Dr. Julia Sweig, Senior Fellow, Council of Foreign Relations, discusses the current situation in Cuba and the prospects for the
country post Castro. After undergoing surgery for a serious, yet undisclosed
medical condition, Fidel Castro temporarily handed power over to his brother
Raul. All signs suggest that after five decades, Castro’s tenure in power may
finally be coming to a close, in slow-motion, with Castro himself managing the
transfer of power, in effect with a seat at his own funeral. Dozens of scenarios
since the collapse of the socialist bloc have attempted to predict what might
happen after Fidel, but few asked the question, what happens in Cuba if the
post-Castro environment is not really post-Castro at all? How might the United
States prepare not for an abrupt transition, but for the perpetuation of a
Castro-style regime, whether under his brother Raul or their numerous potential
successors? What is the likelihood that economic or political reforms will be
enacted under a new government? What role could the United States play in the
future of Cuban politics?
