After Castro

[Paradox]

Okay, my mother says they showed Castro trip and fall on the news this morning. Apparently, he broke his knee or his arm, or something. And yesterday, my history teacher pointed out that it was Castro's 78th birthday. So my question is this, what will happen in Cuba after Castro is gone? I've heard the stories that Raul is supposed to take his place. Is this accurate? And where do people find non-critical books on Castro? Seems that everything I find on Castro turns out to be negative. To me this doesn't make sense, seeing that there are plenty of good books on Che. So what's the deal? Please, someone enlighten me on this topic. Tlazohcamati ('thank you" in Aztec).

[Pawn Power]

cuba after castro (http://www.che-lives.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=24961&hl=castro)

There are many things that could happen, hopefully there will be no U$ intervention, if there was crazy protests would occure.

[fernando]

If the US would try to take it over I hope there will be a big rebellion...and that the Yanks get kicked out..and this time even more humiliating than Vietnam...perhaps also support from other Latin American nations...Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina rising up...movements in other Latin American countries trying to take over...hmm WW3 starting in Latin America?

[Fidelbrand]

Castro books? Even if you go to Amazon, you find loads of books related to him that ain't critical~

I think U.S. intervention is unavoidable, it's just a matter of time. It really depends on what shit they are digging at that particular moment, and if they have the ample time and resources to start raping Cuba, it will.

[Red Finch]

Not that the US actually had ample resources to rape Iraq...look at the deficate.

The fate of Cuba really is a good question though. I personally don't know much about the people in Cuba, but are they happy there? The US may infact try to 'liberate' their people, but you can't save people who are not wanting to be saved. This could potentially end up even worst then Vietnam like Fernando aluded to. The fate of Cuba lays in the hands of the people, thats all we can be certain of.

[RABBIT - THE - CUBAN - MILITANT]

Originally posted by [email protected] 21 2004, 05:21 PM
Castro books? Even if you go to Amazon, you find loads of books related to him that ain't critical~

I think U.S. intervention is unavoidable, it's just a matter of time. It really depends on what shit they are digging at that particular moment, and if they have the ample time and resources to start raping Cuba, it will.
I agree think about how much of Florida -or Miami for that matter- will rush Cuba if a new president isn’t elected fast ... Raul will be president between Castro an the next president form what iv been taught. but the hardest part is getting a leader to t "replace” Castro him self . The man is a genius I herd him give a speech in Havana it lasted 5 hours! and I was listening to every word he gets you hooked.. Unfortunately the reality probably will be that when Castro dies(god forbid) the country will be on very shaky ground (politically) and ay thing could happen.

[king Royale]

As i saw that clip on the news this morning, I was just about to post a similar topic.

First there will undoutedly by US intervention. Probably not fully military, but with CIA or special forces, much like we saw in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

Second, I'm not sure that it would be a good idea for Rual Castro to take over; not many people are in favor of dynastic rule.

Finally, I would like to pose this question: What will we do if the US intervenes in Cuba?

[Paradox]

Castro books? Even if you go to Amazon, you find loads of books related to him that ain't critical~

I don't mean to bother you about this again Fidelbrand, but which books would you recommend? Any specific ones that I should start out with, or does it matter? Thanks.


Finally, I would like to pose this question: What will we do if the US intervenes in Cuba?

That's a good question. I don't know exactly, but of course, we can't do nothing. I hope Glory and Fernando are right about the protests. I would hope that people would realize the imperial motives behind u.$. intervention. Has anyone here been to Cuba? I'd like to go. You can go through Mexico, right? Whatever happens, we have to come up with some sort of plan in case of u.$. intervention.

HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE!!!!!

[Fidelbrand]

Paradox,

No , not at all... I am glad to introduce you to some:

1) Fidel Castro speaks / edited by Martin Kenner and James Petras

2) Fidel Castro : the last revolutionary of the 20th century/ Cheng, Yinghong.

3) The Real Fidel Castro/ by by Leycester Coltman, Julia E. Sweig, Julia Sweig

[Fidelbrand]

Fidel Castro Fractures Knee, Arm in Fall
By ANITA SNOW, Associated Press Writer

His general health is good, and he is in excellent spirits," it said, adding that Castro hoped to be "back in place" soon.


"He asked that it be made known he is in condition to keep overseeing fundamental questions in close cooperation with government and party leaders," the statement said.


Parliament speaker Ricardo Alarcon, who has been by Castro's side more than four decades, said Thursday he was confident the president would recover quickly.


