Greece, the last bastion of Socialism

‘Last Congress’ for Cuba’s old guard

BY ANDY GOMEZ

Among the significant changes taking place in Cuba is an unfolding and most unusual pattern where criticism and dissent within the political class at large, intellectuals, and academia is more visible today than ever before.

At the same time, as an initiative of the Cuban government, a political dialogue started with the Catholic church that resulted in the release of scores of political prisoners, in particular those known as the “75 Group,” while dissident groups continue to conduct their activities in what could be described as a tug-of-war relationship with Cuban authorities. In addition, the Catholic Church has been granted permission by the government to establish the first seminary since the start of the revolution and continue its humanitarian aid through Caritas. Meanwhile, the US-Cuba conflict remains very much the same, the main issues being the incarceration of Alan Gross in Cuba, the so-called “Cuban Five” in U.S. jails, and the U.S. trade embargo. Further U.S. concessions are unlikely until Cuba makes the next move.

According to reports out of Havana, the Cuban economy is transforming from an almost 100-percent state economy to a clearly defined mixed, market, socialist economy. By 2015, the Cuban government expects that at least 1.8 million people and their families will represent a huge micro-economy of small businesses, cooperative businesses, and self employed, in the urban areas while most of the land in rural areas from which state farms have disappeared almost entirely will be in the hands of private farmers, finqueros and private cooperatives.

Foreign news agencies report that more than 140,000 individuals have obtained land and more than 120,000 have obtained licenses in order to start their own private businesses. Already 30 percent of the lodging services are privately controlled. At the same time, the government’s own bureaucracy has not been able to process the dismissal papers of approximately one million workers fired from their government jobs.

An entirely new design of how the government should work is being created. The key component here is the decentralization of the administrative and financial functioning of the central government, vis-á-vis provincial and municipal governments, with the granting of an expanded autonomy generating their sources of income and local budgets.

All of the proposed economic changes are part of the guidelines ( lineamientos) to be discussed and adopted at the coming congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) on April 16-19. Another important decision involves putting an end to the role of the party as an administrator, constantly interfering with the work of the ministers and local authorities. This has been discussed for some time but never adopted as a policy. According to former President Jimmy Carter’s report after his visit to Cuba, two-thirds of the plan has been amended to accommodate suggestions from Cuban citizens and government personnel. These meetings have been going on for over a year. Yet these changes are not promises for a better future.

The backdrop to these changes has been the official retirement of Fidel Castro and the biological fading away of the leading generation ( los históricos) of the Cuban Revolution. Raúl Castro said it very clearly, “This will be our last congress.”

After this congress completes its work, the National Conference of the CPC will meet later in the year. This meeting will be extremely important because a new governing structure will be adopted by the delegates in secret vote. The National Conference will most likely approve an expanded wave of economic changes without losing political control. Yet the question remains, will economic reforms with no political changes be enough for Cuba’s society to accept?

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/12/2164100/last-congress-for-cubas-old-guard.html#ixzz1JhUcZbS4