August 12, 2004
BlogCuba - Yoan Hermida
The first entry in today's BlogCuba event is from a fellow Cubano. Yoan Hermida came to La Yuma at the age of seven and enlisted in the Army at the age of 17. He is currently stationed Fort Carlson, Colorado. He's a lot like me when I was his age, only smarter and more well versed. For BlogCuba he gives us a quick primer on the political parties of the island nation. Gracias, Yoan. Es un orgullo mi hermano.
The Political Parties of Cuba
For those of you not familiar with Cuban political parties other than the Cuban Communist Party, I shall provide a brief overview of three political parties in exile and their Cuban counterparts. This list is by no means inclusive or totally unbiased.
Unión Liberal Cubana: Founded in exile in the early 1990s by Carlos Alberto Montaner. Don't be fooled by the "Liberal" in the organization's name. It is liberal in the European and Latin American tradition. The party is a staunch supporter of free markets while at the same time advocating progressive ideas in the social arena. It's ideological ally on the island is the Partido Liberal Democrático de Cuba. The party is a
member of Liberal International.
Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Cuba: Ideologically similar to many of the Christian democratic parties of Europe. The PDC supports the development of "participative democracy, social justice, and economic development." It's counterpart in Cuba is Oswaldo Payá's Movimiento Cristiano Liberación. Oswaldo Payá is better known as the organizer of the Varela Project.
Partido Socialdemócrata de Cuba: As the name suggests, the PSC is a socialdemocratic party which advocates traditional ideas of the left. Though it doesn't embrace the free market wholeheartedly, the organization does support private enterprise. It is a member of Todos Unidos, a group that seeks to unite the opposition in the island, regardless of ideology. The party is also a member of Socialist International.
Let me provide some "ideological translation" for American readers. None of the organizations above have an exact counterpart in American politics, but with a little imagination you might be able to come up with something. Combine the Union Liberal Cubana with the Partido Democrata Cristiano and you have the Republicans. Combine the PDC with the Partido Socialdemocrata and you have the Democrats.
Posted by Val Prieto at August 12, 2004 06:05 AM
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Comments
Thanks for this info on Cuban politics. I'm somewhat surprised on the emphasis on social justice, rather than on plain and simple justice.
Posted by: Helen at August 14, 2004 02:01 PM
Sadly, a lot (if not most) of the world's political parties advocate "social justice" rather than true justice. The Cuban Christian Democrats and Social Democrats are no exception. One of the few "opposition" parties who supports our idea of justice is the classically liberal Cuban Liberal Union.
Posted by: Yoan G. Hermida at August 14, 2004 04:39 PM
