Fidel Castro 1926-2016

Apicture has emerged since the death of Fidel Castro was announced in terms of responses to it that speaks of a man who was as much a divider as he was a unifier and revolutionary. Castro was perhaps the last of the Cold War warriors and at the time of his death the world’s longest-serving head of state (he remained titular head though his brother Raul had taken over the running of the country.)

There was grief on the streets of Havana and rejoicing on the streets of Miami, Florida, by Cubans that had fled or opposed his regime. President Obama issued a carefully crafted statement that was aimed at the preservation of the rapprochement between Cuba and America. President-elect Trump issued a four-word Tweet — ‘Fidel Castro is dead.’ European responses ranged between the anodyne and tepid to the cautiously diplomatic. He was admired for his stance against America by many and criticised for his record on human rights (it was appalling) and the fact that he held Cuba back developmentally in defence, said he, of revolutionary ideals. His funeral is to be on Saturday 3^rd December and it will be interesting to see who from the pantheon of world leaders decides to attend.

The Castro legacy is going to be picked over by historians for decades but it is the aftermath, the ‘what now’, that is of immediate interest. There is not going to be any political change in Cuba. It is a Communist one-party state and will remain so. It is also opening up to the world of trade, and the Trump presidency is open for business in under two months and if there is one thing Mr Trump is it is a businessman. He will also be mindful of the Cuban voters that were instrumental in him winning Florida; so as is proving to be the case with so much of Mr Trump reality and rhetoric may part company. Castro was a man of his time, and vital in his day. That day is long past and it is now for Cuba to chart a path into the 21^st century.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2016.

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