La Prensa,
Honduras
Cuba vs.
Puerto Rico: A 'Great
Lesson for All of Our Peoples' ...
"Beyond dogma, demagoguery,
rhetoric, sympathies and antipathies, and based on an objective and
dispassionate analysis, the difference in living standards and the level of
political freedoms achieved by Cubans and Puerto Ricans in the past 58 years,
offers us all a great lesson."
By Luis Pazos
Translated by Miguel Guttierez
February 27, 2008
Honduras
- La Prensa - Original Article (Spanish)
|
 
|
|
(TOP)
Cuba (ABOVE) Puerto Rico: A tale of two islands ...
|
|
|
Beyond rhetoric and dogmatic
positions, if we analyze the economic and political situations in Cuba and Puerto
Rico, we can uncover profound lessons for the future of our peoples.
In 1950 Cuba, the average
inhabitant had an annual income of $344, which was 23 percent higher than in
Puerto Rico, where the average annual income was $279. But starting in the 1950s
the two islands took different paths. In 1953 Cuba, during the time of
dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, Castro launched a
guerrilla movement in an attempt to overthrow the dictator's government, and by
the end of the decade he had succeeded. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico held its first
democratic elections in 1949.
In 1950, Puerto
Rico became part of the U.S. as the "Associated Free State of Puerto
Rico." Since 1950,
Puerto Ricans have held 11 free elections, and Puerto Ricans have chosen their
leaders from four existing parties which have traded power six times. Its
governors can only be re-elected once.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Puerto Ricans have far more
power to remove and select their leaders than people in Cuba, where there is
only one lawful party, the Communist. All others are considered illegal.
For the past 49 years, Cuba
has been ruled by the same person. Along with North Korea, the Cuban regime is
the oldest dictatorship in modern history. Politically, Puerto Rico is a democracy;
Cuba is a dictatorship. In the economic sphere, one need only visit the two
islands to see the tremendous difference in living standards. In 2005, the
latest data available, per capita income in Cuba came in at around $4000; in
Puerto Rico this year it was $19,300, almost five times higher than Cuba.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Beyond dogma, demagoguery,
rhetoric, sympathies and antipathies and based on an objective and
dispassionate analysis, the difference in living standards and the level of
political freedoms achieved by Cubans and Puerto Ricans over the past 58 years
offers us all a great lesson.
CLICK HERE FOR SPANISH
VERSION
[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US February 27, 10:30pm]
