Cuba and Human Rights: A Shift?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7270179.stm

This is good news to hear. Although it leaves me with more questions than answers, a question on the possibility of improved human rights is better than certainty of their denial.

As would be expected, the Cuban government denies this is a shift and asserts this is merely a formality. Of course no government, especially a totalitarian one, is going to admit guilt for a half century of human rights abuses while the same people are in power. So, we can write the denial of shift off as what is actually a mere formality.

So the question has become, was the signing of the agreement a mere PR scheme, or was it the sign that some people in the Cuban administration are actually seeking a change of direction? The release of prisoners might be one test to see if a real shift is in the works. However, perhaps the Cuban government will hold on to these prisoners to save face and be more lax on future dissidents. Let me elaborate: if those in prison are released, it would signify a shift that is being denied. Thus, to "prove" that they were not denied their rights, the Cuban government keep them in jail, with Raul and company claiming to carry out justice. However, they may become more lax on future political dissidents.

All this is mere speculation. Obviously, I would like to see a major shift including the release of all political prisoners. I see this as unlikely, as the shift in power didn't seem to be a very meaningful one. Yet, this article surprised me and caught my attention. These were just some some thoughts on a possible scenario off the top of my head. What do you think? Leave a comment.