IT IS not the stuff of Khrushchev unmasking Stalin nor the fall of China’s Gang of Four but a three-hour presentation being shown to thousands of the Cuban Communist Party’s one million members this summer has highlighted how all is not well at the pinnacle of power in Havana.
The video footage is drawn largely from a March meeting of the party political bureau and features Raúl Castro, the president, sacking most of the cabinet he inherited from Fidel, his ailing brother, including prominent figures such as Carlos Lage, vice-president, and Felipe Pérez Roque, foreign minister.
The montage provides a rare glimpse of Cuba under Mr Castro, who formally took over from his brother in February 2008, and its main message is clear, say people who have seen it. Big brother is watching, and Mr Castro will not tolerate the slightest breach of party discipline, any cosying up to foreigners, or any hint of disloyalty as he attempts to put his brother’s revolutionary house in order.
Party faithful at screenings are not allowed to bring in recording devices nor pen and paper. A trip to the lavatory is forbidden, as is attendance by the public and foreign media.
But in interviews with the Financial Times, people who attended showings recounted details of the presentation and what appears to be an effort by Mr Castro to portray a number of his brother’s former aides as foreign lackeys or politically disloyal.
Mr Lage – now confined to his home – was viewed widely as a future president. and Mr Pérez – now working at an electronics factory – was perhaps the next in line. Both were groomed by Fidel Castro personally and their fall from grace has puzzled many observers.
In the video montage Mr Castro waves Cuba’s constitution, demanding it be respected and changed where needed. He says that the Council of State, a 31-member executive stamp much used by Fidel, has little, if any, practical purpose. Later, Mr Castro surveys the political bureau meeting and declares “I am now going to talk of painful things” before revealing that a Cuban representative for the Basque government had confessed to spying for Spain. The presentation has had an impact but whether the intended message has been received remains unclear.
“All these people were promoted by the party; obviously it shares the blame,” one younger party member told the Financial Times. – (Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2009)