Life in Cuba today:
53 years of progress?

It’s been 53 years since the Cuban revolution and Fidel’s, and now, Raul Castro’s rule. Are the Cubans who stayed better off than they were in 1958? Has their brand of socialism succeeded?

My answer is . . . unequivocally . . . without hesitation, a very strong . . . Who am I to say?

My credentials for assessing Cuba’s socioeconomic status today are all of the following: my wife and I were in Cuba for all of 8 days. We were in a tour group, two of 7 Americans bringing medical supplies to Jewish clinics.

We had a set itinerary with full days, an English-speaking guide and our own driver. We stayed in fancy hotels: Melia Cohiba in Havana, Melia las Dunas off the coast of Santa Clara on Cayo Santa María. We peered out at Cuba from a bubble of privilege.

With that thick resume, let me chance a few observations. Here’s what struck us most:

Click here to check out our observations

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