Cuba in Transition II

Last week in Cuba, in a government-sponsored debate that touched mainly on social issues, but which was really very political, given the nature of the Cuban system, the Culture Minister, Abel Prieto, took the lead in voicing criticism of some of the controls imposed by the Communist regime. In calling for change, Mr Prieto went so far as to state his support for gay marriage, in a country notorious for repression of homosexuals.

Mr Prieto, a long-haired writer turned politician, is no outspoken radical. After all, he is a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party and also a member of Cuba’s supreme governing body, the Council of State. But he is clear in his support for the debate being promoted by caretaker leader Ra