Word: cubas
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...Cuban-Americans, we submit our reflections on the last half-century in Cuba, in light of the resignation of Fidel Castro. Throughout, we will attempt to remain faithful to the realities of life in Cuba. We draw insight and inspiration from the stories of our friends and families, as well as from our personal experiences. The progress presumed to have taken place since the revolution hardly begins to justify the sacrifices in personal liberties that the Cuban people have had to endure...
...instance, Castro’s regime is often credited with having overseen a low infant mortality rate, but it is important to keep in mind the unreliability of statistics produced by a totalitarian government which micromanages every aspect of society. In Cuba, anyone who questions the validity of this information pays a price. Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet was sentenced to 25 years in prison after revealing the government’s practice of chemically inducing abortions through the use of a drug Rivanol, which causes fetuses to come out dead or die within hours of birth. These abortions were systematically...
...Cuba does hold the 25th lowest infant mortality rate (a useful indicator of public health care) in the world, but prior to the revolution it held the 13th lowest rate. The reforms that were enacted after the revolution were only extended insofar as they helped Castro consolidate his control over the island. Doctors, for example, are expected to keep records of each family’s “political integration,” assessing their patient’s commitment to the failed ideals of the revolution prior to treating them...
...Cuba analysts like Latell still believe Raul will pursue economic if not political restructuring. Machado, a doctor who served as a medic to the Castro brothers' rebel army and has been at their side since Fidel took power in 1959, may be a geriatric hard-liner, but he is also one of Raul's closest confidantes and may help his reforms navigate the minefield of Fidelista resistance during the early stages of Raul's rule. Those changes are expected to include broadening private enterprise, especially in the agriculture and service sectors - institutionalizing profit-oriented farmers' markets, for example, and letting...
...Raul may also be delaying deeper reform until a Communist Party congress can be held in Cuba late this year or early in 2009. Fidel still holds his post as head of the party, and Sunday's results were a reminder that its power clearly rivals - if not exceeds - that of Raul's position as head of state. If Raul and his allies can wrest that clout from the Fidelistas, change in Cuba is expected to have more breathing space. Until then, it stands to look more like an old man who needs a canister of oxygen...