Republic of Cuba

Leadership Situation

Fidel Castro (bottom left) has been Cuba's head of state ever since he came to power in 1959. But in July 2006, battling intestinal problems and preparing to undergo surgery, Fidel transferred power to his brother Raul Castro (bottom right), who has been the acting leader to this day. According to Fidel Castro, he is working hard on making a full recovery which is fueling the rumors that he is planning on returning to his former position.

As for Raul Castro, head of Cuba's armed forces, he has been described as much more of a hard-liner than his older brother. Because of this he was kept out of the public spotlight early on because it was felt that his views might be too harsh for Cuban society and would put people off. Still, he is open to the idea of dialogue between the United States and Cuba, but has warned Washington against making threats. Opinions are divided as to whether or not Raul would be a more radical leader than his brother or if he might bring about a "softer" form of communism, one that is more open to foreign markets and goods. Raul has been quoted as saying that Cuba shall have a collective leadership through the Communist party after his brothers death, which Cuba is apparently preparing for as of right now. On an interesting sidenote, it is believed that Raul is the one responsible for introducing Fidel Castro to Che Guevara and that he helped to solidify his older brother's belief in communism, as Fidel Castro was more of a nationalist in his early years.

Cuba and Venezuela

There has been a strengthening of ties between Venezuela and Cuba, with one of their main goals being to strengthen regional econommic independence. During one of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez's television programs he complimented the ailing Cuban leader as a "sower of awareness [and] the father of all revolutionaries in this continent." Chavez continued to say that "only socialism can save humanity."

Cuba's Economy

Cuba is still trying to balance the need for economic loosening and the desire for firm political control. The government has recently repealed economic reforms instituted in the 1990s to increase the efficiency of their enterprises and to combat serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. The standard of living in Cuba remains below the levels of the 1980s due to the fall of Soviet Russia. In terms of oil, Venezuela has been supplying Cuba on at a preferred rate and Cuba has been repaying them with the services of Cuban personnel (ex: medical professionals). Due to the high prices of metals at this time Cuba has been benefiting greatly froms its nickel and cobalt production. The country is also investing heavily in the energy sector to combat blackouts that have been a recurring problem in Cuba since 2004.

Human Trafficking

Cuba is a major trafficker of women and children for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Cuba is a popular destination for sex tourism, which mainly caters European, Canadian, and Latin American tourists. There has also been reports of adults and children being forced into labor for commercial agriculture. The country has not met the minimum standards for combating these issues and apparently show no sign of doing so.

Links

Raul Castro stirs hopes for Cuba farmers

Article talks about how Raul Castro has made agriculture in Cuba his top priority. "The younger castro has doubled and tripled what the state pays for cattle, milk and other farm products, and cut red-tape that often left farmers unpaid and crops to rot." This is great news for farmers who have been dealing with harsh economic times for quite a while.

Cuba begins its election process

Election process that will end in March of next year to elect 15,236 council members to the National Assembly. The National Assembly will then select 31 members to Cuba's Council of State. It is believed that a decision could then be reached as to whether or not Cuba will officially announce Raul Castro as president. The elections are being heavily criticized outside of Cuba as being purely cosmetic. Critics argue that there is no chance for people of different political beliefs to be elected since the elections are "fully overseen by the country's ruling Communist party."

Castro speaks live on Chavez show

Castro phoned into Chavez's weekly chat show that was being broadcasted from Cuba. Chavez was in Cuba to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the killing of revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara. During the program footage was also shown of the leaders meeting, which was the first appearance by Fidel Castro since undergoing surgery.

Bush pledges to keep Cuba embargo

President George W. Bush says he looks forward to the time when we are in a world without Fidel Castro. "As long as the regime maintains its monopoly over the political and economic life of the Cuban people, the United States will keep the embargo in place." Cuban officials have accused President Bush of using violence to to force political change. The embargo on Cuba has been in place since 1961.

Tribute to Fidel Castro and Che Guevara

Tribute video on youtube. This is an extremely romantic view of the two revolutionaries.

Cuban Profiile

U.S. State Department's page on the Republic of Cuba. Contains information about their society, government, economy, and history.