By Guillermo Martinez in the Sun-Sentinel:
Cuba isn't Egypt because Cubans have Miami
At one time or another in the past few weeks, there is a particular thought that has crossed the mind of many of the 1.6 million Americans of Cuban heritage who live the United States — regardless of whether they were born in this country to Cuban parents or migrated here.
How could Egyptians peacefully oust a 30-year-old dictatorship, and Cubans have not been able to rid themselves of the Castro brothers 52-year-old tyrannical government?
Many have written about this in the past few days. Some say the Cuban secret police, trained by the infamous East German Stasi, is ruthless and would have no compunctions about shooting at protesters. Cuban officials have done so in the past.
Others say it is because of a lack of Internet access. The Cuban government has historically prevented Cubans from having access to the Web, although on Feb. 11, the regime lifted the ban, at least temporarily. Recently, Venezuela installed a digital cable that will increase Cuba's broadband capability, but the number of Cubans who have access to social sites on the Web is miniscule.
Still others dare say — with a straight face — that Fidel and Raúl Castro are still popular. That is just not true. One does not need to ban political parties or free speech if assured of the support of the people.
Cuba has the most brutal repressive regime in the Western Hemisphere. Its secret police is one of the best trained and equipped in the world. Control of access to the Internet, to Facebook and Twitter is an important factor. And because the number of people who still work for the government is huge, a percentage remains loyal.
Still not even the sum of all of the above can explain why the Berlin Wall fell and Cuba's regime survived. Or why one does not see the popular street protests that have shaken many countries in the Middle East in Cuba.
So, another answer, in a word, is Miami.
Cubans are both blessed and cursed by their proximity to the United States and by the privilege U.S. governments have given Cubans to come to this country, as exiles, refugees, or as winners of a diversity visa lottery program created in 1998.
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