Could This Be The End of El Hefe

Fire of Liberty

As the Cuban community in Miami(Other areas where people stand united against Castro's regime. Especially those in Cuba.) and freedom loving people voice their joy over Castro handing over power to his brother and the possible demise of the near-near-octanagarian dictator, we can mark this day down as the beginning of the end of Fidel's reign in Cuba. While Fidel might bounce back tomorrow, I'm guessing from this hand-over of power and the lack of information coming out of Cuba(Not much happens in a closed society) is an indication that the Cuban dictator is in far worse shape than what the MSM is reporting. Now I'm not one to wish or celebrate the death on anyone, I have to say that I won't shed a tear when El Hefe leaves this earthy realm and finds a seat beside Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Lenin, Pol Pot and other vile dictators in a climate hotter than Cuba. So here's hoping that Castro doesn't run the roost much longer so the march to freedom and democracy can begin.

Now while today is a good day for Cubans in general, I'm a little fearful of what awaits the Cuban people with Rual Castro at the helm of the Cuban state. The one thing that's troubling about all the reports coming from NPR( See here, here, here and here) and the MSM is that Raul Castro is far more pragmatic, less devoted to the Marxist ideas of his older brother and more willing to work with the West. Now if anyone takes this as gospel then I've got five million in the bank for ya'll. The simple truth is that Rual Castro wouldn't be sitting as the Minister of the Armed , the number two man and successor of his older brother if he wasn't as blood-thirsty tyrant as well. All you have to do is read this short profile of Rual Castro in The Times to realize that this is not one of those people that is willing to turn over a new leaf by lessening the regime's strangle-hold on the Cuban people or offering a rapprochement to the West. What the West(Mainly the US) has got to hope for is the demise of Castro and the hopes that there's enough animosity towards Rual that the Cuban military and the people oust him thus paving a way to opening up Cuban to the world. As with all dictatorships that last so long things don't go as we wish but here's hoping that the Grim Reaper is on the way and the folks of Cuba take things in their hand and destroy the vestiges of this vile regime. (I prefer the Franco approach to Spain when he handed the reigns of power to King Juan Carlos and the parliament.) I expect some rough times ahead for the Cuban people with the possible demise of Castro and Rual taking over but as with life I'm positive that the forces of good and liberty will win the day.

Now while the details about Castro are a little fuzzy, I thought you'd find the following pieces about Fidel Castro, his life and the future of Cuba very interesting. So see here, here, here, here(A liberal view), here, here, here, here, here, and here.

***More Reading***
>Check out Babalu Blog to get a Cuban American perspective on the Cuba and the news on Castro.

>Also see the following books:

Cuba: The Morning After
By Mark Falcoff

Cuba After Castro
By Edward Gonzalez

Castro's Final Hour
By Andres Oppenheimer

After Fidel
Brian Latell

The Man Who Invented Fidel
Anthony Depalma