"Chávez's cancer keeps the Castro brothers awake"
"Controlling him and keeping him alive betters the chance of taking hold
of Venezuela's future"
In the opinion of Montaner, Fidel's ailment dashed the attempted
Cuban-Venezuelan Federation to the ground (File photo: Paulo Pérez Zambrano)
Interview
He was imprisoned when he was 17 years old. He is somewhat attached to
Venezuela, as he fled for the Venezuelan Embassy from jail in 1961.
Carlos Alberto Montaner has been in exile for almost half a century
without losing his composure. He is the author of 25 books, a columnist,
university professor, political activist and confessed liberal. He
thinks that, besides the extreme need of the Cuban regime for the
Venezuelan aid, there is an affective component in Fidel Castro in his
endeavor to rescue what he views as his only, real heir.
You have always postulated Cuba-Venezuela Federation. Is it not a
mistake, considering that while in Venezuela there is an attempt at
imposing "transition to socialism," as top government officers say, in
Cuba, to the contrary, there is transition to capitalism?
Actually, those obsessed with the merger were Fidel Castro and Hugo
Chávez. It seems to me a ludicrous aim. Ending 2005, Carlos Lage, then
Vice-President of the State Council, and Felipe Pérez Roque, the Cuban
Minister of Foreign Affairs, publicly backed such union between Caracas
and Havana. Sure enough, they were following Fidel's orders. At that
time, President Hugo Chávez gave his blessing. It looked like a
short-term operation and they even appointed some committees to study a
juridical integration of both countries. However, everything came to a halt.
Why did it stop?
Because the reaction in Cuba was terrible. When Lage said that Cuba had
two presidents, Fidel and Castro, such a remark fell down like a bomb on
the island. Cuban military men are not so much respectful of Chávez, and
the government has cultivated fierce nationalism for decades. That was
kind of an act of treason. Further, Fidel got sick in the summer of 2006
and Raúl does not believe in such fabrications. In this way, the project
was put on ice.
Fidel Castro smartly handled the issue of his disease and succession. To
what extent is he doing likewise with Chávez's cancer?
Chávez's cancer has been terrible news for Fidel Castro. Now, Havana
tries to control a Venezuela, where Chávez could die. Such a scenario
keeps them awake. The primary task of Cuban services, which are very
clever for that matter, and their best strategists, in the event of
Chávez passing away, is preventing that endless source of available
wealth from slipping away.
Why Chávez did not go to Brazil, as it was announced?
The Castros would not let the patient go to Brazil. They convinced him
that nowhere would he be taken care of as good as in Cuba. Controlling
Chávez at this time and trying to keep him alive increases the chance of
grasping Venezuela's future.
Do you think that Venezuelans and the world have not realized that
Chávez has handed over most of his powers and this could cause a power
vacuum able to unleash a full-scale political crisis?
They should know it. The foreseeable thing is that, if the caudillo
dies, in the short or medium term, he will take his government to the
grave. In Venezuela, there are neither institutions nor a true ruling
party. There is just a charismatic leader who will hardly transfer the
power to a successor.
How can the issue of succession be solved in a country where everything
revolves around Chávez? Either sick or off duty, is political change by
electoral means not ensured? Raúl Castro is a grayish man who does not
need votes. Adán Chávez has not charisma at all and does need votes. Can
be leadership be transferred in the Venezuelan case?
It is very difficult. For that reason, Adán Chávez said that election is
not the only means of doing revolution. He is preparing in the event of
taking office forcefully. In the absence of Hugo, the government elite
will probably espouse Adán to keep its political project and privileges.
Hardly possible though, is for them to admit electoral defeat and go home.
What do you reckon the fact that Chávez took the word "death" out
-getting rid of the red color- and criticized sectarianism?
It seems that Chávez is very frightened. His relationship with Fidel and
the protection sought in Havana attest to it. It is likely that being
close to death made him revise everything. When people approach death,
they usually change their priorities and cool their passions down. That
Chávez who was taking the communion was not cheating Venezuelans -he was
scared.
Translated by Conchita Delgado
http://www.eluniversal.com/2011/08/06/chavezs-cancer-keeps-the-castro-brothers-awake.shtml
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