Cuba: Fidel Castro's New Role

Jeffrey Goldberg’s article in the August issue of The Atlantic had already drawn criticism from many journalists for over-playing Tehran’s nuclear capabilities and endorsing Israeli military strikes on Iran , when it caught the eye of an unlikely reader: Fidel Castro.

The article apparently sparked enough interest in the 84 year old former Cuban leader for him to invite The Atlantic’s national correspondent to Havana for a discussion on Iran and the Middle East. Goldberg in turn invited Council on Foreign Relations Cuba expert Julia Sweig to accompany him and both met with Castro in Havana early last week.
 
After more than four years of very limited statements due to his illness, Castro has surprised many observers with a recent increase in public and media appearances, but also with the variety of topics he has addressed. In the past few weeks he has apologized for his governments persecution of gays in the 1960’s, condemned Iranian leaders for inciting anti-Semitism , discussed his fear of nuclear conflict in the Middle East and the problems of the Cuban economic model.  
 
During a Council on Foreign Relations conference call with Sweig on Monday to discuss their visit to Havana, Goldberg said he thought Castro’s statement on anti-Semitism in Iran might have some sort of positive effect on other Non-Aligned member countries,  noting that Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez, a great admirer of Castro and important political ally to Havana, issued an announcement saying he would reach out to his country’s Jewish population, two days after Castro’s statement appeared in The Atlantic.com.
 
CFR fellow and author of “Inside The Cuban Revolution” Julia Sweig says that while current President Raul Castro’s has been building political consensus for significant reform of local private industry , public sector jobs and the sale of real estate to foreign investors, Fidel Castro is creating a new role for himself on important international issues. Sweig believes the US would gain a significant strategic advantage in Latin America and the world  if it realigned its “obsolete” policy on Cuba.
 
“Of an ideological wide range;  Latin America, Canada and the rest of the world; have been on record saying “Your policy makes no sense, its time to change” she said Monday. “It would throw a wrench in Chavez’s world view were Washington to move closer to Havana. It would open some doors in Latin America that are currently closed to the United States”  
 
 
While the Obama administration has already eased some restrictions , like allowing Cuban-Americans to travel back to Cuba without restraint, Sweig says that the coming changes to the Cuban economic system or  even possible benefits of renewing diplomatic relations will likely have no impact on American policy. The current stability in Cuba and the many other urgent domestic and international matters facing the Obama administration will continue to make the 50 year old embargo the easiest option.
 
“Cuba policy is domestic politics. It has to do with the perception of the importance of the Cuban American vote in Presidential electoral politics, especially in Florida. The weight of campaign finance money being thrown around, Republican campaign finance money going into Democratic party coffers, keep the status quo in place.Those two things really have little to do with foreign policy, with national security strategy. But they have until recently dominated” said Sweig.