Cuba: Raul’s a brutal despot too?! Duh…

This week, international news organizations reported the fact that Raul Castro is continuing the reign of terror his brother Fidel launched almost 50 years ago as if it were every bit as shocking as the fact that President Barack Obama is continuing many of the oppressive war-on-terror tactics his predecessor George W. Bush deployed after 9/11.

Here, for example, is how Reuters began its report:

Cuba’s Raul Castro has kept the system his brother Fidel used to repress critics, refusing to free scores of people imprisoned years ago and jailing others for ‘dangerousness’.

But predicting that it would still be thus today was as reliable as predicting that the sun will rise in the east tomorrow.  In fact, here’s the foreboding I sounded after Fidel ceded power to Raul in 2006:

Cuban Americans were dancing in the streets this week upon learning that critical surgery forced Fidel Castro to transfer power to his brother Raul. However, their celebration betrayed not only how naive they are about the implications of this transfer, but also how much emotion and resources they have vested in this man’s eventual death…

I predict that the pragmatic Raul will emulate his new Chinese patrons by pursuing liberal economic policies while imposing even stricter political and military controls in Cuba. Indeed, friendly nations like China and Venezuela are flushed with cash and seem eager to help him develop Cuba into a Caribbean economic tiger, if only to spite the US…

[Meanwhile] it is a testament to the conceit and arrogance of Miami Cubans that they firmly believe they’ll be able to return to Cuba after Fidel dies - to inherit the political power and social privileges their ancestors abdicated decades ago.

And they assume this prerogative without any regard for the Cubans who have been toiling at home, waiting for their opportunity to govern their country. But, at this rate, a well-indoctrinated Elian Gonzalez will be Cuban dictator before Miami Cubans are disabused of their antic pining for their paradise lost….

[Dancing on Fidel's grave is not only unseemly; it's premature, TIJ, August 2, 2006]

Enough said!

Except that I would be remiss not to reiterate my admonition for Obama to demonstrate some maturity in his foreign policy towards Cuba; i.e., by ending the US embargo instead of taking baby steps like easing restrictions on travel and remittances as gestures of political good faith.

After all, continuing this failed, 50-year policy makes a mockery of his presidential mandate to usher in an era of transformational change.

In the meantime, though, completely lifting restrictions on travel, which Congress is currently debating, would constitute a pretty grown-up step … but don’t hold your breath on that.

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Dancing on Fidel’s grave…