KurtFF8 wrote:I don't think that anyone following Venezuela for the past few years was very surprised by this election.
I know a lot of people that were, for some reason. Many are even said that the opposition committed electoral fraud to win.
But the case of North Korea is quite clearly different than Cuba. As you point out, it is clear that there is an unofficial or de facto case of hereditary rule: each son seems to have landed the job as a result of being the son of the previous leader.
The same can't be said of Cuba. Raul Castro was actually one of the original revolutionaries who helped to create the system that exists today in Cuba. He has been an important figure in Cuban politics since, at the very latest, 1959. It is quite clear to anyone familiar with the Cuban revolution that the choice for him as President was not because of his family ties but because of his position.
Well, I usually agree with your argument there, but it's hard to say for sure that his family ties had nothing to do with it. Especially in a region that is so well known for its culture of nepotism. :/
I would say that Raúl Castro's position as Vice President had a lot to do with his brother being who he was.
But I suppose you are right. I think it is more a case of nepotism in this specific instance than of an actual hereditary position.
And I don't think it matters much, anyway. In the next few years, the President of Cuba will most likely be elected by the people as a whole.
For better or for worse, direct elections have been quite popular in Latin America for decades. And every Latin America dictatorship was forced to adopt them after opening their political systems.
PoFo ethnic party statistics: http://www.politicsforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8&p=14042520#p14042520