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Castro's tale one of
survival and struggle in 2003
Castro loyalists kept the economy growing
despite fierce U.S. opposition. But many
Cubans say they are tired of their government.
By Tracey Eaton, The Dallas
Morning News. Posted on Thu, Jan. 01, 2004
in The Miami Herald.
HAVANA - Fidel Castro will celebrate his
45th year in power today after seeing some
of his most turbulent yet momentous times
since the early 1990s.
Castro loyalists kept the economy growing
in 2003 despite fierce U.S. opposition.
They kept the increasingly restless Cuban
populace in check. They advanced in education,
science and sports. And they did it on the
cheap, running the entire nation on a budget
only four times bigger than that of the
city of Dallas.
It's a remarkable tale of survival and
endurance. But where Cuba is headed and
what shape it's in is a matter of heated
debate.
Castro, looking weary but determined at
77, tells supporters that Cuba is on the
right path. Tourism, not the sugar industry,
now drives the economy. Production of oil,
gas and electricity is up. Record numbers
of children are enrolled in Cuban schools,
many equipped with computers for the first
time.
LOYALIST VIEW
As for the nation's mood, Castro loyalists
say, life is tough but people are generally
content.
Not all Cubans agree. They say they are
tired of the socialist government's rumbling
like an old Chevy held together by baling
wire and belching black smoke.
They see Cuba as a nation of 11 million
struggling souls having to work, sweat and
sometimes even steal just to get their hands
on a cold can of Coke.
On a recent morning on a highway east of
Havana, for example, a thirtysomething taxi
driver pulled up next to a transit inspector
and slipped him a dollar bill -- equal to
four days' wages for many Cubans.
''Everything's in order,'' the inspector
said, paying little attention to the driver's
documents as he pocketed the cash and sent
the cabbie on his way.
Everything does seem to be in order in
Cuba, at least on the surface. The island
is peaceful. The main avenues are clean
and well kept. Crime is low -- the police
make sure of that. And the violence and
rioting seen in much of Latin America don't
exist here.
But the island has plenty of problems,
some Cubans say.
SILENT WAITING
They say it's hopeless to challenge the
all-powerful government, so they play along,
keep their mouths shut -- and wait.
Others are starting to speak out. After
more than 10 years of economic hardship,
shortages and long lines, they would just
as soon be rid of the socialist regime.
Such vocal complaints about Castro and
his government were rare a few years ago.
Now they're slowly creeping into everyday
conversations.
It's not that Cubans are worse off than
they were six or seven years ago. It's that
their expectations are changing. Cuba is
changing.
Nearly two million tourists visited in
2003. While helping boost the economy, some
experts say, they also gave Cubans a window
into the outside world, where people earn
more money and enjoy greater freedom.
SUPPORT CLAIMED
Cuban officials say the vast majority still
supports the socialist regime. Some complain
''because that's a Cuban characteristic.
Your average Cuban likes to talk. He has
a big mouth,'' one official said, spreading
his hands two feet apart. ``But they're
not against the government.''
Castro has ruled the country since he and
a loyal band of rebels defeated a much larger
U.S.-backed force Jan. 1, 1959. He has since
become one of the most recognizable figures
on the planet. He is a hero to many, particularly
those in the Third World. And he has kept
Cuba afloat despite the decadeslong U.S.
trade embargo.
Cuban officials blame most of their economic
troubles on the embargo and demand it be
lifted.
The U.S. sanctions have virtually no international
support.
That was clear last month, when the United
Nations voted l79-3 to condemn the U.S.
embargo against Cuba. Only Israel and the
Marshall Islands voted with the United States.
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