CUBA:
Raúl Castro Acknowledges
Day-to-Day Hardships
By
Patricia Grogg
HAVANA, (IPS) - Cuba’s
acting president, Raúl
Castro, made a frank
assessment of the
situation in his country
Thursday, acknowledging
difficulties and
challenges faced by
Cubans in their daily
lives, ruling out the
possibility of
short-term solutions,
and warning that it is
essential to bolster
production, especially
of food.
Castro also reiterated
his government’s
willingness to hold
talks with officials of
the administration of
whoever succeeds
President George W. Bush
in the U.S. elections in
January, with a view to
resolving the tensions
that have kept the two
countries apart for over
four decades.
The new U.S.
administration "will
have to decide if it
wants to keep up the
absurd, illegal and
failed policy against
Cuba or whether it will
accept the olive branch
that we extended on the
50th anniversary of the
Revolutionary Armed
Forces," said the
interim leader,
referring to statements
he made in December.
Castro was speaking
Thursday in Camaguey in
east-central Cuba, on
the 54th anniversary of
the attack on the
Moncada barracks, the
first attempt by his
brother Fidel Castro at
overthrowing dictator
Fulgencio Batista.
This year, 80-year-old
Fidel was not present at
the ceremony, as he is
still convalescing from
a string of intestinal
surgeries. He
temporarily handed over
power to defence
minister Raúl a year ago
next Tuesday.
Raúl, 76, said his
brother’s illness was a
"major blow" but that
Fidel "is engaged in
increasingly intense and
extremely valuable
activity…although not
even in the worst
moments did he stop
contributing his wisdom
and experience in the
face of every problem
and key decision."
While he admitted that
the months following
Fidel’s initial
emergency operation were
"very difficult," the
effect was
"diametrically opposed
to what his enemies were
hoping for, as they
dreamed….that Cuban
socialism would end up
collapsing."
"Despite our profound
pain, no task was left
undone, and there is
order in our country,
while work has gone
ahead busily," said Raúl.
His words were widely
anticipated, because
they coincided with the
anniversary of his
taking power, and were
seen as an indication of
what can be expected in
the times to come.
"His speech gave me hope
that things may get
better," schoolteacher
Luz Marina González told
IPS.
She said that one of the
biggest problems for her
family is putting food
on the table. "We have a
house, my husband has a
motorcycle and takes me
to work, and the kids’
school is nearby. But my
huge challenge is
cooking every day. We
can't afford to cover
all of our household
expenses."
"We are aware…that in
the midst of the obvious
difficulties that we are
facing, wages are
clearly insufficient to
meet people’s needs,"
said Raúl Castro, who
also warned however that
production must increase
before any wage increase
or price reduction can
be adopted.
He underlined the need
to boost agricultural
production and expand
the experiences of
successful farmers, but
said that "to achieve
this objective,
structural changes must
be introduced."
Despite a decent level
of rainfall,
agricultural production
shrank 7.3 percent in
2006, sparking major
debate prompted by
criticism voiced by Raúl
Castro in last
December’s sessions in
parliament.
During the debates, it
was established that one
of the causes of the
problems facing
agriculture was the
state’s huge debts to
farmers. But in recent
parliamentary sessions,
it was confirmed that
the debts have been paid
off, and that mechanisms
were put in place for
immediate payment for
crops at harvest time.
Only 55 percent of
Cuba’s farmland is
currently under
cultivation. Some
100,000 private
producers and members of
cooperatives produce
more than 50 percent of
the country’s food,
although they only
possess 32 percent of
the country’s arable
land.
Experts say that if
agricultural
productivity does not go
up, the country will
have to increase
spending on food
imports, which already
grew 35 percent over the
last two years,
according to official
figures.
The rise in just the
price of milk on the
international market
will mean an additional
340 million dollars in
spending for Cuba in
2008, more than three
times what it spent in
2004, said Castro.
Sociologist Aurelio
Alonso said it was
significant that the
interim president
mentioned people’s main
concerns, such as food
prices, low wages, and
low labour, agricultural
and industrial
productivity.
"The sensation left
after listening to Raúl
is that there are
perspectives for the
future, for a
readjustment and changes
with regard to both
external and internal
circumstances," said
Daniel Bittencourt, a
Uruguayan professor who
has lived for over three
decades in Cuba. "He
didn't make any
promises, but I believe
he sowed hopes."
Raúl Castro also
referred to a possible
increase in foreign
investment to provide
capital, technology and
markets for Cuba’s
development, and a
strengthening of
cooperation and aid
based on respect for the
route chosen by each
country. |
