Cuba needs economic as well as political freedom

BOGOTA -- FIDEL CASTRO'S legacy will be discussed, mourned and even celebrated in editorials, blogs, obituaries and street demonstrations. But the only important question right now is whether his resignation means any real change to the life of ordinary Cubans after decades of economic and political oppression.

The right freedoms could not only liberate Cubans from political oppression but help them to build a prosperous economy and eliminate poverty. Political liberties will not be enough. Economic freedoms and private property are the keys to any economic development and the debate must start now.

Cubans were told they needed to surrender their freedoms to liberate themselves from capitalist oppression. This is the totalitarian paradox: If you want liberation, you need to give up liberty. Whatever oppression Cubans suffered before was quickly replaced by the brutality of an authoritarian one-party regime, or rather, a one-person regime ruled by his desires, prejudices and ambitions.

Cubans were also told that giving up their freedoms was essential to another kind of liberation -- liberation from poverty -- with similar results. Shortly after the revolution, Cuba's economy collapsed. Later, the helping hand of the Soviet Union provided some stability and a minimum of supplies. But, whatever the propaganda, the Cuban economy was always struggling to survive: All was revealed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the regime was left to its own devices. Hunger, poverty, malnutrition and shortages became part of everyday life.

Developing countries that insist on restricting markets have so far achieved only one result: perpetuating poverty, whatever the political model. But a working model for transition can be found in the experiences of some eastern European countries, such as Slovakia and the Baltic republics and even some African countries, such as Botswana and Mauritius: opening to free trade, allowing private enterprise and imposing light taxes, and adopting a flat tax.

There are no reliable statistics about the Cuban economy but every indicator puts it among the poorest in the world. Nevertheless, Cubans are well positioned to make a leap toward prosperity: In spite of political indoctrination, education levels in Cuba are higher than in most poor countries. If only the Cubans had the right institutions, if only they could live under the rule of law and enjoy free markets, this human capital would generate prosperity. In fact, if there is a proof of the inability of socialism to create wealth, it is that Cuba, with its educated population, remains poorer than many countries where illiteracy is the rule.

Of course, opening markets will not be enough: The rule of law is a crucial element, giving protection to property rights, impartial courts and the stability that underpins business, trade and development.

The first step now, after Fidel, should be a no-strings gesture from one of the main actors in the Cuban transition: The United Sates should quickly repeal its infamous embargo. It is not true that the embargo is the cause of Cuba's economic ills, as admirers of Castro maintain, but ending the embargo would create immediate economic opportunities along with a show of goodwill.

Economic freedom is an essential part of human rights and Cubans have long been deprived of all their rights. The history of the United States shows how solid foundations of prosperity and stability underpin the building of political freedom. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown how political rights are worthless without the prosperity and stability that come from economic freedom. Please don't get it back to front again.

Andres Mejia-Vergnaud is director of the Colombian think-tank Instituto Libertad y Progreso, in Bogota·.