Fidel Castro Resigns
February 19, 2008
“I will not aspire to neither will I accept — I repeat I will not aspire to neither will I accept — the position of President of the Council of State and Commander in chief,” thus wrote Fidel Castro in the Cuban Communist Party-run newspaper Granma this morning. The 81-year old Castro cited his health as the reason for his resignation: “It would betray my conscience to occupy a responsibility that requires mobility and the total commitment that I am not in the physical condition to offer.” He added, however, that he would remain an influence in the country: “I am not saying goodbye to you,” he wrote, “I only wish to fight as a soldier of ideas,” presumably through his writings (NYT).
Speaking from Rwanda, President Bush responded to the announcement by saying, “I believe that the change from Fidel Castro ought to begin a period of a democratic transition. Eventually this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections. And I mean free and I mean fair” (Reuters). During his term, President Bush has tightened the trade embargo against the island nation.
Oswaldo Paya, a Cuban dissident, responded to the news by saying that the Cuban people were ready for change, and that transferring power to Fidel’s brother, Raul, would not satisfy them.
Raul Castro has been at his brother’s side since they overthrew Cuba’s previous government in 1959. He currently serves as the country’s defense minister. Raul is generally seen as more “pragmatic” than Fidel (CNN). It is hoped that he will institute economic reforms, perhaps taking a cue from China, but he is not expected to make drastic changes. The New York Times reports that “others predict that, without Fidel Castro’s charismatic leadership, the government will have to make fundamental changes to the economy or face a rising tide of unrest among rank-and-file Cubans.”
As to the question most widely being asked, “Will the U.S. now lift the embargo against Cuba?” Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte has answered, “I can’t imagine that happening anytime soon” (AP). President Bush said that Cuba’s treatment of political dissidents remained a barrier to normal relations, and emphasized that “The United States will help the people of Cuba realize the blessings of liberty.”
