"Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite"...
Posted on 04/19/2011 8:46:18 AM PDT by La Lydia
HAVANA - On the last day of Cuba's Communist Party Congress, which has already seen the approval of sweeping economic changes, Cubans learned of new leadership - and a possible successor - to the nation's 75-year-old president, Raul Castro. Castro was named first secretary of Cuba's Communist Party on Tuesday, with his aging brother Fidel not included in the leadership for the first time since the party's creation 46 years ago. Despite raising hopes during the gathering that a new generation of leaders was poised to take up important positions, Raul announced that Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, an 80-year-old longtime confidante, would be his No. 2. Ramiro Valdes, a 78-year-old vice president, was named to the No. 3 spot. Several younger people were added to the 15-member leadership group, but in lesser positions.
Fidel Castro, 84, made a surprise appearance at the gathering, receiving thunderous applause from the 1,000 delegates...
In an online blog posted this morning, Fidel Castro wrote that he will no longer be a member of the Central Committee of the Party...He also recounts discussing with Raul the need to put more women and blacks on the Central Committee, noting that Raul spoke about some current members who because of their age or health could no longer contribute much but for whom removal from the Committee would be a hard blow...
The conflict between bringing in new blood while not wanting to offend the older generation is pivotal in this Congress...everyone was waiting to see who would be selected as Second Secretary - a possible successor figure. In the end, the 80-year-old Machado Ventura was elected...
In a speech opening the Congress this weekend, Raul warned that a new generation is needed to take over when the old guard is gone...
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Fidel is still very much in charge, this is all window dressing.
No doubt, his clawed hands clinging to power until the very last moment. I can imagine a scenario in which all of the top leadership croaks within a period of a month. The country would be very vulnerable in such a situation. Ahem. Let us hope and pray that such a potentially positive development does not occur during the Obama administration, and go to waste.
Didn't they learn anything from the Soviet Union, where the old farts, Andropov and Cherneko dropped dead less than a year after getting the leadership.
And then they promoted Gorby, ushering in the beginning of the end.
China got smart and started promoting younger leaders starting in the 90s.
Same party new name.
What difference does it make if the commie leader is young if he is a murderous totalitarian thug? The youth of Cuba are even worse than the old people, because they have never experienced freedom.
Again, why is “young” synonomous with wise good just...
?
You are going to have a situation akin to what happened to Germany after the Wall fell, in Cuba.
The Miami Cubans will move in and take over, while the native Cubans will be so far behind because of all the years they lived under the repressive system.
The “Wall of the Mind” still very much exists in Germany today.
Not saying they’re more wise or just, it’s just easier to keep a repressive system in place, if your leaders aren’t dying off every 2 or 3 years.
You mean a reign of terror? Is that what Maceo would have wanted?
At this point, a large number of “Miami Cubans” are recent arrivals from Cuba who have not repudiated the communist system.
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