Cuba Without A Castro: Examining The Country’s Future

WAMU 88.5 | By Kathryn Fink

Published April 16, 2021 at 11:23 AM MDT

People walk near a mural depicting a Cuban flag in Havana.

For 60 years, Cuba has been led by a Castro.

That era in the country’s history is about to end. The head of the country’s communist party, Raúl Castro, is stepping down – handing power on to someone who’s not in the family.

But the country’s economy is on edge. Tourists have halted travel plans, leaving the tourism-dependent country without one of its main sources of income.

Cuba is also working to slow the spread of COVID-19 inside its own borders. It’s one of the few countries working to create its own vaccine.

So what’s next for Cuba, Cubans, and its Communist party?