EDITORIAL: Same Party, Same Revolution

The newly elected First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, is not the fruit of improvisation. He is a revolutionary man who has played leading roles in the Party, the State and the government with rigor and strong sense of ethics. He is an example of the effective implementation of a cadre policy, which must be referential at all levels. He is a public servant.

What is regarded by the eternal enemies of the Cuban Revolution as his main flaw, it turns out to be actually a huge asset: Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez is “the continuator.” To those who bet on a breakup, conditioned by the “pragmatic” ignorance of the foundational principles of the PCC, this 8^th Congress has confirmed the preservation of an ideological matrix in a permanent dialogue with the particularities of its time, its context. That is the essence of a much-repeated concept these days: that of “continuity.”

Continuity does not mean opposition to progress. It means coherence. It is dialectical. The nation has changed and the Party takes on the permanent challenge of going hand-in-hand with the times. However, it does not imply reversing the course. The course has been already set in a certainly arduous way by the political leadership of the country. And it has been so with the support of the vast majority of the people. Our sovereignty cannot be negotiated. Our dignity is inalienable while the legacy of our heroes, sacred. And an increasingly just society that embraces solidarity is actually feasible. Fighting for this future is the road Cuba has taken, well aware of the many obstacles along the way.

The PCC is, metaphorically speaking, the crucible of those dreams. Its role is to lead the process for their realization in very clearly democratic dynamics, always promoting the national unity, which is the main guarantee for a dreamed, thriving, sustainable society.

With no concrete policies, all of the above may seem just rhetorical. The Congress has given details about guidelines that should be implemented in the different spheres of the national life. There are lots of challenges ahead: so the law-making, administrative and control exercise must be up to the citizens’ demands. More spaces for dialogue and honest exchange of ideas must be created in a law-governed socialist state and an authentically participatory democracy. And at the same time, the principles of self-determination, the defense of our identity when facing an economic, political and cultural imperialism —which is increasingly voracious— must be strengthened.

As you may see, it is a hard mission. And the PCC leadership understands it that way. Make way to the generational shift is not about a simple reward or a conceited pleasure: it is a commitment, a historical responsibility.

And not only the main leaders of the Party must bear such responsibility, but all of its members. These members, ultimately, is part of the people. The Communist Party of Cuba cannot be viewed as an elitist entity, detached from social foundations. The roots are there and the positive outcome must be there as well.

This is still Fidel Castro’s Party. Raul Castro’s Party. The same Party that embraced and did not let the fight tradition initiated by the first heroes die. Fidel’s Revolution is that of Céspedes and Martí. And this is the Party of the Revolution. Therefore, it is (and it must be) the Party of the future.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff