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Castro turns 80, focus on economy instead of birthday
Source: Xinhua |
June 4, 2011, Saturday
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Online Edition
Online Edition
CUBA'S current leader Raul Castro yesterday turned 80 but kept the focus of the day on his reform plans to "upgrade" the Cuban economic model and held no official celebrations.
On the eve of his big birthday, Castro didn't even mention the 80th anniversary but rather repeated the need for moving ahead with economic and social reforms and called on Cubans to work together to change what he described as "many absurd things" on the island.
"We must change many things or we fall into the abyss and ruin the efforts achieved by many others before us," he said, but stressed that the social system of the Cuban Revolution would stay.
Since taking office as Cuba's supreme leader in 2006 after his elder brother Fidel withdrew from power because of serious illness, Raul Castro has made a gradual restructuring of the government, including changes to military appointments and promoting a more efficient and transparent supervisory structure in key areas.
His government has taken important steps in the last few months to re-integrate several aspects of a free market economy. These steps include opening up for the free sale of properties and cars, opened up to foreign investment, authorized more people to get access to private business permits and cutting subsidies and 1.5 million jobs from bloated state companies.
The reforms are aimed at dealing with the serious economic crisis that has affected Cuba during the last two decades since the collapse of the Soviet bloc in East Europe in 1989 and the continuing US economic and political embargo which has been imposed on Cuba since 1962.
On the eve of his big birthday, Castro didn't even mention the 80th anniversary but rather repeated the need for moving ahead with economic and social reforms and called on Cubans to work together to change what he described as "many absurd things" on the island.
"We must change many things or we fall into the abyss and ruin the efforts achieved by many others before us," he said, but stressed that the social system of the Cuban Revolution would stay.
Since taking office as Cuba's supreme leader in 2006 after his elder brother Fidel withdrew from power because of serious illness, Raul Castro has made a gradual restructuring of the government, including changes to military appointments and promoting a more efficient and transparent supervisory structure in key areas.
His government has taken important steps in the last few months to re-integrate several aspects of a free market economy. These steps include opening up for the free sale of properties and cars, opened up to foreign investment, authorized more people to get access to private business permits and cutting subsidies and 1.5 million jobs from bloated state companies.
The reforms are aimed at dealing with the serious economic crisis that has affected Cuba during the last two decades since the collapse of the Soviet bloc in East Europe in 1989 and the continuing US economic and political embargo which has been imposed on Cuba since 1962.
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