"He is a man of much strength," Alarcon told international journalists in Havana.


Castro was determined to burnish that image later Thursday. In a lengthy note, he said he was only anesthetized from the waist down during a three-hour operation to repair the knee and arm so he could "attend to numerous important issues" with his chief of staff, who dressed in surgical scrubs.


Nevertheless, Castro's tumble — captured by Associated Press Television News, but not shown by state television cameras — was sure to cause speculation about the communist leader's health after 45 years of ruling this island of 11.2 million people.


Castro's health has long been closely watched — particularly by his political enemies in Miami, home to a large Cuban exile community.


"Sometimes, people have this idea that he's some sort of god, that he's omnipotent," said Yanisset Rivero, spokeswoman for the Cuban Democratic Directorate, a Miami group that supports dissidents on the island. "It's a sign ... that he's human."


Rights activist Elizardo Sanchez of Havana predicted the incident would not immediately affect government policies, but it "does put on the agenda the theme of the advanced age of various leaders."


In the last several years, Castro's knees have seemed more wobbly, his step less steady. Nevertheless, he maintains a busy schedule that frequently includes all-night meetings with aides and visitors.


Average Cubans did not seem as alarmed Thursday as they were three years ago, when Castro fainted in the scorching Caribbean sun during a live televised speech before a crowd of thousands.


"He needs to get well soon," Georgina Hernandez said Thursday as she walked on the streets of Old Havana. "The Cuban people need him and need him to last a long time."


Taxi driver Emilio Lagos said, "I hope he will have good health for at least 20 more years."

"He's our guide," added Fermina Pino, a middle-aged Cuban woman.

In Washington, the State Department declined to wish a speedy recovery to Castro, who has remained in power during 10 American administrations.

"We, obviously, have expressed our views about what's broken in Cuba," said spokesman Richard Boucher.

....................

"I will do what is possible to recover as fast as possible, but as you can see I can still talk," Castro told television viewers, sweating profusely into his olive green uniform from the pain. "Even if they put me in a cast, I can continue in my work."

Link (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041022/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cuba_castro_041021211360)

About 3 hours ago, (Fri Oct 22,12:43 AM )
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20041022/capt.sge.ucl22.221004044338.photo00.photo.default-384x280.jpg
Fidel Castro looks at the public during his speech at the Ernesto Che Guevara mausoleum. The Cuban President announced in an open letter that he underwent surgery after he fell late Wednesday and fractured his left knee and his right arm(AFP/File/Adalberto Roque)

[h&s]

After Castro, What will happen to Cuba?
Hopefully the country will turn communist, but there&#39;s not much chance of that happening, is there? <_<

[fernando]

That&#39;s a good question. I don&#39;t know exactly, but of course, we can&#39;t do nothing. I hope Glory and Fernando are right about the protests. I would hope that people would realize the imperial motives behind u.&#036;. intervention. Has anyone here been to Cuba? I&#39;d like to go. You can go through Mexico, right? Whatever happens, we have to come up with some sort of plan in case of u.&#036;. intervention.

HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;

I think people will protest...but they will be ignored, similar to what happened in Iraq, months before the actual US attack on the nation of Cuba they will spread out anti Cuban and especially anti Castro propaganda, from Cuba they would probably move on, taking care of Chavez and perhaps also the other socialist leaders of Latin America...but I think Chavez and Castro are the two biggest problems (when it comes to political leaders) in Latin America. But ok action in necesary...and I hope there will be a large reaction from the world towards the US and their imperialist lapdogs.

[Paradox]

Paradox,

No , not at all... I am glad to introduce you to some:

1) Fidel Castro speaks / edited by Martin Kenner and James Petras

2) Fidel Castro : the last revolutionary of the 20th century/ Cheng, Yinghong.

3) The Real Fidel Castro/ by by Leycester Coltman, Julia E. Sweig, Julia Sweig


Thanks a lot Fidelbrand, I appreciate it.


Fidel Castro Fractures Knee, Arm in Fall
By ANITA SNOW, Associated Press Writer

His general health is good, and he is in excellent spirits," it said, adding that Castro hoped to be "back in place" soon.


"He asked that it be made known he is in condition to keep overseeing fundamental questions in close cooperation with government and party leaders," the statement said.


Parliament speaker Ricardo Alarcon, who has been by Castro&#39;s side more than four decades, said Thursday he was confident the president would recover quickly.


