Already there has been lots of speculation on why Fidel Castro chose this moment specifically to give himself a bigger presence in Cuban life than he has had for the last several years, during which he had taken on the role of a nearly invisible but omnipresent source of critical opinion through his written commentaries. Having appeared almost solely in very occasional photos since 2006, former president Castro’s participation in Mesa Redonda earlier this week and his follow-up appearances before (1) the Cuban Foreign Ministry, (2) the National Center of Scientific Investigations, and (3) Havana’s Center for Research on the World Economy have surprised many.
And perhaps without even realizing it, media has all of a sudden allowed Castro’s appearances to draw attention away from Cuba’s largest release of prisoners since 1998, and the implications and consequences of such a move. Whether this was the intended or unintended consequence will be difficult to know—but it’s certainly one response to the “why now?” question.
(Photo: Reuters)