Castro steps down, steps up
Posted by Josh Friedlander | 3 Comments
Cuba is moving from one dictator to another (his brother). Book your flights now.
The rumor of Fidel Castro’s death back in April was ill-founded and nary a peep preceded the current bit of news.
One can hope that under Raul, the government might restrict some of its more onerous limitations on basic freedoms. We’ll have to wait for the word on the Havana streets.
Since my (five? six?) years of secondary-school Spanish left me only minimally functional, I’d love if a fluent reader could give us the latest from Yoani Sánchez’s blog. She is the living-in-Cuba-dissident about whom the Wall Street Journal recently wrote, noting that some think she must be a propaganda tool of the government given how long and what she’s been “allowed” to publish. But, of course, she has to sneak into Internet cafes in tourist hotels in order to get her posts online, so we prefer to believe she’s the real deal, and we salute her bravery.
I’m cautiously optimistic. Just think of the contributions Cuba would once again make to the world (art, music, cuisine) if the country were to open. I have not visited the country, which is an illegal act (but very easy to do from foreign airports), because I do not believe in spreading money around in countries managed by despicable regimes. I would love to go if it ever became a Democracy, so perhaps I shall never see the place.
Castro stepping down at least solves one myth for me (a personal myth, I’ll admit): that this has not been the same Castro all along, but 50 years of a succession of “Dread Pirate Roberts” Castros. And I wouldn’t call him out yet. I do wonder, in another 20 years after he’s dead if lightheaded college students will proudly advertise his face on T-Shirts as they do with totalitarian murderer Che Guevara.
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February 20th, 2008 @
My own translation of Yoani Sanchez’s latest blog post (http://desdecuba.com/generaciony/?p=198), as requested by Josh (I am not fluent, by the way, but I’ll give it my best):
RESTLESS
I haven’t been able to sleep since 3 in the morning. The phone started to ring minutes after the ‘Granma’ website posted Fidel Castro’s final reflections. Since that moment I haven’t been able to go back to bed. It’s difficult to think clearly when you have a sleepless night, so I’m still in the “pinch me to see if I’m awake” phase. Friends don’t help liven me up much either because they pester me with questions, as if on this Island someone could have “answers” to something.
I’ve gone through my whole life with the same president. It’s not just me, but also my Mom and Dad – born in 57 and 54, respectively – don’t remember another, don’t let it be he who today has given up his responsibilities/charges. Several generations of Cubans have never asked themselves who will govern them. Nor do we have much doubt who will occupy the top position now, but at least there is someone who definitely appears discarded. Like in Alfred Hitchcock films, we’ve found out (only five days before the elections) that our disciplined members of Parliament will come face to face with a different ballot; that they won’t have to mark the “same” candidate.
Despite being ready to collapse, I realize that today a cycle has ended. It’s worth asking yourself if the new one that begins will carry our names, take the path of our desires or last another fifty years.
For the moment I’ll close my eyes and feel lighter.
February 20th, 2008 @
An incredible, ethereal post. Thank you for translating.
February 20th, 2008 @
In the reports I heard (NPR or CNN, it’s all a blur at the moment) – I got the impression that Cubans in Cuba (as opposed to the ones in the US) aren’t bubbling over with joy yet – and won’t, until Castro is dead.