Raul Castro, 93, Is Still Alive, Bids Farewell to a Comrade
Multiplies his public appearances to show death rumors were false
Rumors about Raul Castro’s death usually coincide with moments of high national tension, like the severe current crisis.
HAVANA TIMES – RaUl Castro’s appearances on Cuban Television, after the increasingly frequent flood of rumors about his death, have become a kind of State ritual. At the beginning of the year, it was an official media – the very faithful Cubainformación – that coined the term “resurrection” to designate these sudden incursions of the nonagenarian general in front of the cameras.
Last September, five generals of the Armed Forces died, and the rumors circulated like never before. Castro, however, did not appear until the end of the month, to receive the president of Vietnam and say goodbye to one of his closest collaborators. In the Granma room of the Ministry of the Armed Forces, together with the leaders of the regime, Raul Castro paid a late “tribute” to Ramón Espinosa Martín, who died four days earlier.
The scene has been repeated many times in recent years. The family of the deceased soldier is placed in front of a double row of leaders: in the center, Miguel Diaz-Canel, Raul Castro and Ramiro Valdes; next to them, Manuel Marrero, Esteban Lazo, the Minister of the Armed Forces – Álvaro López Miera – and the Minister of the Interior, Lazaro Alvarez Casas. Presiding over the hall are the ashes of the deceased, his medals and a wooden mural with the Granma yacht.
Without saying a word – the ceremony has been described over and over again by the official press – Castro approaches with a white rose, bends down with more and more difficulty, and places it on a small table in front of the remains. Then, the military and leaders of the room stand at the same time.
The general’s “short stay” guarantees the family that the deceased had, as is the case of Espinosa Martín, Castro’s utmost confidence. They describe his presence at the funeral as a “meaningful gesture,” which the former leader of the Communist Party tops off by personally greeting each family member.
In July 2022 – when rumors of his death were circulating – Raúl had to go to the same room to give his own family his condolences. Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja, his former son-in-law and the man who took the economic reins of Cuba at the head of the Gaesa military conglomerate, had just passed away. Like this weekend, Castro spent time “without saying words” and was followed closely by his grandson and bodyguard, Raúl Guillermo, son of the deceased.
Predictions about Raul Castro’s death usually coincide with moments of high national tension, fueled by the economic crisis and blackouts. His appearance is intended to mitigate another rumor: the breakdown of the regime’s structure if the general dies and leaves the current leaders without the “shelter” of the historical generation.
This is the scenario in which Cubainformación – not without a certain religious fervor – spoke of Castro’s “resurrections.” Last January, when several rumors once again gave him up for dead in the midst of “difficult moments,” the media boasted of his appearance in Santiago de Cuba.
“It must now be like the fifteenth time this month that they say that Raúl Castro has died,” the Spanish journalist José Manzaneda said, laughing. “Today he reappeared or revived. These people (several influencers) don’t get tired of making fools of themselves. When a person reappears and gives a speech of almost half an hour, with perfect diction, despite his age – and he is now pretty old – with an absolutely coherent speech … they make fools of themselves.”
The co-host, Lazaro Oramas, also celebrated Raúl’s “resurrection”: “All these unpatriotic people, all these enemies, all these scoundrels will be eating their words,” he said. Another good omen, Manzaneda said: with the old man present, the flag of the cathedral square of Santiago de Cuba had begun to wave – a “good sign” in his opinion that the year was going to go well.
Educated by the Jesuits, the Castro brothers took advantage of religious symbolism on numerous occasions and speeches. From the enthronement of the “martyrs” – the rebels killed by Fulgencio Batista’s army – to the white dove that Fidel made perch on his shoulder in 1959 through a trick, the idea that a kind of mysterious will accompanies the Revolution (atheist and Marxist) has been constantly recreated. On July 26, 2023, without going any further, Raul’s appearance coincided with the dawn.
During Fidel Castro’s long convalescence, there was also talk of his sporadic “resurrections.” In 2012, in one of the moments when the rumor of his death ran from mouth to mouth – there was still no mass access to the Internet – the old man appeared in front of the cameras. He had not given signs of life for almost seven months, and several Miami media had already taken his death for granted.
Castro dressed as a gardener appeared in several photos taken by his son. He was then 86 years old and had four years left. His brother Raúl is 93 today, and many Cubans have predicted – as they did in 2016 with Fidel – that his death will cause the disappearance of a regime that always seems to have its days numbered and is now approaching its seventh decade of existence.
Translated by Regina Anavy for Translating Cuba.
Don’t know where you have been getting your information about Raul Castro but if what you have written was true why has the Cuban state become progressively worse off with him in de facto total control of the country. As the brother of “ El Jefe Commandante – Fidel Castro”, Raul Castro inherited complete control of the totalitarian state upon the death of Fidel.
How can Raul Castro be, as you state, “less of an ideologue than originally suspected” ? During and after the 1959 Revolution both brothers and the minions of totalitarian ideologues had the same vision to turn the Cuban island into a dictatorial socialist utopia as dictated in Marxist- Leninist philosophy. Those who did not aspire to that philosophy or were less of an ideologue were dismissed- permanently.
Michael writes: “Always pragmatic he charted a new direction for the military by incorporating modern management tools . . . “ Such as? Please explain for the readers what exactly you mean or where you obtain your information about where and how the Cuban military has incorporated modern management tools as you state? They certainly have all the latest “management tools” to keep the Cuban population on its knees.
Repression of Cuban citizens has been going on for the past 60 plus years and anyone who attempts to defy the totalitarian state’s goals are thrown in jail. Raul Castro was the de facto supreme leader on July 11 2021 when a group of young Cubans wanted to inform their leaders about perhaps considering implementing a modicum of change in their beloved homeland. Had Raul been less of a repressive ideologue would he not have had a meeting with these young Cuban compatriots and at least listened to their anguishing cries?
But no, those young Cuban pragmatic idealists were all thrown in jail for their attempted democratic endeavours. Where was Raul Castro then?
Michael writes: “Unfortunately, the “old guard” resisted and Cuba lost out by rejection of his pragmatism.” Michael, Raul is the “old guard” . History will judge Raul accordingly. With all the power he inherited from his brother, any “pragmatism” you say he attempted to implement had to be pragmatism within a totalitarian philosophy which you can clearly see has been a complete colossal failure island wide.
Michael writes: “Socialism is consistently better at promoting justice, fairness and equality . . . “ obviously from your post you are referring to “socialism “ as you believe, I presume. practiced in Cuba. Well, Cuba is hardly a socialist state any longer.
It is a totalitarian state ruled by those whose only objective is to remain in power and justice, fairness and equality only matters when it meets the criteria of the unelected, unresponsive rulers.
No matter when Raul Castro leaves us, he deserves to be remembered for being less of an ideologue than originally suspected. Always pragmatic he charted a new direction for the military by incorporating modern management tools that led them to support many of the national needs in difficult times. He also recognized, I believe, that neither pure socialism nor capitalism work and he attempted reforms that may have led to a more workable middle ground. Unfortunately, the “old guard” resisted and Cuba lost out by rejection of his pragmatism.
Socialism is consistently better at promoting justice, fairness and equality, but elements of capitalism enables the productivity to support a fair and just society.
I personally wish that Raul had become leader earlier and that he had the time and support to implement his reforms – without haste but without interruption. I would be honoured for the chance to meet Raul Castro before he departs.