Fidel Castro has retired after more than 49 years as one of history's most brutal dictators.
He leaves a legacy that once he and his co-conspirators and successors are retired biologically, hopefully will not take as long to erase.
Executions.
Exile.
Exercise of absolute power, for the benefit of a few, and the detriment of a nation.
The official announcement culminates a process that began almost 19 months ago, when Fidel fell ill and "temporarily" handed over power to little brother Raúl.
From that moment, the dictatorship has followed a detailed script designed to keep it in power.
Raúl goes through the motions of talking about reform; he even releases a few political prisoners. Younger leaders take more prominent roles; some develop reputations as "moderates." Fidel, his health apparently stabilized, takes on a the role as a senior statesman; maybe he, too, will now start a blog to remain part of the discussion of Cuba's future.
An unfortunate consequence of that hand-over, reinforced by Fidel's "retirement," is that the dictatorship survives.
A face, presumably Raúl's — I haven't seen the script — will be placed at the top of the flow chart, come Sunday.
But the dictatorship survives.
The secret police. The Committees in Defense of the Revolution. The gulag.
The dictatorship survives.
The poor health care. The poor housing. The poor.
The dictatorship survives.
No free speech. No free press. No free elections.
The dictatorship survives.
Fidel's "retirement" is not a moment to celebrate. Unfortuntely, his legacy will survive his life's work, and his life. It is a historical moment to note but nothing more.
And it means little to this son of former Cuban refugees. Maybe it would be different if this morning we were reading his obituary, but consider me underwhelmed. I won't be breaking out the champagne, and I won't be driving to Miami for the party.
Part of Fidel's legacy is that millions of Cubans have come to America, to save and improve their lives, and to better a nation. That is something to celebrate, and we do each day.
The transfer of power from one dictator to another, won't change that.
And neither will it better the the existence of Cubans struggling to survive with their own lives, and their own dignities. Nothing has changed during the "transition" of the past 19 months.
Most Cubans remain hungry.
Most Cubans remain poor.
And Cubans who dare to speak out against tyranny, are harrassed, threatened and jailed.
Unless Raúl is determined to reverse all of Fidel's legacy — and his own, considering he was the No. 2 for all of those 49-plus years — he is not a reformer. But that is not his role in the tragedy that is Cuba.
His role, which he has filled perfectly during his tryout period, is to ensure that the dictatorship survives, whatever it takes.
Repressing free speech and assemply.
Jailing dissidents.
Holding sham elections.
Maintaining absolute power, absolutely.
Talking a good game about the need for "change."
Raul's done all of that, and 19 months after Fidel, and biology, put the wheels in motion, the dictatorship survives.
That is the only thing to remember today when considering the importance of Fidel's "retirement."
The dictatorship — his dictatorship — survives.
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