The Cuban Communist Party at the Center of Political and Economic Reform: Current

Status and Future Reform in the Shadow of the Chinese Communist Party

ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF THE CUBAN ECONOMY TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL MEETINGCUBA’S PERPLEXING CHANGESMiami, Florida, July 31 – August 2, 2014

Larry Catá BackerW. Richard and Mary Eshelman Faculty Scholar & Professor of Law and International Affairs, The Pennsylvania State UniversityLCB911@GMAIL.COM

The Problem• Ley 118 (foreign Direct Investment) illustrates the problems of

reform facing Cuba today;• The usual analysis: – focus on economic viability and administrative coherence/efficiency; – hunting for evidence of collapse

• Masks the fundamental problems,– PCC ideological foundations may make reform impossible to realize in its

operation;

• Ideology, then should be an important focus of our study of Cuban reform.

Thesis• (1) Variations in Marxist ideology matter (no monolithic communist ideology), • (2) sustainable economic reform is possible within a Marxist Leninist State-Party

systems, and • (3) ideological systemic ossification in Cuba can contribute to crisis and

paralysis.

– It is in that context that one considers the questions: does the Chinese model provide a framework for Cuba? Is it too late for reform of the Cuba CP?

– If reform is possible, what should be its objectives and strategies? To answer these questions Cuba might do well to consider the Chinese path toward constructing Socialist Democracy and Socialist modernization.

RoadmapA. In Ideology We Trust, The Centrality of ideology to the problem of reform in

Cuba;B. Progressing vs. Preserving: The Cuban Ideological Path—From Revolution to

Lineamientos;C. Ideology in shaping Cuba Party-State structure;D. Ideology in shaping Economic Reform;E. Different Shades of Red: China and Alternative Paths to Marxist-Leninism;F. Transition is coming: cosmetic surgery, organ transplant or transgression of the

soul.

A. In Ideology We Trust, The Centrality of ideology to the problem of reform in Cuba

Ideology provides the language of political disocurse and the normative framework within which reform is possible

Problem of Cuba Marxism Leninism

Cuba political

discourse Ideology Ideology

IdeologyIdeology

B. Progressing vs. Preserving: The Cuban Ideological Path—From

Revolution to Lineamientos• Cuba has chosen European/ Soviet Approach

to Marxist-Leninism;• Ossification; • Preserving Revolution became the central

element affect all aspect of Cuba society: internal policy and foreign policy;

• Cult of Personality vs. institutionalization of collective decision making;

• Rules vs. Discretion

Party Ideology: preserve revolutionary traditions

1950s Revolutionary Marxist-Leninism (the

Party Coming into Power)

1970s-1980s Orthodox Stalinist Cult of

Personality Bureaucratic Socialism

(the Leader Over the Party in Power)

1990s-2010 Ossified Post Totalitarianism and

Statist Regionalism

Now? (Move toward Sustained Economy

Reform)

Marx-Lenin-Stalin Theory

Marti Ideology • Nationalism • Latin American

Solidarity• Self-conscious

Castro Theory• Refining Leninism/

Stalinism• Theorizing

Globalization • Anti-Globalization

Alternative (ALBA)

? • Lineamientos• Social morals, • Advancing collectivism,• Ideology of revolution,• Combat with bourgeois

ideology and errors• Advancing social justice and

equity, overcoming racism and • Fighting with corruption and

lack of faith of socialism

C. Ideology in shaping Cuba Party-State structure

Institutionalization manifested through

the politics of personality rather than a matrix of

rules

Party pay more attention to

ideology and ALBA rather than economy

The ideological base locked up with

class struggle

Weak institutionalization; no socialist rule of law environment.

• Substantial intermeshing of Party in the functioning of the state and of the state apparatus subsumed within Party structures.  

• Law is merely a basis of administration, which subject to the discretion of administrations.

D. Ideology in shaping the Reforms

Reform

Coops

Licensing

Ley No. 118

• Reform can only be understood within the constructs of ideological taboos.• A limited non-state sectors are

tightly controlled by central planning at the discretion of administrative power.

• Cooperative regulations and licensing scheme

E. Different Shades of Red: China and Alternative Paths to Marxist-

Leninism• Marxism-Leninism not Monolithic;• Chinese path

– Sustainable elements (local applicability)– Mythological approach: dynamic interpretation from foundations.

F. Transition is coming: cosmetic surgery, organ transplant or transmigration of the soul?

• Most in the west: an inevitable transition toward western style based economy and democracy.

• Many in PCC: gradual opening as narrow as possible, a painkiller that solve present issues while minimizing the impacts on basic character of Cuba.

• The third approach (Chinese path) to the construction of a Marxism-Leninism Party-State, Socialist Rule of Law/ Democracy/ Opening Up.

Thank You

Ｔｈａｎｋ　ｙｏｕ

90s 2000s

Havana, Cuba