The BBC’s Spanish web site asks if Cuba will change, and what the succession in Cuba means. Some of the best responses (Translations are mine):
The Cuban people are demoralized, tired, apathetic, indifferent, disillusioned, tired of this dictatorship.
Nobody wants to work, everyone steals, traffics, sells on the black market, drinks, prostitutes. These are the heroic people of the propaganda. But the truth is there, on the streets, in the decadence. 70% of houses are being supported artificially or otherwise collapsing. What change can be made with this 77 year old man after 50 years in power? Nobody knows since time and stopped on this forgotten island
Maite Rodriguez
There is no solution for the Cuban economy if they remain in power as they have done for 50 years. From time to time there are promises, but it is purely an attempt to soothe. It’s proven that the only function of of this tyrannical system is for them to stay in power living well while the citizenry disintegrates day after day in the most brutal misery. The only thing Raul Castro might do with his 77 years is obtain a migratory agreement with the USA to escape from here. There is no other solution for a communist
Norberto Esquivel
I would like for the newspaper Granma produce a report about the economic achievements of the tyrant Castro. To recount the failures of the harvest of 10 million tons, the cordon of Havana, the micro-jet bananas, the new varieties of livestock, the production of coffee, the development of housing, transport, apartheid at the beaches and hotels, of prostitution, of the 2 million exiles. So then we could imagine the changes that Raul will make at age 77.
Ignacio Lopez
Curiously, the most anti-Americans countries in Latin America are those who never had a intervention by the USA. However the Dominican Republic, Panama, Nicaragua and Cuba that did, are traditionally less anti-American that Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay. The Cuban people (contrary to what many believe in this forum) are not and have never been anti-American. Quite the contrary. Despite 50 years of Castro today they are less anti-Yankee than ever. The rest is a fabrication.
Marcos Salas
It’s a shame that because of the the anti-Americanism in the world, the Castros still have sympathizers and are not seen for what they really are: murderers, tyrants, dinosaurs that have destroyed the economy and the hope of a country that emigrates in droves. This “new” nomenclature (all military) over 77 years of age, will make the changes so that everything remains the same. Why not condemn dictatorships when they are from left? Why, please! Somebody explain that!
Marlene Sarmientos
All of these comments allegedly came from Cuba. I wish it were so. But there is no way to really know. But they are almost exact echoes of what we say here on a daily basis. At least we know where to recruit new contributors.
H/T: Pep
A Uruguayan I recently spoke with claims that the United States wants to take over his country so that they can seize their water resources. That leftist propaganda is so efficient that this man was really concerned about that. I asked him why the U.S. would have to travel to the opposite end of the globe for water, when there are desalination plants and the shipping expenses of water from Uruguay would be enormous. He had no answer but held on to his belief.