Cuban Thermidor

[Julio Pino <jpino@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There is a very provocative piece in the latest issue(March 2000) of the
journal "Latin American Perspectives" by a Cuban social scientist named
Diallo that all comrades shoul read.Essentially, he argues that the threat
of a restoration of capitalism in Cuba is genuine, but it come not so much
from the Miami mafia as from the inside. He sees a triple alliance in
formation, with  sectors of the state technocratic-bureaucratic managers
aligning themselves to foreign investors and the proto-capitalist
"middle-men" who now operate in Cuba, from restaraunters to members of
agricultural co-ops. All three, Dialla states, are pushing for a
deregularization of the economy a la chinoise, as the first gesture towards
the restoration of capitalism once Fidel is gone.

Not exactly an original argument, except in three ways:
1. Diallo uses the term, "Cuban Thermidor", obviously borrowed from
Trotsky, to describe what he sees on the immediate horizon.
2. He admits current government policy. eg., dollarization, is furthering
this process and no one knows how to stop it.
3. He suggests not a recentralization of the economy as a possible solution
but rather giving more weight to local political units (Poder Popular)and
extending the powers of the National Assembly, including the right to form
other political parties besides the PCC, provided they support the
socialist process.
I'd like to know what other comrades think; I can also send you a copy of
the Diallo article if you like.
Julio Cesar Pino