Cuba’s new President in waiting wants to make the Communist Party more open without democratizing the system.
Its a change in style not in behavior. That’s what Gorbachev tried to do at first but came to eventually realize more radical changes were needed.
Democratizing the Soviet Union was the beginning of a long road. Dismantling the totalitarian state in Cuba will take even longer.
Russia still isn’t too un-totalitarian under Putie.