The Party Continues

The Party Continues
Written by Jerry Brewer

Regardless of how much the Castro brothers try to reinvent their
revolution, the old adage of a leopard cannot change its spots appears
to be the reality within their fantasy idealism. Raul Castro was
reappointed to a second five-year term as chief of state in February,
and thus he could serve until 2018. Meaning that the control of the
Castro legacy of iron-isted rule over the long suffering island nation
could continue at least until the younger Castro reaches the age of 86.
Yet a hunger that paints this seemingly perpetual regime with fresh hope
over a rusted out political vessel, is that challenges are growing as an
atrocious record on human rights in a one-party communist state limps on.

While Raul Castro and his brother Fidel continue to tout Cuba's progress
in subterfugal whispers, louder voices with much more reputation for
credibility are now drowning out the Castro rhetoric. Yoani Maria
Sanchez Cordero (known internationally as "Yoani Sanchez"), a Cuban
blogger and journalist, has achieved worldwide accolades and popularity
as she exposes many of the myths of pro-Castro supporters who claim the
communist island is a peoples' paradise. Yoani (37) has received
"multiple international awards for her critical portrayal of life in
Cuba under its current government." Time magazine named her one of the
world's 100 most influential people in 2008. Although she professes love
for her homeland, among her abundant criticisms she often uses a
metaphor, saying that Cubans get free education and health care, but
while caged birds get free water they are still caged.

The most discussed world critique, beyond the misery and decades of
economic failures of Castro rule and their professed world revolution,
is in the well documented record of human tragedy and the abysmal human
rights record. Since the early days of Fidel Castro's rule essential
freedoms of association, assembly, movement and expression have been
withheld from the people of Cuba, and many citizens who dared to take a
stand against the revolutionary oppression have been beaten, tortured,
imprisoned and/or killed. This record has been passed on in a sort of
diabolical rite of passage to Raul Castro, who has tiptoed in perceived
progress. Reportedly under his watch the Cuban government released "more
than 125 prisoners in 2010-2011," but since 2012 the number of political
prisoners has reportedly increased.

In January 2013, the Havana-based Cuban Commission on Human Rights and
National Reconciliation (CCDHRN), estimated that Cuba "held at least 90
political prisoners, compared to an estimated 50 in April 2012, and more
than 200 estimated at the beginning of 2010." What vociferously trumpets
these charges and abuses is a report from March 2012 by Amnesty
International, maintaining that "the Cuban government wages a permanent
campaign of harassment and short-term detentions of political opponents
to stop them from demanding respect for civil and political rights." It
appears clear from these numbers and the record that the release of
political prisoners in 2011 has shown no changes in the Cuban regime's
human rights policy.

What is clear, pursuant to those voices that escape censorship by this
Communist-run island's secretive citadel of power, is a continuance of
constant surveillance, intimidation, harassment, and acts of repudiation
against citizens who dare to speak out and demand change. Insult was
added to injury in February of this year, as to the Cuban government's
subterfuge in pronouncing that all is well in the homeland.

US Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen reiterated the Castro's Cuba designation as
a state sponsor of terrorism - reaffirming the regime's long standing
threat to US national security interests. "I am relieved that the State
Department spokesman stated today that it is not true that Cuba is being
considered to be taken off the State Sponsor of Terrorism list. The
Castro brothers align themselves with the likes of Ahmadinejad of Iran,
al-Assad of Syria, Qaddafi of Libya before his death, along with
terrorist groups, such as the FARC and the ETA," said the Florida
Congresswoman.

Those remarks far exceed Castro sympathizers who claim that this is
simply "old cold war rhetoric." Documented threats of Cuban intelligence
plots against the US continue to emerge. For example, the "WASP network"
consisted of Cuban spies sent to the United States "to harm our
interests and kill American citizens," and the Cuban Five (WASP
associates) were convicted of trying to penetrate US military
installations. Furthermore, Cuban spy Ana Belen Montes provided highly
classified information to Cuba that was believed to have caused the
deaths of US servicemen and agents operating in Latin America.

Absent much needed change in Cuba, even the post-Castro tenure in 2018
has been programmed, with Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez (53) having
already been named as the most likely successor. In Cuba, the president
is elected by the National Assembly, and Diaz-Canel was just appointed
to the number two spot -- first vice-president of the Council of State.
Diaz-Canel has been a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of
Cuba since 2003. His political views have been described as "hardline,"
and being of Marxist-Leninist persuasion. (5/19/13) (photo courtesy
iStockphoto.com/Ratstuben)

Note: This article was reprinted with permission of the author. It was
originally published at MexiData.info. Jerry Brewer is the Chief
Executive Officer of Criminal Justice International Associates, a global
threat mitigation firm headquartered in northern Virginia. His website
is located at www.cjiausa.org."

http://www.hondurasweekly.com/international/item/16796-cuba-the-party-continues