The Real Story: Castro’s exit gives Cubans reason to hope
Communist leader’s resignation is a gift for not only the country he ruled, but for the rest of the world
Last Tuesday, the brutal reign of Fidel Castro came to an end and thousands of Cubans silently rejoiced at the possibility that they may one day be free. Although this is great news for the Cuban people, the fact that Castro has been able to dictate the terms by which he has left office is a disgrace to everything America stands for and it is a bloody stain on our moral record. While our nation has fought so valiantly for the freedom of people thousands of miles away, our government has largely ignored the suffering of oppressed people only 90 miles off the coast of Florida.
Before Castro, Cuba was one of the freest and richest countries in Latin America. Their health care system, infant mortality and literacy rates rivaled even some European countries. In 1940, they created a new constitution that protected individual rights, created a social security system and provided a system of equal pay for equal work. But after a coup by then President Fulgenico Batista, Castro’s revolutionary movement took hold and he seized power.
Instead of fulfilling his promise of a return to democracy, Castro created a regime that has murdered thousands, suppressed civil liberties and made Cuba one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.
In Castro’s Cuba, logic is an enemy and truth is a menace, so ideological conformity is imposed through a system of governmental spies who suppress dissent: Anyone in possession of “subversive” literature can be jailed for as long as 20 years.
The average salary is equivalent to about $10 a month and, as a result, many are forced to steal from their jobs and some even resort to prostitution just to make ends meet. Even the fortunate ones, with jobs in the tourist industry, are allowed to keep only five to ten percent of their earnings; the rest is given to the government.
But while the Cuban people have suffered, Castro lives extravagantly. Two years ago, Forbes magazine estimated that Castro is worth about $900 million, based off his partial ownership of state-owned enterprises. While he denies possessing any personal fortune, many Cuban refugees who worked in Castro’s government say that Forbes was too conservative in making its estimation, arguing that he is worth much more.
It’s ironic that while Castro celebrated the ideals of communism, as ruler he lined his pockets with money made off the backs of impoverished workers who were supposed to benefit most from the system—so much for equality.
Now that Castro is gone, there is hope for the Cuban people. His brother, Raúl Castro should take over and will likely institute some much-needed reforms to the island. Rumors have begun to buzz about the possibility that Raúl may institute economic reforms similar to Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika, which freed up the economy and allowed for private ownership in the former Soviet Union 20 years ago.
While this is a step in the right direction, the island still has a long way to go. America should continue to pressure the Cuban government to give its citizens the rights they have been denied. I look forward to the day when Cubans, along with the millions of others who suffer under the great lie of communism, no longer live in fear of their government but enjoy the liberty they are entitled to as human beings.
As for Castro, he has left a legacy of cruelty, fear and blood that will always exist in the darkest corner of history. He represents totalitarianism at its worst, when tyrants place their own self-gratification above the dignity and sanctity of human life, and his name will forever be linked with the evil monsters of the past: Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Saddam.
Tony Spadaccia is a freshman political science and business management major.
