Publisher's Synopsis
By the time he stepped down as Cuba's president in 2008, Fidel Castro had been in power for half a century. Following the model of communism, Castro had brought Cuba's economy under the complete control of the state. Businesses were nationalized and private property eliminated. Citizens were prohibited from leaving the country without the government's permission. Castro also earned the enmity of the United States, which imposed a crippling trade embargo and worked to isolate Cuba diplomatically. The years since Castro's departure have seen significant changes. Cuban citizens are now permitted to own certain small businesses, and to buy and sell real estate, and travel abroad. And in 2015, Cuba and the United States restored full diplomatic relations, which had been severed in 1961. Where will these and other recent changes lead? What's in store for the island nation and its people? What might the future hold for U.S.-Cuba relations?.
