Raul Castro leaves, but Cuba hosts a single party course

Leticia pineda
France Media Agency

“The most revolutionary thing in a revolution is to protect the party, in the same way the party must be a great defender of the revolution,” President Miguel Diaz-Connell was elected in his first place. Political structure of party secretary representatives.

“April 19 is a historic day,” the 60-year-old president recalled earlier on the same social network. Monday marks 60^E Anniversary of the invasion of the Bay of Pigs led by the United States and the failed national pride of the island by Cuba.

Under the influence of the coronavirus pandemic and the strengthening of the American embargo imposed since 1962, it plunged into its worst financial crisis in 30 years.

For a high percentage of the 11.2 million Cubans, there was never a single Castro-Fidel, then his brother Raul was in power.

Miguel Gainza, a 58-year-old artisan who crossed paths in the historic district of Havana, said, “I have only known one party since I was born. “And no one dies of starvation, which is true.”

But today, “we’re a little stuck, and it’s a shame that Fidel is dead, because he solved all the problems”.

“Holy Democracy”

With 300 party representatives (officially 700,000 members) gathered in Havana, with accesses closed by the police, the Cubans had their minds set elsewhere: many were fed up with shortages and endless lines. Wait, the island has to import 80% of what it consumes.

And young people, many of whom go into exile every year due to lack of opportunities, are increasingly expressing their frustration on social networks, with the advent of mobile internet at the end of 2018.

But for a government warmed by four years of sanctions since the Trump administration, ideological warfare is crucial.

“The existence of a single party in Cuba and always aimed at propagating the enemy (United States, editors note), determined to divide and divide the Cubans with songs of sacred sirens.

In a pizzeria where he works with rap music in the background, 30-year-old Louis Enrique Oramas dreams of one day the authorities “let people think what they want”.

“A lot of people like it, more than what we have now, a party where everyone feels the same.”

Internet shutdowns

And the aging party, too. Certainly, the historical generation – the revolutionaries of 1959 – emerged from the political bureau, the heart of power in Cuba.

But its new composition shows the average age is 61.6 years and only three women in 14. In the party, 42.6% of terrorists are over 55 years of age.

“The inaction of the Biden administration that left the Trump policy intact and the Cuban elites facing the challenge of a more connected and internationalized Cuba are closing the ranks by rejecting any internal debate,” said Cuban researcher Arturo Lopez-Levy of California.

During the congress, dozens of activists, independent journalists and artists were denounced via Twitter for preventing police from leaving their homes, a technology used by officials to prevent all rallies. Others say their phone and internet have been hacked.

“What are congressional ministers afraid of? Amnesty International director for America Erica Guevara-Rosas tweeted.

“Let’s destroy their hypocritical party. They harass and imprison activists and journalists in their homes while they carry each other on their shoulders to continue their rule.”

In recent months, the Internet has been the engine of unprecedented social discontent in this country where exhibitions are rare: thanks to which artists, dissidents and animal rights activists have gathered on the streets.

In response, the party passed a resolution to strengthen “revolutionary activism on social media” and fight against their “repression”.