The theme of the sixth Congress of the party in Cuba seemed clear enough: President Raul Castro, opened the Summit Saturday saying that a new generation of Cuban politicians was necessary to ensure that the Socialist Revolution.
Skip to the next paragraphEven former Cuban leader Fidel Castro seemed to embrace the message. "The new generation is called to correct and change everything without hesitation that must be corrected and changed", he wrote in the journal of State Granma.
But at the time where as the wrapped Congress Tuesday, the new leaders have been appointed to the Communist Party, and none of the three top positions went to any person under the age of 78, leaving the old guard in power and thwart these hungry Cubans of a political reorganization.
"Raul Castro said they had to bring new leaders, bring the new generation," says Wayne Smith, senior fellow at the Center for International policy in Washington and former American diplomat in Cuba. "But he appointed its long date no. 2 No. 2".
The Congress is important because Fidel Castro was appointed not the head of the party for the first time since its formation in 1965. Instead, Raul Castro will formally assume this role.
Cuban watchers were anxious to see if a young leader could be chosen as a position for a long time of Raul Castro as Second Secretary. But the veteran José Ramón Machado Ventura, 80, will take place, while Ramiro Valdes will resume the No. 3 role. Both have worked with the Castro brothers since at least the 1950s.
Raul Castro discussed the apparent contradiction in his closing speech. "We have kept several veterans of the historic generation, and it is logical from the consequences of the errors that have been made in this area," he was quoted by the Associated Press said in his closing speech. "These have stolen us a rear bench of mature substitutes with enough experience to take on the top positions of the country.".
Two young politicians were appointed to executive positions, including Marino Murillo, who oversees economic reform in Cuba. They could later groomed first positions. And even only rhetoric is a change that Mr. Smith sees as important.
"" At least they speak of the need to highlight the young generation, and do not have the same leaders decade after decade "says Mr. Smith." "" At least it is a sign encouraging that [Raul Castro] is talking about. ?
The Congress was the first in 14 years and comes in the midst of the economic changes that Raul Castro has made, including the announcement last fall that half million jobs a million State will be reduced. Delegates debated some 300 economic proposals, but few details were released. Instead, they stressed their commitment to future changes.
"It could have been a Congress that declared new policies with annexes to them... who appointed a bunch of new people," said Philip Peters, an expert at the Institute of Lexington from Cuba. "Instead of this he was a Congress who expressed commitments for future action."
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