Apr 18, 2011 17:07 Moscow Time
Nikolai Kalashnikov, Deputy Director of the Latin American Institute at
the Russian Academy of Science:
The reforms were started unofficially with the beginning of the
government of Raul Castro, five years ago, in 2006.
It was not declared as reforms but some modifications in the economic
policy had been started, and the sixth Congress that started on Saturday
was prepared by real and very important modifications that began last
year, in 2010, and it signified that agricultural lands were given to
people, to those who wanted to work on them, and the authorization for
private enterprises was given, approximately for 178 professions there
were permitted private activities.
And maybe what is very interesting and very important for the political
and social situation is that distribution of food stuff according to
cards was changed, and the most important products have been taken away
from this distribution, so now you can buy them for commercial prices,
but at the same time the government said that it would help the poorest
population with some donations.
So the sixth Congress was dedicated to the economic questions, but these
economic questions are the basis for maybe future political changes.
Political changes do mean – from my point of view – that socialism will
be substituted by some other form of political power, socialism will be
maintained here, but the model of development, I think, will be changed,
and this is only the start of it, the future will, I think, in 5-10
years see which way, which direction Cuba will follow in its
development, whether it will be a Chinese model, Vietnamese, or some
new variant, which will be in the future called a Cuban way of development.
To find out more on the issue, listen to our In Focus program from April
18, 2011 in Radio section
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