Legal Dissent: Constitutional Proposals for “Cambio” in Cuba 153
which has been estimated at 20% of the labor force, and which is
often a driver of participation in Cuba’s informal or “black” market
(Espinosa Chepe 2007). Figure 2 illustrartes this breakdown of inter-
est groups vis a vis attiduteds toward change, or “cambio,” in Cuba:Disaffected Stakeholders. Broadly speaking, “disaffected stakeholders”
tend to share some characteristics with the “true believers,” in that
they often work for the government, study in government universities,
or participate in para-governmental organizations. These persons
either still feel or once felt an emotional affinity with the original yet
tarnished ideals of the Revolution; either they or their parents were
probably active supporters of the Revolution in their youth, and they
have been educated in its institutions (Pérez-Stable 2003: 22). The
degree of “disaffection” and the degree of “cambio” that different
“disaffected stakeholders” would advocate varies, for surely some are
more deeply disaffected than others.
As a result of their deep involvement in the system, the “disaf-
fected stakeholders” and the “true believers” together are the reposi-
tory of the professional expertise needed to run the state on a day-to-
day basis. One strength of the MCL’s legal dissent agenda is that it is
designed to appeal to society’s middle ranks—a key repository of lead-
ership for peaceful change, capable of simultaneously reaching down
to the grassroots level and up to higher levels of authority to mobilize
the political will and popular support needed for a successful political
opposition movement (Lederach 1997: 39).
For the moment, however, the “disaffected stakeholders” are the
pool of “closeted reformers,” who might be willing to support less
orthodox, reformist proposals, perhaps even those fundamental
reforms proposed by the dissidents, if there was a perceived window
of opportunity with a possibility of success (Corrales 2004: 44). How-Figure 2. Range of Cuban atttitues towards “Cambio”
true believers
20%-35%disaffected stakeholders
59%-48%disengaged parties
20%-16%active dissidents
~1%