Some fifty years of Fidelismo have taught Cubans to look for hidden
meanings behind official pronouncements, so when flattering references
to Raul Castro (right) suddenly began to dominate the toothless local
media, there was many a knowing smile. The accolades to his seemingly
idyllic family life - married 45 years, four fine children - and his
hitherto unsuspected artistic bent could mean only one thing: his image
was being buffed up to ensure a smooth transition of power when the Old
Man died.
As is often the case in Cuba, what the papers are not writing about
Raul is far more interesting. A notoriously hard drinker, he is
reportedly suffering from advanced cirrhosis of the liver. And within
Cuba's sizeable gay community, which includes his own daughter,
Mariela, it is an article of faith that this lifelong hammer of
"degenerate" homosexuality is himself a closet queen.