"He is a man of much strength," Alarcon told international journalists in Havana.


I read a similar article to this, also. And on CNN earlier today, they said that he discussed governmental issues on a cell-phone during his ambulance ride to the hospital. Man&#33; He stays awake during the operation, he&#39;s 78 years old, and he conducts governmental matters on a cell-phone while on his way to surgery&#33;&#33;&#33; This man is a die-hard&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;

[fernando]

http://www.che-lives.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=30035

There is an article in this thread telling about some European politician who wants Castro to die...it seems Europe is following the US more and more

[Felicia]

I haven&#39;t read much that&#39;s been goin on in this thread, so I hope I haven&#39;t missed anything......


ok, this is how I honestly feel about this, and we&#39;ve probably all thought and/or discussed this with each other at some point. I feel it&#39;s pointless to hand the reigns over to Raul, he&#39;s just as up there in age as Fidel, and I think he&#39;s more likely to do things without seriously thinking them through, and I&#39;m thinking in specific of the american and canadian hostages taken during the "guerrilla portion" of the cuban revolution, and I say portion because there are many stages of revolution, and there is so much more than just the initial violent outbreaks.

Raul&#39;s old, Fidel&#39;s old, they&#39;re both going to die. Unless Fidel has something very good up his sleeve once he passes, he had better start preparing something clever. And I&#39;m sure he has something good. If nothing happens, and Raul takes over, his power trip wont last long, he&#39;s gonna die, lol. Then, if there isnt&#39; a new leader with hope and promise for the new generation of "communist cubans" (take that anyway you want to) than it&#39;s jsut going to die. The US will pressure opposition groups, etc, to move in, and I wouldn&#39;t put it past them to actually offer physical (military) help in some way, whether it be training and/or weapons. I don&#39;t think it&#39;ll be anything big though, if the US gets involved I think cuba will fall pretty fast, and I hate to say that. The revolution&#39;s getting old, that&#39;s why I say they need a fresh leader after Fidel, to spice it up :)

And I support Fidel to death, so it&#39;s hard to think of anyone but him representing Cuba.

But I can say, that if the US goes in there with their military to try and get rid of Fidel, I would give serious thought to catching a flight there and using established Party connections to hook myself up to help in any way I could.

But hey, who knows what&#39;s going to happen in the future. I just don&#39;t what the US to get their hands on her.

10 bucks says they&#39;d set up car museums in the US and export/show/sell all those old cars :lol:

[king Royale]

Fidel has never brought up his death to the people of Cuba and I believe that this is something he needs to do. He should openly discuss with the public what will happen after his death. He should begin to look for someone that the people will follow after his death.

[Felicia]

hmm, but then the questions arises...... should the people choose this leader? Which would be a democratically inspired procedure..... and if that&#39;s the case, there&#39;s no guarantee that they would choose a socialist leader. I mean, and open political race in Cuba would be something to see, that&#39;s for sure. but then if he selects someone, it could become even more of an autocracy, something that&#39;s not very "doctatorship of the proletariat" it&#39;s more like "I&#39;m an old guy, I&#39;m going to die, so I&#39;m going to pick this man, whom you probably don&#39;t know anything about, to take over complete control of Cuba"...... eh, sounds like a good recipe for disaster and dictators if ya ask me......

but hopefully the spirit of defying the united states will continue ;) :P

[Palmares]

When I saw him fall, though I felt sorry for him, I can&#39;t hlep but admit that I actually chuckled at first.

Did anyone hear how the US commented "We&#39;ve been waiting a long time for Castro to fall." <_<

[Lacrimi de Chiciură]

I think that it will maintain socialism. The people there wouldn&#39;t let the US walk all over them, or at least I hope. Fidel&#39;s a good guy. I also thought it was funny how the "news" here seems to not often actually tell what Castro has to say, but is all over a video of him tripping. Everybody loses their balance once in a while. That&#39;s what makes America&#39;s Funniest Videos funny.

P.S. I also recommend "Fidel and Religon." It&#39;s a 300 some page long interview with Fidel. He makes some good points about many things.

[Felicia]

Originally posted by [email protected] 22 2004, 11:57 PM
Did anyone hear how the US commented "We&#39;ve been waiting a long time for Castro to fall." <_<
oh, gross.

[ComradeChris]

Here&#39;s more by CNN:

In Washington, the Bush administration used the opportunity of Castro&#39;s accident to reiterate its desire to see him removed from power.

