As Fidel Castro's health fails our thoughts turn to Cuba. Fidel is "undergoing intestinal surgery and temporarily turning over power to his brother Raul."
The news came Monday night in a statement read on state television by his secretary, Carlos Valenciaga. The message said Castro's condition was apparently due to stress from a heavy work schedule during recent trips to Argentina and eastern Cuba. He did not appear on the broadcast. AP
Cuba has excellent doctors thanks to the Revolution, so I am sure Fidel is under the best care. Fidel will most likely live to see his eightieth birthday, so let us not write is obituary yet.
I am no friend of the Miami Batista crowd, however, I will not ignore the fact that things can improve in Cuba and some change must come about. I have been to Cuba and Havana is an incredible city. There is so much to do that one does not really need to head for the beach. The sights are amazing; the people are warm and beautiful and carry themselves with such dignity in spite of their difficulties. It is sad to see how lack of initiative and lack of freedom to develop and spread your wings can affect people, though. No one really goes that extra step in terms of improving things -- either for themselves or their surroundings. Everything is government-controlled and because of that, why should anyone go out of their way? Somebody's thumb would soon be on you. In spite of these underlying concerns, there is so much music in their lives and their museum of Cuban contemporary art is totally sophisticated and has amazing avant garde stuff.
I hope that our policy towards Cuba changes and we help bring Cuba in to the capitalist global economy the same way we have embraced other Communist nations like China. I understand it will be difficult with the Miami Batista crowd having control of our Cuba policy, but a change must come.