Cuba Under Raul Castro Gradually Undertakes Reforms

2 January 2009, 5:02 am

Raul Castro was unanimously selected by Cuba's National Assembly in February to succeed Fidel Castro after his nearly 50-year reign as Cuba's leader. The younger Castro had largely been in charge since an aging Fidel underwent major surgery in July 2006. When Raul officially took the reins, he quickly focused on overhauling Cuba's lackluster economy, which had weakened under trade embargos and long-held communist policies. The first wave of reforms instituted included the right for Cubans to buy new electronic goods, most notably cell phones; the right to operate private transportation practices, such as a taxi or bus routes; the right to obtain the title to a state-owned home; and the right to stay in tourist hotels. ... Read More »

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