"We heard that Castro fell," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. "I guess you&#39;d have to check with the Cubans to find out what&#39;s broken about Mr. Castro. We, obviously, have expressed our views about what&#39;s broken in Cuba."

When asked if he wished Castro a speedy recovery, Boucher said, "No."

"The situation in Cuba is of our primary concern," Boucher said. "The situation of Mr. Castro is of little concern to us, but, unfortunately, of enormous importance to the people of Cuba, who have suffered very long under his rule. And we think that the kind of rule that Cuba has had should be ended."

While declining to speculate on who might rule a post-Castro Cuba, Boucher said the Cuban people "deserve democracy."

"They, like everybody else in the world, deserve a chance to choose their own fate and future," he said, noting there is a Bush administration effort, led by Secretary of State Colin Powell, "to identify what we can do to hasten that day and what we can do when that day comes to support the people of Cuba as they found their own democracy, which is something we have strong confidence that they will someday be able to do."

Utterly disgusts me. :angry:

Full story:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/10/21/castro.fall/

[Subversive Pessimist]

I read a similar article to this, also. And on CNN earlier today, they said that he discussed governmental issues on a cell-phone during his ambulance ride to the hospital. Man&#33; He stays awake during the operation, he&#39;s 78 years old, and he conducts governmental matters on a cell-phone while on his way to surgery&#33;&#33;&#33; This man is a die-hard&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;


I love him&#33;&#33;

[DaCuBaN]

I just wish he&#39;d at least try to make his country a little more democratic... I know that subversives are always trying to undermine the state, but really&#33;

[Subversive Pessimist]

In what way a little more democratic? What would you like him to do?

[DaCuBaN]

Admit that he&#39;s about to die and ask for nominations to replace him? It&#39;d be a nice start...

[Subversive Pessimist]

So admitting he is about to die is getting closer to democracy? :blink:

I do agree that they can start planning (most likely they have), but most people believe that Raúl is going to take over.

It could be that a national election would be fair, but on the other hand they would not know these persons as well as Castro and those close up in the government would, so it could have some very bad consequenses, of course.

If there was to be an election I would like to see one where they could vote either the party that is in place now, or a capitalist party. I would of course flip totally if they would choose a capitalist party, but it would be their choice.

I just can&#39;t stand the thought of Cuba as a full blown capitalist nation. That would be horrible. May God forbid, wherever he is.

[Lacrimi de Chiciură]

I thought that Cubans did choose there local represenatives and that the represenative has to report to them every 6 month on what they have accomplished. Castro listens to advice from his people. A U.S. president could decide to bomb any city that he wanted to and the people couldn&#39;t get rid of him for an other 3 years. Even then though, because of the electoral college the majority doesn&#39;t rule and only about 50% of potential voters actually go out and vote. bush is probably going to win this election by getting about 49-50 something % of the vote which is 25% of the voting population.

[fuerzasocialista]

I&#39;m really expecting good things from Felipe Perez Roque who has been serving as chancellor of foreign relations for Cuba. I keep getting the feeling that he will succeed el Comandante at some point.

[chebol]

Raul is the chosen successor (I say THE not HIS deliberately, as you will understand soon). If and when Fidel dies, Raul is likely to take over.
Raul is not suitably addressed or analysed by half-understood references to one episode from the guerrilla insurrection. As a matter of fact, Raul has been one of the vice-presidents for many years, during which time he has made significant impact on the trajectory of the revolution (what do you all think he was doing- sitting on his hands, or knitting, or something?). For most of the past decade he has been working behind the scenes, restructuring the military defences of Cuba in the event of an (extremely likely) invasion after Fidel&#39;s passing. [As an aside, a part of this work has been not only modernising the armaments Cuba has, but working alongside Vietnamese comrades who are engineers. The aim, now completed? To build a series of defensive tunnels in key areas of the island for the conducting of a successful guerrilla war against the aggressors.] He is now playing a leading role in the battle against graft and corruption within the communist party, seeking to replace selfish and innefficient elements with those who are dedicated to the relentless improvement of the revolution and the cuban people. His presidency would be far from a desperate mistake, were it to happen.

But he is also becoming old, and Cuba is in need of an ongoing revolutionary leadership. I hear people here calling for "elections", and a younger "leader".
These points deserve addressing. Raul is old, but so is Fidel, and he still commands respect. Perhaps Raul could not command the same level as his brother, perhaps he could. This is not the whole point. Should Raul succeed Fidel? This is a question which it is up to the Cuban people to decide.

