Cuba After Castro: How Much Change, and How Quickly?
Cuba After Castro: How Much Change, and How Quickly?
Fidel Castro’s passing can give his brother space to embrace even more change although hard-liners in the U.S. caution against economic reforms on the island, says AS/COA’s Alana Tummino.
MIAMI — As the world takes in the news that Fidel Castro has died, many people are asking what will happen next in one of the last remaining Communist countries.
Raul Castro has been the leader of Cuba since his brother handed over power 10 years ago, and significant change has taken place on the island including reforms that would have been unthinkable under Fidel….
… Will Raul Castro embrace change more rapidly now that his brother is gone? Some have speculated that Fidel Castro was holding him back with the fervent communist ideals that he built his government around.
"I think this could go both ways," said Alana Tummino, senior director of policy and head of the Cuba Working Group at the Council of the Americas, a business organization promoting free trade and open markets.
"Raul is the leader of Cuba, and he has been the reformer in Cuba," said Tummino, who said Fidel Castro's death can give his brother space to embrace even more change. But she said she was wary: There are hard-liners in the government who caution against economic reforms on the island….
