The retirement of Cuba’s long-time dictator Fidel Castro is welcome news. He’s been in power for decades too long, never understanding that authoritarianism is the enemy of stability and peace. The US embargo has been nothing short of futile. Changes may be afoot.
It should signal a change in policy from Washington, though probably not for a while, and Jewish groups remain pleased, noting his pro-Palestinian positions.
I couldn’t but note the irony of the regime releasing Castro’s statement in the online version of the newspaper Granma. For a government that has actively restricted access to the internet for its citizens, this move highlights that the news was designed for an international audience. The vast majority of Cubans have never seen a web-enabled computer.