmons, a career counterintelligence officer for the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and expert in Cuban intelligence, wrote and op-ed published in the Miami Herald on the head of Cuba’s Interests Section (photo above), who was a former intelligence officer that might still be active.
Recent media accounts have heralded Havana’s selection of Jorge Bola
Tags: Cuban Communist Party, DA, Defense Intelligence Agency, Department XIX, DI, DIA, Directorate of Intelligence, Intelligence, Interests Section, Jorge Bola, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MINREX, spying, Superior Institute of Intelligence
Via Stratfor:
Communist Party leaders support Cuban leader Fidel Castro
Tags: Cuban Communist Party, Fidel Castro, National Assembly, Raul Castro
AFP reports:
Cuban security forces detained up to 15 dissidents after storming into a church’s parish hall to stop an anti-government protest, the church’s priest and a dissident group said Wednesday.
The priest of Santa Teresita church in Santiago de Cuba, Jose Conrado Rodriguez, said at least five people were detained during the crackdown on Tuesday, in the Americas’ only one-party communist-ruled state.
A leading dissident group said 15 people were rounded up by police in what it said was an “extremely serious act of political repression”.
“They barged in spraying gas in the faces of people from those spray cans, and went about dishing out blows and shouting,” Conrado Rodriguez told AFP by telephone.
He said about 15-20 patrol cars turned up at the church, outside which some 600 people had gathered, many of them from a protest march that had just ended.
Some 25 dissidents dressed in black had walked inside the church to protest the arrest of another government opponent, said Elizardo Sanchez, president of the Cuban Human Rights and National Reconciliation Commission.
“The repressors, headed by a lieutenant colonel and other state security officers, desecrated the church of Santa Teresita after kicking one of its doors open and savagely assaulting the peaceful dissidents,” he said in a statement.
Sanchez, whose organization is outlawed but largely tolerated by the communist regime, later said that eight detainees had been let go by authorities, but that “seven remain under arrest.”
He said the crackdown was an “extremely serious act of political repression with practically no precedent.”
The commission said it “hopes the government will conduct a serious investigation and stop encouraging or allowing premeditated and unnecessary acts of police brutality against citizens trying to exercise their right to demonstrate.”
Sanchez said the police action was part of “a policy of preventive repression” ahead of Human Rights Day on December 10 when several opposition members have scheduled events.
A spokesman for Cuba’s Catholic Bishops Conference said the police action inside a church was “unusual” and “very regrettable,” adding that he hoped it proves to be “a very isolated incident.”
Santiago de Cuba Archbishop Dionisio Garcia also voiced concern.
“We’re not used to this. I had no idea uniformed police could do that … we’re talking now to avoid such incidents in future,” he said, adding he would meet with government officials on Thursday.
Conrado Rodriguez said that as the dissidents were rounded up, he told the police: “I want you to explain to me what is going on here, because I don’t understand anything. How is this act of violence possible?”
Sanchez’s group says there are about 250 political prisoners in Cuba.
The regime, however insists there are no political prisoners, only mercenaries financed by the United States and people who tried to disturb order or commit acts of terrorism.
Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro has been convalescing in seclusion since he underwent intestinal surgery in July 2006, when he “provisionally” handed power to his younger brother Raul, Cuba’s defense minister and longtime number two.
More coverage from Reuters, AP, Clarin, La Journada, ABC, & INFOBAE.
Tags: Cuban Catholic Church, Cuban Communist Party, Cuban security forces, dissidents
The Miami Herald reports on East Germany’s notorious Stasi security agency and its influence over the tropical version, Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior (MININT). Jorge Lu
Tags: counter-intelligence, Cuban Communist Party, East Germany, eavesdropping, espionage, Intelligence, MININT, security agency, spying, Stasi, subversion
Miscellanea
7 July 2010 at 1027 in Commentary by Armando F. Mastrapa 3d
(Image: Ique from Jornal do Brasil.)
Tags: Catholic Church in Cuba, Council on Foreign Relations, Cuban agent of influence, Cuban Communist Party, Guillermo Fariñas, Radio Marti, Spain, Spanish Foreign Minister, The Wall Street Journal, TV Marti, U.S. Congress