Interview by the Russian newspaper SITUATION from libertarian collective Autonomous Action regarding the current political picture in the island.

– Fidel Castro is in his last throes. Who do you think will rule in Cuba after his death?

º Fidel Castro is not dead yet, but even if he reappears, his role as leader of the revolution and chief of government is over. Raul has for now inherited the dictatorship but with his brother’s disappearance it’s unlikely he can exert power for long. Many factors indicate the opposite.

– Do you think Fidel is a dictator, yes or no?

º Somebody who’s been in power for almost half a century, violently crushing any opposition may be considered as much of a dictator as Stalin.

– What was Fidel’s policy with respect to other left movements (anarchists, Trotskyites, etc.)?

º In regards to the Trotskyites this question belongs to those who continue to romantically believe in Lev Davidovich. Some Cubans from that sect went into exile due to the repression following the death of Che Guevara. Anarchists were persecuted from the very beginning when some of our comrades were expelled from the unions, afterwards death, prison or exile was the medicine prescribed by the government against the Cuban anarchists.

– Brother Raúl doesn’t look like a strong politician, is that so?

º He doesn’t just seem weak, he is weak. He inherited the rank of chief of the Cuban army and Castro’s successor in 1959 as he was the only person the dictator could trust. He’s always been accustomed to taking orders from his brother and when his brother is gone he will not have the power he now has. For now he has delegated some sort of committee that in reality runs the government due to his brother’s incapacity. With the dictator gone, Raul will be left alone in a country that crumbles slowly and urgently demands political, social and economic change. Raul is incapable of filling Fidel’s shoes and we can’t rule out a violent popular uprising against the regime. At least it seems in Washington they expect the worst and are preparing for these events.

– The history of the Cuban anarchist movement is unknown in Russia. How long has it been around? How did it start?