Change of Powers in Cuba

[HURAKAN]

I know this is out of topic but the Cuban Television is making official that Fidel is very ill and all his powers have been given to his younger brother, Raul. The transitions is said to be temporary, but this is significant since this is the first time that Fidel gives his powers to anyone in 47 1/2 years.

[Hybridstorm_November2001]

Well whatever will be will be, as my Grandmother use to say. I can only hope that perhaps if this is the end for Fidel, that the future is a bright one for the Cuban people. I do not want to offend anyone, on either side of this issue, thus that is all I'll say.

[kevin]

Well that would certainly lead to complications. All we need right now is two international crises. I wish the best for the Cuban people.

[CentralFlGal]

Venezuela said that it will help to prop up Cuba during the "transition"; and Russia just signed a lucrative arms deal with Venezuela. Putin kicks yet another anthill to draw us into conflict.

Cold war never ended. It simply morphed.

Anyhow, an article on the current topic:

Jul 31, 2006 10:28 pm US/Eastern

Castro Hands Over Power, Cuba Says It's Temporary
Castro 'Provisionally' Turns Over Island To His Brother Raul
Cuba Says Castro Needs Time To Recover From Surgery

Maggie Rodriguez
Reporting

(CBS4 News) HAVANA In an unprecedented announcement, the Cuban government announced Monday night that Fidel Castro was temporarily giving up power to his brother and Vice President Raul, due to surgery for an illness he developed while traveling to Argentina. This is the first time Castro has turned over power to anyone since taking control of Cuba in 1959.

The announcement was made at 9:15 Monday night on Cuban Television, monitored in Miami. A spokesperson for the Cuban government made the announcement, which came in the middle of a newscast. There was little advance notice of the special announcement.

The announcement ended with a screen showing Castro’s signature, making the order official. Little information was given about the details of Castro’s illness.

The statement, read by Carlos Balanciaga, said Castro requires several weeks of rest.

Balanciaga also announced that Castro was turning over his functions in the area of health care and education and as head of the national energy program to other Communist party and government figures.

The announcement said that the operation was filmed and that all the medical records including endoscopy, x-rays, and others exist but did not specify if they would be released.

Balanciaga said the Communist Party has to stand firm to defend the revolution threatened by Washington.

Balanciaga said Castro would be out of public life for two months, during which time Raul Castro, designated as his brother’s successor, would have complete control of the country.

The announcement was met with shock and surprise in Miami, home of the largest Cuban exile population in the world. Joe Garcia, a director of the Cuban American National Foundation, said he believed the Cuban government is not revealing all it knows about Castro’s illness.

Garcia says he believes this may be Cuba’s first attempt at a transition of power to Raul Castro, the official plan for Fidel Castro’s departure from power.

Castro, the longest serving leader in the longest in the world, is just 14 days from celebrating his 80th birthday August 13th. The nation had been getting ready for the event, preparing for parties and celebrations to celebrate the day. The announcement Monday asks that the celebrations planned for his 80th birthday August 13 be postponed until December 2, which is the anniversary of the Cuban Armed Forces.

Castro has been rumored for years to be ill. In 2001, he fainted after a 7 hour speech in the hot sun. In 2004, he tripped and fell in public, and was out of public view for a week.

In 2005, the CIA reported it believed Castro suffered from Parkinson’s Disease, a claim Castro himself denied, but then said he wouldn’t care if he had it; he pointed out Pope John Paul II suffered from Parkinson’s, and he still managed to travel around the world.

Source: http://cbs4.com/local/local_story_212215905.html

[Audrey2Katrina]

Wouldn't it be ironic if his brother staged a coup during his hiatus?



A2K

[Brent]

I don't think it's "temporary".

[The Sandcrab]

Present and past:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... v=hcmodule

Video links, to statement on Cuban TV for you Spanish speakers, and to celebration in Little Havana, more:
http://cbs4.com/video/?id=20835@wfor.dayport.com

BBC doc "After Castro"(the US will likely have more to say about it than Raul, the die is cast, timing is a $#@*&#$, the State Dept must be thinking):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/c ... 882804.stm

[Scorpion]

Castro will be fine. He's a tough guy, he'll be back in power in no time .

[Audrey2Katrina]

Castro will be fine. He's a tough guy, he'll be back in power in no time .

Party pooper!

A2K

[stormtruth]

Article says brother is more radical than Castro:
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/31/D8J7CLM80.html

[Cookiely]

From the frying pan into the fire. I don't think the brother will be a better leader than Fidel.

[HURAKAN]

After living in Cuba for 12 years, I can tell you that the government never tells the whole truth. There could be many theories about what really happened to Fidel, but he has been ill many times before and has never, ever, transfered his powers. This transfering of powers to his brother was already talked about in case Fidel died. I think it's possible Fidel died and they are trying to make a smooth transition.

I remember after he collapsed a year ago during a speech in Pinar del Río, during the evening he went in front of the TV and assured the people that he was right. When he fell, a day or two later he went in front of the TV with all the bandages and everything and assured that he was right. A dictator like Fidel has been must transmit a strong posture to keep the public quiet.

[HURAKAN]

Article says brother is more radical than Castro:
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/31/D8J7CLM80.html

If Fidel has been bad, Raul is worse.

[x-y-no]

Well, the partying went on all night here in Miami - but I think that's pretty premature.

Even if this turns out to be a permanent thing (and I agree Fidel must be quite ill to have not personally announced this - he loves the microphone) we have no reason to think Raul wouldn't maintain iron control. He's been in charge of the military and the intelligence apparatus since the sixties.

The unknown thing is whether there are significant elements of the government who would oppose the succession. But as far as I've heard, we have no indication that that's the case.

[Brent]

Hmmmm....

Castro’s images appear in Cuban newspaper
Updated: 1:15 p.m. ET Aug 13, 2006

HAVANA - On his 80th birthday, Fidel Castro cautioned Cubans on Sunday that he faced a long recovery from surgery and advised them to prepare for “adverse news,” but he urged them to stay optimistic.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14321769/

Does he know something?

[artist]

notice in the bottom of the picture - the zipper is actually split, thus I would guess he has a tube for drainage.