So, onto the argument of "elections". It would seem that people assume that Dr Castro has simply &#39;appointed&#39; himself president and &#39;comandante-en-jefe&#39;, and that democracy doesn&#39;t REALLY exist in Cuba. In this case you must logically argue that socialism doesn&#39;t exist in Cuba, and is in fact being impersonated by a one-man dictatorship. The way to fix this, apparently, is to hold *direct presidential elections*, in order to *prove* the democratic nature of the Cuban system.
This is a distortion of the course of socialist democracy in Cuba borne out of western (and capitalistic) ideas of democracy. Why should the Cuban people have to prove their democratic nature to a bunch of undemocratic powers? Why should they allow a capitalist party- which would have the funding of the Imperialist powers of the world- run in their elections, when the Communist Party doesn&#39;t even do this? These are confusions born out of the black-out of information that has been forced onto Cuba by it&#39;s opponents, most notably the US.

Should Cuba hold a mega-circus of the sort that the parties of the Elephant and the Ass are conducting this very minute? This would, no doubt, be accompanied by a ticker-tape parade consisting of the (considerable) bank-accounts of the CANF, CIA, DIA, EU, IMF, WTO, and all their friends. {Perhaps nominations can be opened tomorrow- just call 1800 FOX NEWS to be in the new global show Cuban Idol. You too can wear the olive green of revolution&#33;}
Perhaps they will not use this method, or they might end up electing George W. Bush&#33;&#33;&#33;

But I hear a Wise Old Bird in my ear- don&#39;t the cuban people elect their representatives? Why yes, how true&#33; And how does that relate to the position of President? Well, the President, along with the various ministers, vice-presidents, etc, is elected by the people, through the assembly of delegates that has already been mentioned. These delegates are recallable by their constituencies (local or industrial) if a majority are not happy with their decisions. These delegates legislate and create the laws that the Cuban people use to govern their society. These delegates are part of everyday cuban society, are not necessarily Communists, passed a resolution making socialism "irrevocable" in Cuba, and contain, amongst their ranks, the individual of Doctor Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, whom they have decided is most capable of being President of Cuba. They have also elected to make various others vice-presidents or ministers or such-and-such, due to their talents and skills in carrying out this task responsibly.
In the event that Fidel dies, it will be quite possible to replace him from within these ranks of the most capable cubans. The one who is currently held to be the most capable is raul Castro, not because he is Fidel&#39;s brother in blood, but because he is Fidels&#39; closest brother in struggle.
It will be hard, however, to replace his experience, skill and directness in moral guidance to the Cuban people (and others as well). Fidel&#39;s life is an historically exceptional one, and will never be repeated. What is the lasting testimony to the acheivements of individual human beings, however, is not that they are parroted (or parodied), but that they are learnt from.
Fidel, and whoever takes over his titles and epithets, is not the embodiment of the revolution. The revolution lies in the hearts, minds and hands of the cuban people, and will continue to do so, after Fidel, after Raul, and after George W. Bush.

I have no doubt that some day the likes of Perez Roque will be in a higher position in Cuban Government- perhaps even president. But perhaps not yet. They are individuals working towards a collective goal, and their decisions are taken as part of a democratic dialogue which we, as outsiders, are not currently privy to.
This discussion runs the risk of degenerating into a "who do we think would look the best in the position of Cuban President", when we ought (as the Cuban people are) to be addressing the issue of who will best assist them in running their country by fulfilling the role of president once Dr Castro is no longer able to do this, as well as getting on with the task of building socialism in order to save humanity and the planet.

[fernando]

The thing with Raul following Castro into power is that we will get something similar to what we had in the final years of the USSR (before Gorbatsjov came to power) that a leader was in power for a year and then died of old age, this is something that should not happen in Cuba because it will become even more instable after Fidel&#39;s death.

[chebol]

This may well be true, in which case I am sure the Cuban people will take this into account. Raul is not, of course, the only person capable of taking over from Fidel. I hope this is clear from my post. It is simply the case that Raul stands next in line to fulfill that role by virtue of the choisce of the cuban people. Were Fidel to die, they may reassess this situation.

