Fidel Castro announced his plan to step down from the Cuban presidency today in a letter to the Cuban magazine Granma, as he is no longer physically able to fulfill the responsibilities associated with his post. The new president has not yet been decided, although rumors cite Castro's brother Raul as a possible candidate.
This could have serious consequences for the future of Cuba. Many speculators are hoping for a transition into capitalism with Castro's departure, but if the younger Castro immediately takes over his post, rapid societal change seems unlikely. Communism might not be going anywhere for quite some time.
Even if the alternate candidate, current vice president Carlos Lage is selected when the national assembly meets to make their decision, Cubans might not all be thrilled. Lage is known for his series of capitalistic reforms in the late '90's, in which some Cubans gained the right to own and operate private businesses.
While these changes have boded well for Cubans looking to enhance their own economic opportunities, they could also signal the demise of the Cuban universal healthcare and education programs currently supplied to the island's more than 11 million people.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Communism in Cuba definitely isn't going away for a while...apparently, Fidel Castro is the new head of Cuba's Communist party. I guess it's not completely a farewell to Fidel...
I've heard some theories that Fidel is actually dead. Has he actually been seen/photographed in public since the announcement? Ancient China tried to pull a trick like that once...everyone downwind of the body caught on pretty quick.
Post a Comment