The Cuban Communist Party and its Opponents

The Cuban Communist Party and its Opponents
December 21, 2013
Vicente Morin Aguado

HAVANA TIMES — We have been witnessing an unusual increase in the number
of dissidents who are temporarily detained in Cuba, sometimes as part of
violent arrests that the authorities cannot conceal. For the most part,
the victims of these actions are returned home, so that something we
could well define as a vicious circle can begin anew.

The authorities also continue to stage so-called "repudiation rallies",
perhaps less frequently than before, and other "countermeasures".
Significantly, these do no awaken the enthusiasm that was their major
strength in the past, when those identified as dissidents were actually
isolated from society.

Cuban society in general still has a long way to go before being able to
openly debate such incidents, silenced by the government, on the one
hand, and blown out of proportion by alternative media, on the other, as
befits the logic of the social straightjacket.

Many things have changed and continue to change in the country. The same
holds for the world in general. These new times demand that the Cuban
Communist Party (PCC) develop new ideas, up-to-date responses to its
opponents. I say "responses", not "repression". Only the violation of
the law justifies the exceptional use of force by the authorities.

The generation that grew up in the post-1990 Special Period and
witnessed the dollarization of the domestic market, the massive
emigration of Cubans, the arrival of remittances, cellular phones and
the Internet is a social sector made up of young people who think and
act very differently from those of us who are today over fifty.

However, the average age of PCC leaders at all levels, particularly the
highest levels where decisions are made, is, however, over sixty, and
these people, as is to be expected, tend to react in conservative ways
to the country's changing reality and the direction it is inevitably
heading in.

The facts show that they haven't reached an agreement regarding what to
do. A telling symptom of this is the frequent desertions by high Party
and State leaders and especially their relatives.

The reform process, referred to as "updating" by the PCC, its architect,
must continue. Likewise it is senseless to try and limit the impact that
new communication technologies have on the country's political life.
Putting an end to the sending of remittances is unthinkable – these are,
today, the very lifeblood of Cuba's domestic market.

We've seen the emergence of the nouveaux riches, desertions in sectors
that ought to be examples of loyalty to the country's leaders,
corruption scandals rearing their ugly heads at all levels – in short,
we are going through agitated political times that prompt justified
expressions of discontent among the people.

It is logical to expect a change of mindset among Cubans, who are
increasingly critical of the revolutionary leadership, whose long years
in power have made the many mistakes made over time more evident. The
historic memory of the younger generations finds no references that can
act as a counterbalance to the dramatic reality we are all experiencing
today.

Much of the blame for today's unbalanced opinions is to be laid on
Cuba's official, monopolistic press, which continues to shield itself
with the false consensus created in the absence of contradictory
opinions that can be conveyed to the population through similar channels.

Expressing dissatisfaction is part of being human, particularly being
young. If such dissent is expressly peaceful, there is little or no room
for police intervention.

I don't believe the repressive measures that are coming back into style
are a solution to the inevitable political contradictions of the present
or future. The Cuban Communist Party, as Cuba's one party, faces the
dilemma of having to find new answers to current problems.
—–
Vicente Morín Aguado: morfamily@coreodecuba.cu

Source: "The Cuban Communist Party and its Opponents - Havana Times.org"
- http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=100727