Cuba After Fidel

Prior to my trip to Cuba this month, I was eager to know how the political, economical and social landscape would have changed given Fidel's current health status. I was also a bit anxious. I cannot lie about that! Different scenarios played over and over in my head. What if Castro dies while I'm in Cuba? Would there be riots? Would flights be suspended? Would there be a US military invasion?

Its no secret that Fidel Castro is a smart guy. Even his staunchest opponents would acknowledge this fact or risk ridicule in the court of common sense. For nearly five decades he has outwitted his foes in the US; the Cuban opposition in Miami, the US government and even the CIA. Castro has survived in power long enough to have seen nine changes in the US presidency; the current President Bush being the tenth president to serve while Castro was in power. I say was because Fidel Castro's job as the president of Cuba came to an end in July of 2006, when he underwent emergency intestinal surgery. (Fidel)Castro has since handed over power to his younger brother Raul.

My anxiety about this trip quelled as soon as we disembarked at the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana. I quickly realized that we had to go through the same old queue and intense scrutiny at the immigration counters. Airport security was as tight as ever. The men in green were as strict as ever. No smiles. All business. Fidel had not being in power for the the preceding six months and I expected some change. I however was beginning to realize that life in Cuba, after Fidel, had already began and looked almost identical to life with Fidel in power. Although I had not yet gone into the city, I thought the airport atmosphere was a good lithmus test for the general atmosphere in Havana.

During this trip, I never heard anyone spontaneously talk about Fidel's health. It seemed no one was really concerned about the health of their leader. Neither were they bothered enough to think about life after Fidel. Then again, they might have already expected very little change after Fidel. When prompted though, Cubans were eager to talk about Fidel's health. The only problem was that they knew less about his health than I did. So all the talk about waves of change and turmoil or riots after the death of the Cuban leader was just that. Talk. The running of affairs seems to have been on auto-pilot for several years now. So much that change as great as the change in leadership did nothing to derail the current course of the Cuban train. The communists in Cuba are still communists and the whiners are still whining but Cuban spirit is still lively and friendly.

For those of us who wondered what life in Cuba after Fidel would be like, I would say life after Fidel began six months ago; a seemless transition. I know most people think Fidel is still calling the shots despite his illness. I think that he is too busy fighting for his life to dedicate valuable time to trivial things like running a country.

However this plot unfolds, it is clear that there will be a peaceful and lawful transition. The evidence is already in the pudding!