A Succession from Castro to Castro

A Succession from Castro to Castro / Juan Juan Almeida
Posted on November 10, 2013

Historical data show that long before Colombus, America had already been
discovered. Leif Eriksson, son of Erik the Red, was a Viking explorer
who in the year 1003 managed to arrive at a land that he baptized as
"Viland" and which, according to his description and remnants found,
could be Newfoundland.

Zheng He, the famous Chinese military man, according to his travel log,
between 1405 and 1433 touched the coasts of the American continent on
several occasions. Khashkhash Ibn Saeed Ibn Aswad was a Muslim sailor
who crossed the Atlantic Ocean and returned to Europe with evidence of
his trip in the year 889. We are also familiar with the legend of Hui
Shum, a Buddhist monk who by around the year 485 was preaching on the
Yucatan Peninsula.

The Hindus speak of Votan, a mythological navigator who lived among the
ancient Mayans. The presence of kumara on the Cook Islands, a native
American plant, very similar to yams, has been cited as evidence that
the native Americans could have come to Oceania. And as if that were not
enough, recent scientific studies document the discovery of cocaine and
American nicotine remnants in the bodies of Egyptian mummies.

Nevertheless, and in spite of this information, 12 October 1492,
continues marking the history books. Sometimes, with insistent
repetition, we waste time searching for a day, or a dated event, in
order to build a greater uproar than that caused by the arrival of a
late train at the station.

The same thing happens to us Cubans. There are more than a few
enthusiasts trapped in the tricks of the almanac: they agree that if we
had not had a 10 October 1868, our story would not have gotten to a 10
February 1878, a 24 February 1895, nor a 20 May 1902; nor would we have
suffered a 10 March 1952, a 26 July 1953, a 13 March 1957, and much less
a 1 January 1959.

Personally I think that the mentioned events occurred just as we know
them today.

But history aside, and much in spite of those who only look back with
the respectable, repeated and less boring eagerness of constantly
theorizing in order to try to straighten out a world that already is not
round, today looms the moment of being able easily to predict what the
Cuban government has parceled out and designed for us as a future, that
which is called "reforms."

The question is, "Where are we going?" The answer: next December 2, when
the military promotions are made known, and with whether or not Colonel
Alejandro Castro Espin will rise to General or not.

A promotion that, on one hand, could create discontent and division in
the military hierarchy; and, on the other, reveal to us if the so-called
"measures for updating of the model" is the road towards the aftermath
of the so-called Castro era, if there are openings that lead towards a
(militarized) social democracy where they go on imposing little by
little on the liberties of each individual or if there have only been
subtle maneuvers directed at the reshuffling of the State structure
which only guarantees a succession in which Cuban power passes from hand
to hand, from Castro to Castro.

Each country's government has the right to design its peoples' tomorrow;
in the same way, the people have the legitimate right to accept the
future scheme or to reject it.

Translated by mlk

6 November 2013

Source: "A Succession from Castro to Castro / Juan Juan Almeida |
Translating Cuba" -
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