Nethaway: Castro's exit offers hope

WACO, Texas — On my last trip to Cuba, I managed to keep several of Castro's agents busy.

Now that Cuban leader Fidel Castro has decided to step aside, I can only wonder if the new leader will turn toward openness and democracy or maintain the same paranoid, anti-American attitude fostered by Castro for nearly 50 years.

It's reasonable to believe that as long as Castro is alive the new leader will stay the course. That means the Communist Party, the military and the extensive security services will rule the country with an iron fist.

Fidel's retirement announcement was posted on the online edition of the Cuban Communist Daily paper Granma in the early morning hours.

Since there is no such thing as freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly or other freedoms most Americans take for granted, Cuba's elite party members, politicians and military leaders were given a heads up on Castro's plans.

There also is no such thing as government transparency in Cuba. The 81-year-old dictator has worked tirelessly to deny Cubans access to information not approved of by the government.

Radio and television programming is controlled by the government and crammed full of propaganda. Newspapers must comply with government regulations.

Dissenters in Castro's Cuba quickly become political prisoners.

Under Castro's totalitarian rule, any attempt to call for free and open multi-party democratic elections would result in a prison sentence. Any attempt to form a labor union would result in a prison sentence.

If the new leader — whether it is brother Raul or another Castro loyalist — does not release the political prisoners, it is unlikely that there will be any significant changes in Cuba.

Cuba has been an economic basket case from the time that Castro confiscated private businesses and erected his first "socialism or death" billboard.

The Kremlin propped up Castro's regime until the Soviet Union's socialist economy collapsed. Castro has attempted to blame Cuba's disastrous economy on the 46-year-old U.S. trade embargo despite the fact that the rest of the world is free to trade with Cuba.

The argument against lifting the embargo is simple: Why prop up a dedicated enemy?

Castro announced his anti-American feelings before he replaced Cuba's corrupt leader, Fulgencio Batista, with hardline communist rule.

Castro, who established alliances with America's most ardent enemies, attempted to launch anti-American communist revolutions in Africa and Latin America. He has continued to support governments that oppose U.S. policies.

Unless Cuba's leaders stop trying to harm the United States, it makes no sense support them in their efforts.

Before leaving for Cuba, I was told that the best way to avoid the irritation of being followed by government agents was to hire tour guides who would be government agents.

My tour-guide, government minders in Cuba never tired of denouncing the U.S. embargo while showing me the monuments and artistic works supporting the revolution.

Because Castro has placed all the blame for his country's poverty and deprivation at the feet of the U.S. embargo, the best argument I've heard to drop the embargo would be to deny the repressive Cuban regime of the excuse that the embargo provides the "Tropical Taliban."

It is Castro who has caused the humanitarian tragedy in Cuba, not U.S. policies. It was Castro who spurned human rights for Cubans. He should be blamed for the miserable conditions in Cuba, not the embargo.

Batista may have been corrupt, but he should have been replaced by a free and open democratic government accountable to the people, not Castro's totalitarian dictatorship.

Castro's resignation provides only a glimmer of hope.

Rowland Nethaway writes for the Waco Tribune-Herald.