By Patricia Grogg
HAVANA, Oct 5 1998 (IPS)

The Fidel Castro administration called the on the Revolutionary Defence Committees (CDR) to join the fight against crime – a relatively new consequence of the island’s turmoil.

The CDR’s, seen by Cuba’s government as the ideological guardians of the political programme, have now added the fight against crime to their agenda.

Created in 1960 in the great revolutionary fervour of the era, the committees had a membership of 7.8 million people – the present-day Cuban population numbers around 11 million – later extending their action from the ideological to the economic and social spheres.

For many years, they coupled the collection of recyclable raw materials and cooperation in mass vaccination and blood donation campaigns with their night-time patrols of local neighbourhoods.

However, citizen interest waned as time went on, people became disillusioned – no longer believing in the efficacy or inherent goodness of the committees. Others saw them as a mechanism used by the authorities to interfere in the private lives of citizens.

“The CDR’s were born with bombs, we grew within the vortex of the revolutionary hurricane and now we are coming together behind a cyclone (Georges). This ratifies the fact that we were born and are here to battle, fight and win,” said Juan Contino, former youth leader in charge of revitalising the organisation.

Contino, representative of the new wave of youth leaders, was reelected as national CDR coordinator during the fifth congress, which ended September 29 with a speech lasting more than four hours by President Fidel Castro.

It was Castro himself who, in the fourth meeting of the CDR’s five years ago, launched the challenge to renew the mass organistion stating how necessary such bodies are given the buffeting the country has suffered since 1990.

The collapse of the communist bloc and the disintegration of the Soviet Union – Cuba’s greatest political and economic partner – left the island standing alone and plunged it into crisis.

The uncertainty and loss of confidence sparked by the debacle in the socialist camp coupled with rescue measures like the authorisation of the possession of dollars, the encouragement of tourism and foreign investment have all brought new and different problems to the one-time austere, egalitarian Cuban society.

“The five years since the last congress have coincided with a difficult economic situation throughout the country and renewed attacks from an enemy trying to destroy socialism,” says a document produced at the four-day meeting.

Now the social consequences of the crisis are beginning to make their presence known. “Crimes practically non-existent in Cuba have started to be reflected in the statistics,” said Contino.

“Drugs are on the upsurge along with, pimping and the accompanying dishonourable (practice of) prostitution, violent robbery, crimes against foreigners and nationals, the corruption of minors and other scourges requiring the specialised attention of the public force and the decisive collaboration of our population,” he said.

At the risk of harming the nation’s image abroad, the delicate issue of crime was brought out into the open under the shadow of a greater danger, which the authorities see as closely linked to the survival of the revolution.

“The lack of control, the dearth of social discipline and illegality favour those who want to weaken the revolution,” warned Contino, calling on CDR members to “work together in close coordination with the police.”

However, he clarified the fact the CDR members are neither police officers nor inspectors, but “simple revolutionaries” whose task is to “persuade, alert, argue and guarantee by all political means available that legality be preserved in our place of residence.”

Illegal acts in local neighbourhoods include the renting out of rooms or self-employment without due registration and payment of taxes.

Contino said “the enemy likes to stimulate” law breaking as “a way to destabilise the nation.”

For Castro, “the battle against illegalities” is closely linked to the ideological struggle, and the CDR’s rank alongside the forces created by the revolution to “wage battle now.”

Although the crime rate here is still far lower than in other countries, the problem has been worrying police authorities for some time.

“Along with the material shortages, there have been increased incidences of loss of valuables experienced by many citizens and law breaking, but never beyond limits seen as normal in many nations,” said one high-ranking member of the National Revolutionary Police.

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