Fidel Castro, the Communist thug, liar and murderer who has spent the last 50 years exploiting and oppressing the people of Cuba, has a...please don't choke on the word -- conscience. And, facing the very real prospect of his brother forcibly removing him from office, proud comrade Fidel's conscience has bade him retire.''It would be a betrayal to my conscience to accept a responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer,'' the 81-year-old Castro wrote in a letter published in Tuesday's editions of Cuban newspapers. ``This I say devoid of all drama.''
Devoid of all drama?
Hardly. After all, Fidel Castro's removal from power has been the hope and fervent prayer of Cubans and all other lovers of liberty, justice and goodwill throughout the world for decades.
But it turns out that Castro goes out with a whimper and not a bang, leaving the sad wreckage that is modern Cuba to his brother and fellow despot, Raúl, and the small cadre of Communist Party leaders who have been the de facto rulers of the nation since Fidel's illness forced him into seclusion 19 months ago.
Things will change. But how fast and how far is still anybody's guess.
President Bush told reporters that his thoughts are not with the brothers Castro right now but rather with the people of Cuba themselves. ''They are the ones who suffered under Fidel Castro. They are the ones who were put in prison because of their beliefs. They are the ones who have been denied their right to live in a free society.'' But, like the rest of us, President Bush can't help but feel renewed hope.``I view this as a period of transition and it should be the beginning of the democratic transition for the people in Cuba.''
Raúl's grip on the reins of power may be a bit tenuous itself as many observers are betting that the Council of State are getting ready to promote Vice President Carlos Lage, 54, as the man to "continue the revolution." But as Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican Congresswoman representing Miami) emphasized, the priority needs of Cuba are not new Communist faces on the dais but liberty, justice, and a rebirth of humane ideals. ''Enough of him, enough of Raúl, enough of Lage... and the rest of this sorry lot. The Cuban people want freedom,'' Ros-Lehtinen said. ``Replacing one dictator for another doesn't amount to a hill of beans. But, then there aren't any beans in Cuba either.''
A grand start down a new road for Cuba would be open negotiations with the West, pardons of political prisoners, an end to the persecution of Christians, and a revival of a free press. But I'm afraid these precious blessings may yet a long way off.
Yes, I will be celebrating today; there's no doubt about that. But amid the celebrations will be revitalized prayers for real change in Cuba -- a change that will take the beleaguered country beyond Fidel Castro's seared conscience, beyond Raúl Castro's egoism, beyond all the failures, paranoia and injustices which have been the hallmarks of Communism.
