Poll finds Cubans unhappy with island's direction
By LESLEY CLARK
lclark@MiamiHerald.com
WASHINGTON -- Any goodwill Raul Castro enjoyed as Cuba's new leader has
dissipated, according to a new poll indicating that more than four out
of five Cubans surveyed inside the country are unhappy with its direction.
The survey, conducted by the International Republican Institute, also
found that one in five Cubans named food scarcity as their biggest
worry, and 82 percent said life in Cuba was going ``so-so, badly or very
badly.'' That was up slightly from 80 percent in November 2008, the last
time the study was conducted.
``Cubans are as frustrated and pessimistic as they've ever been,'' Alex
Sutton, the institute's Latin American program director said. He noted
that earlier surveys suggested the younger Castro enjoyed a ``small
bump'' in confidence when he took over for his brother Fidel in February
2008.
But now, ``A vast majority of Cubans, if given the opportunity, would
vote for fundamental political change. Cubans are dissatisfied. They
want change -- politically and economically,'' Sutton said.
The institute, which receives funding from the U.S. State Department,
the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Endowment
for Democracy and private donations, has been surveying Cubans on the
island since 2007 to support its work promoting democracy, Sutton said.
Though Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain chairs the institute's board,
Sutton said the institute -- like its Democratic counterpart, the
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs -- is nonpartisan.
The poll had to be conducted surreptitiously on the island, and was done
by a Latin American polling firm that the institute won't name, citing
the ability of the firm to keep working in Cuba. The interviews with 432
Cuban adults, ages 18 and over, were conducted face-to-face from July 4
to Aug. 7 in 12 Cuban provinces. The poll carries a margin of error of 5
percentage points.
Fernand Amandi, a pollster with Miami-based Bendixen & Associates, which
has polled in Cuba, said he wasn't familiar with the institute's poll --
which will be released Tuesday -- but suggested general caution in
interpreting results from the country.
``That culture has institutionalized suppression of one's true feelings
and, as a result, you have to always consider that whenever discussing
studies that are done in Cuba,'' he said.
None of the questions involved U.S. policy toward Cuba, though 8 percent
of those surveyed in Cuba volunteered that ending the U.S. embargo
against Cuba would help improve Cuba's economy.
There was little unanimity on the question of how to improve Cuba's
economy: 20 percent suggested changing the political system; 15 percent
cited ending the practice of requiring two forms of currency; and 10
percent said changing the economic system.
The survey also indicated that, if given the chance, 75 percent of those
surveyed would vote for democracy -- an increase from 63 percent in
November 2008. Support is highest among those 40 to 49 years old, with
82 percent saying they'd vote for a democracy. Of those 60 and older, 64
percent said they'd vote for democracy -- an increase of nearly 20
percentage points from November 2008.
The poll, which was conducted after the Obama administration announced
it would allow U.S. companies to offer cellular roaming services,
satellite TV and radio and fiber-optic cable to the island, shows that
most Cubans -- 57 percent -- still have no access to the Internet or e-mail.
But the poll found the number of Cubans who make cell phone calls
increased 10 percent since November 2008, while the number of Cubans
sending and receiving email grew by 23 percent.
The biggest complaint about Cuba remained low salaries and a high cost
of living, though complaints about food scarcity increased. The number
of Cubans citing lack of freedom in the political system, however,
declined from 18 percent in October 2007 to 10 percent.
Just 15 percent of those surveyed said they believe the current
government will succeed in solving Cuba's biggest problem in the next
few years. About twice as many said they believed the government could
solve problems in November 2008.
Poll finds Cubans unhappy with island's direction - Breaking News -
Mobile - MiamiHerald.com (16 November 2009)
http://www.miamiherald.com/1460/story/1336857.html
No comments:
Post a Comment