Castro Purges Party on Video

Raul Castro firmly ratchets up his grip on power in a three-hour video being shown to Cuba's Communist Party members, the Financial Times reports. The video features scenes from a March politburo meeting during which Castro fired most of Fidel's cabinet, along with testimony from security officials. Those who have seen it say the message is plain: Raul is laying down the law and won't tolerate a hint of disloyalty.

In the video, Raul reads aloud from the confession of a trade envoy arrested for spying, and details his connections to several of Fidel's protégés. Chief among them is Raul Castellanos Lage, a former party leader accused of being part of a clique that considered Cuba's elderly leaders unfit to govern. Audience members at several screenings rose from their seats to demand the men be shot for treason, according to witnesses. (More Fidel Castro stories.)