CUBA - Will changes happen under Raul Castro?

CUBA - will changes happen under Raul Castro?

Fidel Castro ruled Cuba for decades and he belonged to the old Cold War world but now because of ill health his brother is now in charge. Therefore, can Raul Castro make his mark and implement major reforms in order to galvanize the economy or will he follow the same path? Also, will Cuba be hit by political convulsions in the future if progress isn`t made?

Before we focus on Raul Castro it is vital to focus on past Cuban history briefly. After all, Fidel Castro is a global name and most people understand a little about Cuba because of him. Fidel Casto was influenced by Marxist-Leninist thinking and regional concepts too! Therefore, he merged these fusions together in order to focus on galvanizing the economy and to eradicate corruption which was widespread.

The failure of America`s foreign policy was clear during the "Bay of Pigs" and this failed venture helped Fidel Castro because he could justify one party rule after outside influence had tried to overthrow him. This event for Castro meant that he turned even more to the Soviet Union for support and the Cuban missile crisis with America was not all what it appeared. Because for the Soviet Union it was a game of chess and America now agreed to end the nuclearization of Turkey in return for the Soviet Union disbanding their ideas of a nuclear Cuba. For Fidel Castro, it was a reminder to the world that even small nations could play power politics.

Major internal achievements were made by Fidel Castro and the ruling government. For example health care and education, and in other fields too, therefore, his rule was not just based on preserving power, it was also based on helping the people of Cuba during difficult times. Remember, look at the health care systems of nations which share the same geographic space, and the same applies to education. If you do compare them, this it is abundantly clear that Cuba made major advancements unlike regional nations like El. Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti, Panama, Jamaica, and a host of other nations. In this sense, Cuba was revolutionary!

However, this form of government was justified under the Cold War because both the right-wing and left-wing factions in the world supported many proxy wars. Yet after the demise of the Soviet Union then a new way was needed. But Fidel Castro was not interested in the chance to open up Cuba to greater democracy and more liberal forms of economics. Yet to his credit, you did not have an internal rebellion and this says much about how people judge him because it was not just based on fear, but it was also based on genuine respect.

Therefore, can Raul Castro alter the way Cuba is ruled because now the economy needs a fresh boost? Well, now it is to early to say completely because the chain of command still remains tight and of course Raul Castro belongs to the state machinery which rules Cuba. Yet he could alter once in power and already he supports more land reforms in order to boost productivity and he also appears to be open to the Roman Catholic Church.

It could just be that Raul Castro tries to leave his mark and he knows that he must act quickly if he wants to do this. Therefore, the next six months will tell us a lot about his real motives and ideas. If changes are to happen, then they should happen in the near future but he may do this via economic liberalization while maintaining firm political control. Whatever, Cuba appears to he heading for new waters and now it remains to be seen if he will "rock the boat" or the "boat will rock him?"

Lee Jay Walker Dip BA MA

http://journals.aol.com/leejaywalker/uk/