[MiniOswald]

anyone know of any people who might take over other than Raul?
is there anyone in the government who looks likely to want to get into power? would they be good for power?

chances are however, US will move right back in, this time they wont mess about with CIA trained people though, they will use normal troops, WITH air support, b4 long its gna be back to square one, a mafia run state with a puppet leader. i think its doubtful floods of people will flock to cubas aid, we&#39;ll get the protests in the cities and the sort but nothing to stop it. who knows maybe even france, germany and russia will frown upon america, fat load of good thats gna do.

oh well we can always hope there&#39;ll be another little lee harvey oswald, to put a bullet into the head of whatever yank is running the show.

[fernando]

well...resistance inside US supporting nations could be a reaction...American ambassades and other US targets would be attacke world wide...well I doubt it...but it would be a good revenge

[chebol]

This is largely pure fantasy, outside the possibility of a US administration under a victorious idiot, instead of the present losing idiot. The US is stuck in Iraq, and can&#39;t afford another major front.
If they were to *win* in Iraq (and I&#39;m not easily convinced of this one), the US would still need a pretext that it could sell to the international community, especially Latin America. This, in my opinion will be next to impossible to attain, so the likelihood of an invasion (outside of Bush hearing the Word of God) is minimal.
The main danger will be a post-Fidel CIA-backed flooding of the country by the "exile" community and their terrorist groups, rather than a US invasion per se. And Raul&#39;s leadership is as good a remedy to this as I can imagine.
And even if there were an invasion, like I said, the Cuban people are prepared to defend their country in ways the US can ony imagine. Such an act would also seal the death knell for US foreign policy in Latin America, beginning with Venezuela, where it&#39;s already on the way out. But an invasion of Cuba will spark off civil unrest throughout the continent, and hasten the victory of the FARC-EP in Colombia. To prevent the spread of revolution, the US would have to deploy more troops in Colombia than it presently has, and the war would scale up significantly, likely spillling into Ecuador. Further, a number of Cubans would become refugees in Venezuela, with further implications for US relations with that country.
In short, an invasion of Cuba would be a PR disaster at best, and a regional conflict, of a kind that will make Vietnam seem like a draw, at the worst.

I don&#39;t understand why everyone is so keen to skirt around Raul, but if need be, the entire executive of Cuba could serve as a pool from whom to choose the next President. The point, once again, is not who is *in charge* of the Cuban government, but that the cuban people support, create and build it, and the revolution. And at the moment, they have chosen Raul.

Just a quick reminder- there are 11 million Cubans who support the revolution. Do you think a couple of hundred thousand pubescent american GIs can change that (short of extermination)? That&#39;s what they thought in Vietnam. In Iraq, where most of the people DIDN&#39;T support Hussein, the US is still stuffed. Why do you believe Cuba would be so easy? Is it that you have no confidence in socialism and the strength of the proletariat?

[fuerzasocialista]

When el Comandante En Jefe passes on it is quite conceivable that the US government might idlely sit by and watch. But the pressure from the Mafia in Miami might cause a stir especially if its a Republican administration in power. I have no doubt that within 5 mins of annoucing el Comandante&#39;s death, boats will deploy from various ports in Southern Florida filled with the former Batista beneficiaries that live there now looking to re-establish themselves as the new ruling class in Cuba. May they be met with a swift and quick defeat and retreat back to their mansions on Star Island, Coral Gables and Key Biscayne.

Raul may be the chosen successor but as mentioned before he is also quite up there in age and may not serve too long as President in Cuba. This is why I like Felipe Perez Roque.

[fernando]

Well...Cuba would be more in danger if Kerry wins...I heard some of his older speeches, telling that he wanted a more hard approach towards Cuba and Venezuela, protecting US interests in the Latin American continent. I dont think the US would perform a direct attack, but they would support the terrorists, give them better weapons and perhaps some harder equipment.

[h&s]

Well...Cuba would be more in danger if Kerry wins...I heard some of his older speeches, telling that he wanted a more hard approach towards Cuba and Venezuela, protecting US interests in the Latin American continent.
And Kerry is supposed to be the cautious, war as last resort, I-co-operate-with-the-UN candidate... <_<
Whoever gets into power in the US, the people of Cuba need to prepare for an assault from the US. As Fernando says, I doubt the US military will initiate the slaught...sorry, liberation of the Cuban people, they are more likely to fund &#39;independant&#39; resitance groups. I rekon they&#39;ll try a Bay of the Pigs style assault again, but one that is much better planned and executed.

[fernando]

And this time a bit backed up with air support or some sort of support, something in the lines of: "oh my..how did that heavy support stuff get missing" :blink: and then you see these maffia guys from Miami having airplanes and tanks in Cuba <_<