Still the “Ashes of the Old”: Human and Labor Rights in Castro’s Cuba

In recent months, a number of official announcements from inside Cuba have led to speculation that meaningful political change could be underway. From a declaration that it will release a number of political prisoners to an apology for past repression of gays to an acknowledgment that “the Cuban model doesn’t even work for us anymore,” the Castro regime has sought to signal that a more benevolent rule is replacing the authoritarianism of the last half-century. But civil society activists have found that very little has changed inside Cuba when it comes to respect for human rights and labor rights. The future of Cuba lies not in the Castro regime but in human rights advocates, trade unionists, independent journalists, and independent librarians. It is they who deserve our support, as they bravely struggle for a new democratic Cuba that respects the rights of all.