Yesterday marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Cuban Revolution where Fidel Castro led his rebel army to overthrow dictator Fulgencio Batista.Cubans on the island celebrated to mark the occasion as President Raul Castro praised the revolution while noting that “it is time to reflect on the future.” Castro’s remarks came during a ceremony that included an 18-minute documentary on his brother Fidel who has not been seen in public since July 2006.
For Castro and his supporters the past fifty years have been successful and have brought great social and economic prosperity to Cuba. The mood is far different for exiles that have left the country:
Miami restaurant owner Ailin Fernandez left Cuba more than 20 years ago. She longs to return home and open a restaurant in the beach town of Varadero, but not under the current government…The future of Cuba remains to be seen; several Latin American nations have strengthened ties with the island and are shying away from isolationism. The recent discovery of offshore oil fields may boost the country’s sagging economy. The incoming Obama administration could help ease the hard line in U.S.-Cuba relations though that will also depend on the Cuban government’s efforts.
Others, like Giselle Palacios, 18, have come to Miami to escape political persecution on the island. As the daughter of prominent dissidents, she fled after being kicked out of college for her political activities.
Cuba’s revolution has reached the fifty-year mark despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Will it make it to its centenary anniversary in 2059?
Image- The Age
Online Sources- BBC News, AFP, Voice of America, Reuters, Xinhua, NPR
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