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For more than 50 years, the United States has had an embargo against the island of Cuba, all because we supposedly hate communism and believe the nation 90 miles from our borders should institute democracy.
As the GOP candidates battle it out for votes in Florida's primary election on Tuesday, the subject of Cuba has come up in a couple of debates. Nearly all the candidates, except for Texas Rep. Ron Paul, have sounded ridiculous trying to defend what is clearly a failed policy, all in an effort to curry favor among the large population of Cuban voters in the state.
Fidel and Raul Castro smile and wave from a billboard. But ill health forced Fidel, now 86, to step back from front-line politics. And Raul, who is 81, has recently also confirmed that this will be his last term as president. And it seems the brothers have decided who could succeed them. Miguel Diaz-Canel began his political career as a member of the Young Communist League in the city of Santa Clara. In February, he was promoted to the post of first vice-president of the Council of State. He is now President Raul Castro's number two - a strong sign he is being groomed for the presidency.
Who might take over from the Castro brothers?
Despite a flurry of foreign trips over recent months, Mr Diaz-Canel, 52, is little-known abroad. And until recently he had a relatively low profile even within Cuba. But Raul Castro insists his new deputy is no "upstart", outlining his gradual rise through the Communist Party ranks. Ten years ago, Mr Diaz-Canel's "ideological firmness" got him a seat on the Politburo, the party's executive committee. His latest promotion is part of what Mr Castro called the "gradual and orderly transfer" of key roles to a younger generation, as the ageing revolutionaries try to preserve the communist system for the future.
Local boy
Clues to Mr Diaz-Canel's character are best found in his hometown of Santa Clara. "He worked all hours and would go round seeing for himself how things were going, checking up," recalls neighbour Ela Perez Montpellier. Ms Perez says Mr Diaz-Canel, who was appointed leader of the Communist Party for Villa Clara province at the age of 33, was a modest man during his decade in charge. "He had an official car, but didn't use it for personal things. He walked or took his bike," she says. "He was honest. That's why so many people here like him."
From the street, the family home certainly looks humble, its exterior unpainted. His sister-in-law only says that the family is "very proud" about his promotion. "People wept when he left Santa Clara!", recalls Alberto Scinasis, who describes the rising Communist Party star as "intelligent, studious and hard-working". "He knows how to lead," he adds. "It's how he got where he is."
Economic change
