Desde La Habana

By now I’m imagining you’ve heard the “big” news—Fidel Castro has announced that he will not accept the Presidential nomination on Sunday when the National Assembly meets.  You may be thinking that La Habana is about to explode, but on that note you would most certainly be mistaken.  I am staying in the heart of the city—in an area called Plaza de la Revolución—and didn’t find out about Castro’s announcement until about an hour and a half after I woke up.  Even then, I found out by logging onto my email and seeing a breaking news alert in the Boston Globe.  It certainly isn’t breaking news here.  It’s just the official story of what everyone already knew.

Castro made his announcement at 5:00 a.m. today when the official newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Granma appeared at newsstands.  Castro had been promising a “mensaje” of great importance today and he certain didn’t let the Cuban people down.  A quick history lesson—Castro assumed power in 1959 meaning he has been Cuba’s leader for 49 years.  This is certainly an important day for Cubans, but more so as a formality rather than actual significance.  For those who believe now is a time of great transition in Cuba, I would say that transition began over a year and a half ago.

Our orientation at La Universidad de La Habana went along as scheduled, but we talked to a lot of people about the significance of today along the way.  The overwhelming feeling here is “no pasa nada” or, nothing’s happening.  The Cuban political system is far from being unstable.  You can bet that Fidel has been planning this moment with excruciating detail for the past year.  You can also bet that so long as he is living, he is going to be consulted on important decisions.

Nevertheless, on Sunday the National Assembly (of which Fidel is still a member) will elect its new leaders and there is still some speculation on who will become Cuba’s next president.  Next week will truly be the beginning of a new era in Cuba, but you won’t notice many (if any) changes on the street level.  I’ll keep you informed and please email if you have questions.