The Presidency and Family

The Presidency and Family / Anddy Sierra Alvarez
Anddy Sierra Alvarez, Translator: Maria Montoto

The cases of corruption involving Cuban officials who served in Fidel
Castro's regime are increasing. Or Raúl Castro is simply switching
Fidel's men for his own.

Raúl Castro replaced Fidel Castro on February 24, 2008 due to an illness
that had almost led to the latter's death. Subsequently, we began
hearing media reports about the replacement of ministers and
vice-presidents, and the astonishing disgrace of Felipe Pérez Roque* and
Carlos Lage Dávila*, the physician who brought financial ruin to the
island – one of many such people.

There was virtually nothing the men around Fidel did not steal. After
fifty years these cases of corruption finally came to light. And yet
with all the security at the government's disposal, it nearly failed to
discover a single one. The fact is Raul now wants to govern with men in
whom he has confidence and knows what they are capable of "doing."

As it happens, Fidel's cohorts did as they liked in Cuba as long as he
remained president. The president who wanted everyone to be equal had
determined that a lazy revolutionary pioneer should earn as much as a
college graduate.

Little by little the country is being militarized while members of civil
society are increasingly being branded as "mercenaries" by the Cuban
government.

*Translator's note: Felipe Pérez Roque was Minister of Foreign Affairs
until he was ousted in 2009. Carlos Lage Dávila was a Vice-President of
the Council of State until he also was ousted in 2009.

Translated by: Maria Montoto and Anonymous

June 27 2012

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