Newswise — Beyond the political arguments surrounding Cuban President Fidel Castro as the ailing leader mulls relinquishing power he's held for more than four decades, Cuban society will undergo a profound trauma should the nation lose its first leader to command attention on the world political stage, according to a Cuba researcher at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Miren Uriarte, a professor of social policy and the director of the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy, has researched Cuban social policy for years and believes a transition in power will have a deep emotional effect on Cuba's population " many of whom have known only one leader their entire lives.
"There is a lot of sentiment around any presidential transition and I think Cuba's reaction will be surprising to the world, should he die or relinquish the presidency," said Uriarte, a Cuban American. "The Cuban people will see this as a major historical transition for Cuba. This is perhaps the most important Cuban leader in the history of the country, and regardless of whether one is for or against him; most Cubans in and out of the island recognize this."
Uriarte continued: "This is the only leader many Cubans have ever known. And this is the one Cuban leader in the history of the country who has played on the world stage. That level of significance is unique to Fidel Castro. Anyone who comes after him will not have that and all Cubans will recognize that."
Uriarte's research into Cuba has focused most recently on social policy. In the past, she has examined U.S. trade and immigration policy towards Cuba, the Cuban-American community and its relationship to Cuba and Cuba's own immigration policy.
The Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy was established in 1989 at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Latino community activists and scholars founded the institute to respond to a need for improved understanding of Latino experiences and living conditions in Massachusetts. The mission of the institute is to inform policy makers about issues vital to the Commonwealth's growing Latino community and to provide this community with information and analysis necessary for effective participation in public policy development.
For more information about the Gaston Institute, please visit:http://www.gaston.umb.edu/about/index.html
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