Blog number 9: Cuba after Castro

This week I want to discuss Cuba, and more specifically what do you think Cuba will be like once the Castros are no longer in power. We discussed in class that Castro was not a bad guy at the beginning of his rule, and was supported by almost 95 percent of the population in taking over for Batista. That said, something clearly changed, and we saw it in his methods, and the way he essentially trapped everyone on the island. When Fidel gave up power to Raul many people may have thought things would change at that point, and to a certain extent, they have. People are allowed to have cell phones and computers now, a technology that has been around for as long as I personally can remember. I for one would have a tough time without a cell phone and a computer, so i can only imagine what it must be like down there. That said, things under Raul have only changed so much, and are probably not going to be too ground-breaking considering Fidel is still alive and I would assume is watching over him like a hawk.So then my question becomes what happens in 2018? What happens when Fidel and Raul die? Perhaps most importantly, what happens when the current generation of political leaders also step down or die? I realize that the man slated to take the presidency next is just a "yes-man" but I cannot help but think what if he changes things up, and maybe reestablishes relationships with the U.S., could it once again become legal to visit Cuba? Will we stop hating Cuba because their ideas conflict with the U.S.? It is impassible to tell because like prof. Stark said; Miguel Diaz-Canel is a fairly unknown politician and was a surprise to many as the man Raul would support in 2018. The wikipedia page on him does not even have much useful information! So what do you guys think? Will Cuba change much, or will Fidel's ghost continue to run the island country through the body of Diaz-Canel?