On air at 1100GMT: Cuba- End of an era?
| 09:59 UK time, Tuesday, 19 April 2011
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For the first time since it's creation in 1965 Fidel Castro is no longer head of the Communist party. passing power to his brother Raul. So is this the end of an era, or simply dotting the i's and crossing the t's? After all Raul has been President since 2006 due to Fidel's failing health.
Things are already changing. Cuba says it will allow people to buy and sell their homes for the first time since the communist revolution in 1959. For the past 50 years, Cubans have only been allowed to pass on their homes to their children, or to swap them through a complicated and often corrupt system. The move is aimed at breathing new life into the communist system.
There has been a thawing of relations between Cuba and the US for example in recent months. In January President Obama announced the easing of restrictions on US citizens travelling to Cuba, although the changes will not end the decades-old US trade embargo.
I travelled to Cuba about 8 years ago and like many tourists wanted to experience a Cuba under Fidel Castro's rule. Along with the amazing warmth of the people and the beautiful 1950's cars there was a sadness that so many people were desperately trying to survive with some resorting to scamming tourists for cash. Will this improve the quality of life for everyday Cubans?
