Castro's brother hints at changes in Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba — Raul Castro has set a new tone for Cuban politics, telling university students in Havana that they should debate "fearlessly" and bring their concerns directly to him.

Castro's remarks, published Thursday by the Communist Party newspaper, Granma, are the clearest indication yet of how he might reshape Cuba after the death of his ailing brother, Fidel Castro. Raul Castro told the students that his brother is "irreplaceable."

"Fidel cannot be replaced unless all of us replace him together, each in his or her own place, carrying out his or her concrete task," Raul Castro was quoted as saying. "Only the Communist Party of Cuba can replace Fidel."

Raul Castro, who is Cuba's defense minister, tempered his remarks by telling the students that a "unified command" is a key military principle but "that doesn't mean that discussions can't happen."

The notion of freewheeling political debate is almost unheard of in Cuba, where many residents fear repercussions if they criticize the government. But it is not without precedent. At one time, Raul Castro encouraged open debates, including criticism of the government, at Cuba's military college. Those debates have been reined in over recent years, but some experts say they think Raul Castro could one day open Cuban society to a similar system of free speech.

"It's true that Raul Castro has tried over the years to open spaces for conversation," said Jorge Dominguez, a Mexican political analyst who has written extensively about Cuba.

Castro has been Cuba's acting president since his brother's July 31 intestinal surgery. And even though Fidel Castro appointed his brother as interim president, Raul Castro still seemed reticent to seize the official mantle of power while his brother is still alive.