2008 Woodie Awards
Professor discusses human rights in Latin America, Cuba after Fidel
By Shane Madden
Issue date: 3/17/08 Section: News
WCU professor Erminio Braidotti discussed Latin American human rights on Wednesday, March 5 as part of the bi-weekly Ethnic Studies seminar series to a group of students and faculty.
Having just 50 minutes to work with, Braidotti highlighted several Latin American countries, such as Argentina and Guatemala, and their past and present struggles with conflict and human rights. He then welcomed questions from members of the audience, several of whom inquired about the condition of Cuba after Fidel Castro's resignation last month.
"The U.S. government complains so much about Cuba and squeezes the people with embargos but there are far worse people around," Braidotti said, referencing Parade magazine's annual "Top Ten Dictators" list and how Fidel Castro progressively did not make the list over the years as less and less was heard from Cuba on the world stage.
Braidotti discussed the concept that it is still an anti-communist ideology that fuels the embargo policy towards Cuba. Other dictatorships or once-communist countries, such as China with its increasingly capitalist leanings, have been traded with and dealt with by the United States; an embargo has existed on trade with Cuba since 1962.
While "free trade" is an experiment that has begun between the United States and other Latin American countries, Cuba is still excluded.
"Free trade works in other countries, I guess," Braidotti said skeptically.
Despite Fidel's resignation, his brother Raúl has taken his place, keeping policy in the family, leaving some possibility for change but rejecting the possibility of a political reversal in Cuba.
"Any change that may take place will be gradual; neither Raúl nor the Communist leadership will want to cause Fidel a heart-attack now in his last days. In other words, they'll let him die with the illusion that the revolution succeeded and is still going strong," Braidotti said. Then they will start implementing gradual changes, which they recognize are necessary and urgent, both politically and economically."
Having just 50 minutes to work with, Braidotti highlighted several Latin American countries, such as Argentina and Guatemala, and their past and present struggles with conflict and human rights. He then welcomed questions from members of the audience, several of whom inquired about the condition of Cuba after Fidel Castro's resignation last month.
"The U.S. government complains so much about Cuba and squeezes the people with embargos but there are far worse people around," Braidotti said, referencing Parade magazine's annual "Top Ten Dictators" list and how Fidel Castro progressively did not make the list over the years as less and less was heard from Cuba on the world stage.
Braidotti discussed the concept that it is still an anti-communist ideology that fuels the embargo policy towards Cuba. Other dictatorships or once-communist countries, such as China with its increasingly capitalist leanings, have been traded with and dealt with by the United States; an embargo has existed on trade with Cuba since 1962.
While "free trade" is an experiment that has begun between the United States and other Latin American countries, Cuba is still excluded.
"Free trade works in other countries, I guess," Braidotti said skeptically.
Despite Fidel's resignation, his brother Raúl has taken his place, keeping policy in the family, leaving some possibility for change but rejecting the possibility of a political reversal in Cuba.
"Any change that may take place will be gradual; neither Raúl nor the Communist leadership will want to cause Fidel a heart-attack now in his last days. In other words, they'll let him die with the illusion that the revolution succeeded and is still going strong," Braidotti said. Then they will start implementing gradual changes, which they recognize are necessary and urgent, both politically and economically."
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