ABSTRACT
A democratic Cuba would also have another advantage over either a successor communist or military regime. Cuba's ruling political class adheres to anti democratic values, thus posing a future threat to democracy once it is attempted on the island. In Poland and other former bloc countries, however, some of the communist parties have reconstituted themselves along democratic-socialist lines. Without Fidel Castro to champion Cuba's cause, the hard-liners would also find themselves isolated on the international front as governments and public opinion in Canada, Europe, and Latin America would turn against the regime's intransigent, repressive stance. A succession regime headed by reformers appears to be a long shot. Because their economic policies are radical in the Cuban context, the reformers are not likely to find much support among the major institutional players within the regime, at least not until the economic and/or political situation turns critical.
