Dissident Oscar Elias Biscet, one of those released from jail who decided to remain in Cuba, decided not to sign “The People’s Path,” a document presented and signed by Oswaldo Paya and 20 other dissidents of varying political stripes. (See link and discussion here, more discussion here.)
Biscet, favored as a future political leader by many in Miami, said the document is “intensely socialist” and “profoundly ideological.” He says it proposes a “reform of the regime” and “does not propose a method of struggle” that would force the government to negotiate.
Biscet said his intention is not to criticize or divide, but “everyone will take his own path in the future.” He plans to release a statement of his own, “a coalition of all ideas, all tendencies, although from a centrist point of view, from the moderate center-right.” I wonder if “center-right” implies that he will differ from the other dissidents’ assertion that free education and health services must be preserved, and Cubans will not be evicted from their homes by former owners.
Biscet’s full comments were published here. They were covered at Diario de Cuba, provoking lots of comments from readers. Here’s an unscientific sampling of this healthy debate.
“All we need is one more extremist.”
“Those who speak against Biscet seem to forget that he is in essence a peaceful fighter inside the island...a man who preferred to remain in the anguish and desolation of our country and, what’s more, to continue struggling. Dr. Biscet, accept my respects with a little shame, I did not stay there.”
“I am a democrat and I want my Cuba to be free, but if tomorrow there were democratic elections in Cuba I would vote for a functionary that is castrista today and a democrat tomorrow, who knows what has to be done, how the state functions, and at the same time is a technocrat.”
“Why doesn’t he stop acting like a diva and join together in unity, the most important thing!”
“The truth is that I understand these ‘dissidents’ less and less. Time and again…until exhaustion sets in, they work to avoid the unity that is necessary.”
2 comments:
and the government rightly so gives them the little attention they deserve. change and reform is moving within the government's actions and the people's support, as it should be. the dissidents are not unified (interesting reflection on how the government has survived,) because they represent a foreign power, or the perception of it. end the siege, the only solution to their ineffectiveness
Why if Biscet hasn't done anything extraordinary when compared to other disidents does he gets such much limelight? Because Biscet is the man of Miami's hard-liners in Cuba:
- The Medal of Freedom (What? Yes, exactly.)
- "The most important disident in Cuba today" by El Nuevo Herald (Even Biscet opposed this label at the time)
- Bono mentioned him as someone different (Was Bono missinformed, or moved by interests that escape my understanding? The Bono- DiazBalart connection was disclosed at Ichikawa's.)
I still don't get it. Why is Biscet the hard-liners guy? When you look at Biscet you see the same brave spirit than many other disidents and an extradose of charisma. Why has he chosen to play this role? Certainly because he has the guts it take. But is it the result of an underlying metal limitation? Is Biscet OK?
My bet is that this will fail at some point. It can even be a disaster. The whole fabrication will just collapse.
Omar
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