Fidel Castro’s penchant for hyperbole is matched only by his deadpan cynicism. So after Cuba’s National Assembly elections last week, Castro without a trace of irony expressed the hope that five years hence it won’t be necessary for him to remain in power, especially if Cuba’s economy improves.
Castro’s wishes should be taken as seriously as his spurious elections. Cuba’s dictator has complained before that he is a “slave of duty,” a telling description of a tyrant’s addiction to absolute authority.
Castro is the only slave, then, who exerts the right of ownership over his masters. So long as the man who combines Cuba’s presidency, absolute command of its the armed forces, and its only recognized political party is enslaved by power, the country will continue toward the abyss.
Why must he wait another five years to make a decision about his future? He has had 34 unparalleled years as the island’s absolute ruler. That is sufficient time for Castro to judge the disastrous results of his reign. He ought to step down now and retire to one of his many official residences. He can devote himself to military board games and a study of dowsing.
Contrary to what his minions are telling the world, last week’s national elections do not give Cuba’s ruler a mandate for anything. The mobilization for the vote showed, rather, only the regime’s ability to coerce the population.
According to the government, Cubans turned out massively to vote `Yes’ or `Yes’ for official candidates. Impartial election monitors of course were forbidden, so it’s impossible to determine the accuracy of the vote tally. The regime has the wherewithal to count the vote any way it wants.
Neither the vote nor Castro’s wistful hints of a willingness to step down will fool any but the most naive. In Latin America, where many countries have endured various forms of despotism, other dictators also held sham elections and vowed to step down. Typically, they had to be removed forcibly from power. Nothing indicates that Castro’s fate will be any different.
