PRAGUE -- Five years ago, the European Union was on the verge of fulfilling one of the aspirations of the Velvet Revolutions that swept across Central and Eastern Europe by expanding from 15 to 25 members through the accession of several post-communist states.  Yet, while the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain may have fallen into the dustbin of history, others vestiges of the Soviet era remain firmly in place.  Certain areas of the world have been transformed for the better, even as others have been suspended in time to fend for themselves.  One place that has not changed is Cuba, despite Fidel Castro’s decision to retire and hand the reigns of power over to his brother Raul. On March 18th five years ago, Castro’s government cracked down on the Varela Project and other civil society initiatives rather than risk allowing a spark of democratic reform to spread across Cuba as it had in the former Soviet bloc.  The seventy five prisoners of conscience locked up were dissidents, independent journalists, leaders from civil society, and librarians, who had dared to speak the truth openly about what life is like in Cuba.  Even though four prisoners have recently been released, fifty five of the seventy five remain incarcerated in deplorable conditions.  In general, the only reason that any of these prisoners were freed was because of how seriously their health had deteriorated.
براغ ـ منذ خمسة أعوام كان الاتحاد الأوروبي على وشك تحقيق أحد أهم طموحات "الثورات المخملية" التي اجتاحت وسط وشرق أوروبا، وذلك بتوسيع عضويته من 15 إلى 25 دولة عن طريق ضم العديد من بلدان ما بعد الشيوعية. ولكن على الرغم من سقوط سور برلين والستار الحديدي في مزبلة التاريخ، إلا أن آثار أخرى من بقايا العصر السوفييتي ما زالت راسخة في مكانها. لقد تحولت بعض مناطق العالم إلى الأفضل، على الرغم من المناطق الأخرى التي تجمدت في الزمن دفاعاً عن نفسها. والحقيقة أن كوبا من بين الأماكن التي لم تتغير، على الرغم من القرار الذي اتخذه فيدل كاسترو بالتقاعد وتسليم نظام السلطة إلى أخيه راؤول .