by Carlos L. Diaz
In the past few weeks, there has been a pilgrimage of Cuban dissidents arriving in Miami. Some of these democratic activists are better known than others. Yoani Sanchez–the most famous of these activists–writes a blog from Cuba and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Antonio G. Rodiles is a mathematician and physicist who runs a mini think-tank for the Cuban opposition. Berta Soler is the leader of the Ladies in White. Rosa Maria Paya is the daughter of the deceased founder of the Christian Liberation Movement, Oswaldo Paya. These have been some of the most notable names to arrive in Miami recently. Unlike previous dissidents, these have only come to visit the country, present their case and ask for help. After a short stay they will go back to the island. Some might ask: why are they coming now? The answer to that question seems to be in the recent changes implemented by Raul Castro regarding the ability of Cubans to travel. This sudden change in policy by the Cuban regime has given a new spark to the debate regarding that nation’s political future.
I was able to assist to two of the conferences, one by Yoani Sanchez, and the other one, yesterday, by Antonio G. Rodiles. Listening to these democratic activists speak in person reignited my hopes for a change towards a democratic and pluralistic Cuba. There are a few details which are encouraging about the new democratic activists in Cuba. There is no set ideology, no apparent rivalry, a clear goal, and more importantly, no visible Caudillo.
These activists have risen to prominence at a crucial time. Today the Cuban regime is in disarray. When, back in 2006 Fidel Castro stepped down as the country’s top leader, it was clear that the Cuban regime was close to the end and that its current leaders were interested in one thing only, remaining in power to enrich themselves even more. The recent announcement by Raul Castro, that he too would be stepping down, serves to confirm this idea. A great description of the current regime was given by Christopher Hitchens in 2006 “the Castro era is effectively finished … a uniformed and secretive and highly commercial dictatorship is the final form it will take.”[i] The kind of third-world-capitalism which the Cuban leaders want to implement is starting to look like a total failure. The regime looks desperate and they are trying to make very minor changes which they expect the international community will interpret as significant reforms. A change in attitude by the international community and especially by the United States will give the system some oxygen to live another day. That is why today is not the moment for a change in policy towards Cuba. If Castrismo is reaching its end, biologically or politically, then now is the time for those who admire and support democratic and pluralistic values to speak up and show Cuba and the world that there is an alternative to dictatorship.
These activists are not a monolithic group, for example Sanchez opposes the United States’ embargo towards Cuba and Rodiles supports it. Even though they disagree on certain issues, they always remind us that their main goal is to have a democratic change in Cuba and they do everything they can to produce that change.
The fact that the opposition is made up of varied ideas and faces is a magnificent sign for those who worry about one dictatorship being replaced by another one, something that happened in 1959. In the past, revolutions used to have a leader, or a caudillo as they are known in Latin America. France had Napoleon, Cuba had Fidel Castro and Russia had Lenin. In Cuba today there are different individuals and some of them have claimed that they have no interests in any official political roles after a transition is complete.
If these individuals can translate the support they have received abroad to support in Cuba, where they are barely known, changes will occur much faster. After all, tyrannies often look stronger than they really are.
Eclectic Affinities 
Great piece. I’ve also been impressed with the way the Cuban dissidents are so diverse yet are in solidarity with each other and stand united against the common enemy. That’s the main lesson of Venezuela: unity of all the democratic forces. Like the Hitchens quote too!