Editor
20th June 2002, 16:59
Democracy not without the People
The USA wants to destabilize Cuba with new methods
by Elsa Claro
This past May the New York Times published an article in which the demand of the ex-President James Carter to the current head of state George W. Bush to lift the blockade against Cuba was supported. "It is an insanity," it read, "that the president still assumes that the blockade of merchandise to Cuba helps to weaken the position of Fidel Castro". In fact Bush presented his "initiative for a new Cuba" nearly at the same time as Carter's visit, which was critized by the congress and trade associations, because it offered only superficial changes but in reality strengthened the old line. Bush affirmed that there will be no change in policy regarding Cuba until there is "a new and throughout democratic government." For Bush that means a multiple party system and a neoliberal economic reforms.
Bush could have copied these goals from the Varela project in Cuba, but it was actually the other way round. With the Varela project a part of the so-called internal opposition is trying to advance a set of reforms. The goal is the establishment of a multiple party system and the acceptance of private property, which would dissolve the monopoly of the state and pave the way and for privatisation, ultimately to return to capitalism.
The project was invented by a small group, which calls themself "Christian Liberation Movement" (MCL). For the project they selected the name of a 19th century Cuban priest Félix Varela, one the idols of the Cuban liberty fight. About 11,000 signatures were collected within the last year; that is about 0.01 per cent of the entire population. By the regulations of the constitution this number is sufficient to submit the initiative to the parliament for consideration. It will propably be considered even if the Varela project *is a "media campaign with the help of the US government," according to *Ricardo Alarcón, the parliament's president.
The answer to the Varela project came a week ago: Youth and woman organizations as well as trade unions presented a counter proposal *on *June 10, which is likewise aimed at changing the current political climate. Their request is to support the character, *principles and the perspective of the historical-ideological process of the revolution. This support became clear at *957 marches, in which *seven million people participated, according to official statements.
After this show of support, the movement is about to collect the necessary signatures for the constitutional change. The involved organizations established *places throughout the country where signatures could be collected, and from Sunday through Thursday have had the same success as the marches, with similar numbers of *people signing the petition.
First published by German newspaper Junge Welt (http://www.jungewelt.de).
http://www.jungewelt.de/2002/06-20/005.php
Translated using Babelfish (http://babelfish.altavista.com), revised, edited by vox.
The USA wants to destabilize Cuba with new methods
by Elsa Claro
This past May the New York Times published an article in which the demand of the ex-President James Carter to the current head of state George W. Bush to lift the blockade against Cuba was supported. "It is an insanity," it read, "that the president still assumes that the blockade of merchandise to Cuba helps to weaken the position of Fidel Castro". In fact Bush presented his "initiative for a new Cuba" nearly at the same time as Carter's visit, which was critized by the congress and trade associations, because it offered only superficial changes but in reality strengthened the old line. Bush affirmed that there will be no change in policy regarding Cuba until there is "a new and throughout democratic government." For Bush that means a multiple party system and a neoliberal economic reforms.
Bush could have copied these goals from the Varela project in Cuba, but it was actually the other way round. With the Varela project a part of the so-called internal opposition is trying to advance a set of reforms. The goal is the establishment of a multiple party system and the acceptance of private property, which would dissolve the monopoly of the state and pave the way and for privatisation, ultimately to return to capitalism.
The project was invented by a small group, which calls themself "Christian Liberation Movement" (MCL). For the project they selected the name of a 19th century Cuban priest Félix Varela, one the idols of the Cuban liberty fight. About 11,000 signatures were collected within the last year; that is about 0.01 per cent of the entire population. By the regulations of the constitution this number is sufficient to submit the initiative to the parliament for consideration. It will propably be considered even if the Varela project *is a "media campaign with the help of the US government," according to *Ricardo Alarcón, the parliament's president.
The answer to the Varela project came a week ago: Youth and woman organizations as well as trade unions presented a counter proposal *on *June 10, which is likewise aimed at changing the current political climate. Their request is to support the character, *principles and the perspective of the historical-ideological process of the revolution. This support became clear at *957 marches, in which *seven million people participated, according to official statements.
After this show of support, the movement is about to collect the necessary signatures for the constitutional change. The involved organizations established *places throughout the country where signatures could be collected, and from Sunday through Thursday have had the same success as the marches, with similar numbers of *people signing the petition.
First published by German newspaper Junge Welt (http://www.jungewelt.de).
http://www.jungewelt.de/2002/06-20/005.php
Translated using Babelfish (http://babelfish.altavista.com), revised, edited by vox.