But the one pulling all the strings is Mr Castro. He has never allowed opposition. The state has a spectacular system of internal control. It's far more subtle than the brutal military regimes I saw in Latin America in the 1980s. But it's more powerful, controlling so many aspects of daily life.
People become dependent on the state.
Cubans complain constantly about everything. But it is never worth their while to take that to active opposition. Not surprisingly the dissident movement is small and divided - unable to agree about tactics, with no public voice and paranoid about spies. They face constant harassment, and often jail, but always with an escape valve allowing them to leave the island. International press monitored The state has an information network reaching down to every street - and, as I discovered, it is certainly monitoring the international press.