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Cuba's post-revolution generation set to take power

PL

8/17/2006 9:53:00 AM

Cuba's post-revolution generation set to take power
By Marc Frank

HAVANA (Reuters) - With President Fidel Castro ill, and acting President
Raul Castro 75 years old, the era of those who won the 1959 revolution
is ending and the ascendancy of a new generation is about to begin, Cuba
experts say.

A video of Fidel Castro, 80, in a hospital bed after surgery two weeks
ago for intestinal bleeding quashed rumours he may have died and his
brother's public appearance at the weekend may have settled the question
who is in control for now.

But Fidel Castro's obvious frailty and Raul Castro's age have also
fuelled speculation about who comes next.

"The system can go on for some time, but it all depends still on the
life of two old individuals," said a European diplomat, asking not to be
identified by name.

Future leaders include long-time Castro confidant and parliament head
Ricardo Alarcon, 69, Vice President Carlos Lage, 54, and pugnacious
Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, 41, a staunch ideologue groomed for
years by Fidel Castro.

"The Castro brothers have never anointed, or permitted, the emergence of
a 'third man,'" said Brian Latell, a former CIA analyst and author of a
recent book on the Castros.

"It has been one of the secrets of their success at holding on to power
virtually unopposed on the island all these years. As Raul takes command
he is no doubt concerned about precisely this problem," he added.

The U.S. government, which is pushing for a transition to multi-party
democracy in Cuba, said Fidel Castro's health crisis and succession by
his brother have yet to be resolved.

"What we are seeing in Cuba today is a slow-motion transfer of power,"
said the senior State Department official for Latin America, Thomas
Shannon, in a conference call to Argentine journalists. "But this is
going to be a difficult process."

Most analysts agree an influential military will play an even more
decisive role in the selection of future leaders now that Defence
Minister Raul Castro is at the helm, even though the Castro brothers
insist that it is the Communist Party that, constitutionally, will lead
the country.

In secretive Cuba, influence is exercised by generals, the 25 members of
the "Politburo" who would choose a temporary Communist Party leader if
Raul Castro were to become incapacitated, and the 30-member Council of
State, which would select a temporary president under the same
circumstances.

Cuba in July also established a new Communist Party executive committee.
Most of its members are young up and coming stars in their 40s and 50s.
Alarcon, Lage and Perez Roque are not on it.

CUBANS FEAR TURMOIL

In addition, the younger generations are filling key mid-level positions
throughout the state apparatus, and it is still not clear if a new
"strongman" will emerge, a more collective leadership or even a power
struggle.

"New generations are already in control of much of the existing power
structure and its institutions," Domingo Amuchastegui, a former Cuban
intelligence officer who defected in the 1990s, wrote in a recent paper
on the leadership question.

The calm that has followed Castro's handover to his brother has
convinced many Cuba experts that Cubans do not want violent or
tumultuous change.

"The key word for the future in Cuba is gradualism," said John Kirk, a
Latin American expert at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.
"Change will come, but it will be gradual, far less dramatic than
anybody imagines."

But some Cubans fear that without the Castros around to keep their
proteges in line, power struggles may erupt.

"We worry a lot that a crook could somehow get back in power after Fidel
and destroy everything," said a city of Camaguey municipal level party
member, asking not to be identified.

"I do think it's a toss-up when both Castros are gone," said Cuba expert
Frank Mora of the National War College in Washington.

"It's this scenario that I fear could ignite a real 'battle for power'
and (cause) a number of fissures to emerge that could break the regime
and force change from below."

(c) Reuters 2006. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution
of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is
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Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and
trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

Last updated: 16-Aug-06 22:09 BST
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=...
2 Answers

Uya Kuya

3/19/2014 5:14:00 PM

0

Resty Wyse <rst0wxyz@gmail.com> wrote in news:fa5a6eba-4c32-445b-9e26-
757161a3f804@googlegroups.com:

> Why don't you go to hell, and don't ever come back,
> you sick lunatic idiot!!!!

what hell ? I recall well you dont believe in any hell or heaven !

to you they're all just rubbish, remember ?

Satish

3/20/2014 11:31:00 AM

0

On Wednesday, March 19, 2014 10:14:00 AM UTC-7, Uya Kuya wrote:
> Resty Wyse <rst0wxyz@gmail.com> wrote in news:fa5a6eba-4c32-445b-9e26-
>
> 757161a3f804@googlegroups.com:
>
>
>
> > Why don't you go to hell, and don't ever come back,
>
> > you sick lunatic idiot!!!!
>
>
>
> what hell ? I recall well you dont believe in any hell or heaven !
>
>
>
> to you they're all just rubbish, remember ?

Yale Guen Mar is in denial. He has been giving hell for a long time to pigs in hog farms owned by his Hmong neighbors.

Yale Guen Mar's visits have become a nightmare for Mr. Ravinder Singh's household as well.

Yale Guen Mar prefers to make house calls in leaky diapers. Heaven knows why he can't have Meichi Thai change him into a dry diaper before he drops in on a neighbor.

Ravinder is livid that Yale Guen Mar is leaving stinking yellow stains on the sofa in the Singh household.