What will happen when Fidel Castro dies?
As Elder Xiomara Arenas, executive of El Centro Presbytery of the Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba, prepared to visit the United States in October, I told her she would hear this question frequently. She laughed and answered the question with a familiar Cuban joke: “What will happen when he dies? He’ll be buried, of course!” A joke, yes, but it points to a reality. Cubans in Cuba do not expect Fidel Castro’s death to spark dramatic changes. The group of retired PC(USA) pastors traveling in Cuba in November was told, “Some Cubans are on the extreme right, and would like our island annexed to the United States. Others on the left would like to revive communism. Our preference is for participatory socialism.” No matter what their political opinions, Cubans are proud of the social achievements made over the 47 years since Fidel Castro assumed power. Free, accessible education and health care are the two always mentioned. The 2006 Human Development Index, which measures well-being using
