By Jim Burns. CNS News
Senior Staff Writer. February 07, 2001
(CNSNews.com) - The president of the Cuban parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, vows
that the death of Cuban Leader Fidel Castro would not in any way signify the end
of the "Cuban revolution" that brought Castro and communism to power
in 1959.
In a Radio Havana broadcast, Alarcon said that while Cuba would lose the "intelligence,
brilliance and moral authority" of Castro, the country would "maintain
its path and further develop the socialism it currently practices."
Alarcon also said that even though socialism has faded in the Soviet Union
and Eastern Europe, Cuba has the advantage of seeing what happened to those
nations and can thus avoid any errors of its own.
Alarcon is known as the "point man" in the Castro government when
it comes to Cuba's dealings with the United States. He did not refer to the
United States in the radio broadcast.
In a recent television interview, Vice President Dick Cheney said the United
States and Cuba could establish a "friendly relationship" if Castro's
tenure comes to an end, but as long as Castro remains in power, Cheney said U.S.
sanctions will remain in effect.
"I don't think there is any prospect certainly for lifting those
sanctions as long as Fidel Castro is there," Cheney said on NBC's Meet The
Press.
"The problem in Cuba has been and continues to be his presence -- a
lack of freedom, a lack of free elections. As soon as he is gone from the scene,
there is no reason in the world why we can't have a really first-class,
normalized set of relationships with Cuba," Cheney said.
President Bush has said there will be no change in U.S. policy toward Cuba
until free elections are held and political prisoners are freed. | 