What’s Next: A Cuban American’s Perspective on Fidel Castro’s Death

On November 25th, Former Cuban President and Prime Minister Fidel Castro died. Fidel Castro led the communist revolution a few years after taking over Cuba. Some people were hopeful about the change Castro spoke of. The poor liked the idea that he would take money from the rich and give it to them. However some, right away, knew of the danger to Cuba he posed.

While the death of someone is usually not a celebration, his death symbolized a new potential for freedom. As a Cuban American with family living in Cuba, I truly understand what is going on in Cuba and why change is desperately needed. Fidel Castro was definitely a controversial leader. Prior to taking control of Cuba, many people thought he would be a better leader than his predecessor, Fulgencio Batista. Yet, Castro’s leadership took a turn with his poor economic plan, relying on the rich for wealth to “trickle down” to them but it worked a lot better than communism. In addition to economic hardship, Castro stripped his people of basic human rights including the freedom of speech. When Castro took power, any hope for freedom died. Between no economic or personal freedom, many Cubans fled or fought the Cuban regime. My grandparents, my aunt, and mother fled to America but my grandmother’s brother in law chose to fight Castro and was sentenced to prison. Luckily he and his family were eventually able to come to America.

Despite being born in Cuba, my mother grew up in the United States. She grew up in a capitalist/mixed economy where the economy grew significantly in the 1980s and 1990s. Between the growth of the economy and the hard work she put in, (going to college at night and working during the day) she was successful. She went on to organize NBA All-Star Games, help bring the NFL Super Bowl to NJ and advocate for women and minorities in the workforce at a law firm. What the people in Cuba need is those same opportunities and values of hard work. Those American values and the American Dream are needed in Cuba. That can only happen if change is brought to Cuba. There is the Republican isolationist approach which has been the policy for nearly fifty years, better known as “The Embargo” and travel ban. Then, there is the Barack Obama approach where we give Cuba everything they possibly could want like ending the embargo and lifting the travel ban. However, Cuba has yet to make any progress when it comes to improving human rights. Hopefully, the Cuban people will earn the chance to vote in a democratic election after Raul Castro steps down in 2018, opening the way for a new ray of hope.

Espero que Cuba pronto será libre como América.

Source: Burlington Free Press