Cubans are coming to terms with the resignation of their long-serving
President Fidel Castro, who's stepping down after 49 years in power.
Transcript
KERRY O'BRIEN: Fidel Castro survived numerous assassination
attempts and his nation's near economic collapse but in the end he's bowed out
at a time of his own choosing.
The world's longest serving leader and dictator has resigned as Cuba's
President nearly 50 years of seizing power. Castro's exit could clear the way
for potentially significant changes to the country's economy and maybe even its
tightly controlled political system.
It could also signal the beginning of a reconciliation with the United States
after decades of hostility and mutual suspicion.
The ABC's North America correspondent Michael Rowland prepared this report with
the benefit of a recent first-hand glimpse of life in Cuba.
PHILIP PETERS, LEXINGTON INSTITUTE: He's leaving on his own terms. From the United States
point of view, neither invading, covert operations nor embargo nor all the
sanctions we've added on in the last 15 years nor all the things President Bush
has tried to do, none of those things affected him.
LARRY BIRNS, COUNCIL ON HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS: Even his enemies begrudge him a
recognition that he took on one president after another of the most powerful
country in the world and out lived and out-ruled them all.
MICHAEL ROWLAND: Old age and ill health have succeeded where nearly 50 years of
military and economic assault failed. Fidel Castro, the world's last Cold War
warrior, is hanging up his fatigues for good. The 81-year-old has conceded he
hasn't got the strength to continue as Cuba's leader.
Cubans have been preparing themselves for this day ever since Fidel Castro
underwent serious intestinal surgery nearly 19 months ago.
Just weeks ago, the ABC secured rare access to the Communist outpost, with a
heavy police presence on Havana's street, the Cubans we spoke to were reluctant
to express any criticism of their revolutionary leader but many of the locals
were already contemplating life after Fidel.
"If Fidel doesn't return," says this man, "we have other people
to lead us. We will continue being the same Cuba, even if we have someone else
out in front."
LARRY BIRNS: People have gotten used to the fact that Fidel Castro today is the
kind of Professor Emeritus rather than someone doing the day-to-day stuff.
MICHAEL ROWLAND: He may have become more commentator-in-chief than
Commander-in-Chief but Fidel Castro has still managed to niggle the old enemy.
Now the transfer of power is official, the United
States is stepping up its demands for a transition to
democracy in Cuba.
GEORGE W. BUSH, US
PRESIDENT: The question really should be what does this mean for the people in Cuba? They're
the ones who suffered under Fidel Castro. They're the ones who were put in
prison because of their beliefs. And they're the ones who have been denied
their right to live in a free society. So I view this as a period of
transition.
MICHAEL ROWLAND: Just what happens next in Cuba is unclear. In his farewell
message, Fidel Castro didn't dominate a successor to carry on the revolution,
but it's widely expected the job will fall to 77-year-old Raul Castro, who's
been running the country in his brother's absence. While Cuba's Defence
Chief is unlikely to loosen political restrictions, he's been more willing to
embrace long overdue economic reforms
PHILIP PETERS: What Raul Castro has done as a politician big-time, has been to
set up expectations that he is going to change economic policy. Now, how deep,
at what pace, exactly in which way we're not sure but he has laid bare Cuba's economic
problems. He's made clear he wants to address them in a way that will allow
Cubans to have a better standard of living.
MICHAEL ROWLAND: The challenges facing the new leader are immense. Nearly 50
years after a revolution meant to usher in a Socialist paradise, many Cubans
struggle to afford basic food and find decent housing. Those Cubans who fled to
the US
are deeply sceptical about anything good happening for as long as a Castro
remains in change.
CUBAN LIVING IN THE US:
The same Mafia, the same Mafia. Raul and Fidel, that's the same thing, nothing
different.
MICHAEL ROWLAND: Even if the younger brother gets the nod, Cuba watchers
say it's now only a matter of time before a new generation of party officials
takes the reins.
PHILIP PETERS: I think regardless of who gets the top spot, we're going to see Cuba now in
really an interim periods, an inter-generational period. We will see Cuba in a
period where the generation that fought the revolution and is quite advanced in
age now hands off leadership to the next generation and tries at the same time
to get the good ship socialism in shape to sail on into the future.
MICHAEL ROWLAND: Which direction it heads could determine whether the decades
old animosity between Cuba
and the US
starts to ease. While George Bush is ruling out any rapprochement, things could
be markedly different under the next president. The Democratic candidate say
they would be opening to forming a new relationship with Cuba, perhaps easing the embargo but only if
there's reform in Havana.
HILLARY CLINTON, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: Certainly the people of United States
would meet a new Government to talk about what needs to happen if that
Government takes some action that demonstrates they're willing to change. So,
we're hoping that we will see some evidence of that.
MICHAEL ROWLAND: But some analysts doubt there will be any significant
overtures to Cuban for as long as the Cuban exiles hold electoral sway in the
battle ground state of Florida.
LARRY BIRNS: I just think that any practical politician is not going to
sacrifice a sure thing, which is Cuba bashing, in favour of a
relatively visionary thing of attempting to put this five decades of bellicose
relations behind one.
MICHAEL ROWLAND: Still, politicians and citizens in both countries are finally
grappling with the departure of the man who turned a tiny Caribbean
island into a force in world affairs. After 49 tumultuous years at the helm,
Fidel Castro leaves a mixed legacy.
PHILIP PETERS: There are certainly things that under him Cuba has
achieved in terms of social policy, in terms of health and education but I this
think Cubans are right to ask did we need to give up our freedoms in order to
have those social achievements?
KERRY O'BRIEN: Cubans will still be able to read Fidel Castro's newspaper
columns but no more six-hour speeches.
