***.........Human rights activists in Cuba say that although the acts of repudiation are rising in number and intensity, they also carry a bit of good news: Neighbors who were once a staple of such attacks now rarely participate.
''These people were with the [Communist] party,'' said Ernesto Roque, an independent journalist, who said he was pushed and shoved by a group of government supporters recently. ``These are old, retired communists. Finding a young person to participate is difficult. ..........***
No doubt Hugo Chavez will have his fingerprints on any crackdown after Castro's death.
It's time for Cuba to join the world.
That's an interesting point- I had not considered Chavez in Cuba, but can Castro stand it? Would he really want to make it easy for Chavez to take over?
At the very least, Chavez is setting up a sanctuary for Raoul Castro and friends when they have to run for their lives after Fido dies.
"It's time for Cuba to join the world. "
Unintentionally funny? The rest of the world does recognize Cuba and has economic ties to the country. We in the US like to think of Cuba as being isolated, which it is not. Even a close ally like Japan has business involvements with Cuba.