Cuba in Transition: Changing Foreign Policy for the Future?

Cuba has always been a unique case study on how a country can survive in a situation where survival and foreign policy go hand in hand, immediately affecting the lives of ordinary Cubans. While many countries have deep internal struggles in order to maintain political equilibrium among their population, Cuba has always had to deal with the largess of the US or USSR in their personal struggle to maintain their own country while not upsetting the balance of power in Cuba, the region and worldwide.

Historically, Cuba has done much to irritate the presence of the US in Latin America and support revolutionary movements abroad. While not taking the position of passive diplomacy, Fidel Castro often sent military support to Latin America and Africa, Central America in the 80's while maintaining its economic position inside the Communist economies of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. At the same time, the lives of Cubans followed the social system and political repression that was brought by Fidel. With more than effective heath care also came a lack of freedoms, and when funds ran out after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cubans struggled and turned their towns into tourist resorts and sold their classic cultural icons to anyone from abroad who could pay for it.

Many outside of Cuba have been encouraged by the stepping down of Fidel Castro and the rise of Raul Castro as Cuba's new leader. With Barak Obama suggesting open discussions with Raul and the encouragement from many in the EU and abroad for increased freedoms, a possible Cuban Perestroika is assumed by many with the recent sale of cellular phones in the island nation and today's announcement of a pay scale being adopted for differing skills of workers in Cuba making headlines worldwide.

In the latest series of articles published online by The European Courier, FPA Blogger Rich Basas published his article: "The Future of Cuba" on June 12th 2008. The article discusses the new role of Cuba in a world where the US is becoming less dominant as suggested by Khanna and Zakaria and is forcing Cuba to form new relationships with the US, the EU and most importantly China. While Cuba's past was always weighted against the political movement of the two main superpowers, Cuba, along with many middle nations now are being faced with the choice of where to place their alliances and create a prosperous future for Cuba and the Castros themselves. Cuba has always been overly influenced from abroad, and while the environment has changed, the strategy of balancing Cuba's local interest with those of influences from abroad will likely not change as long as a Castro is in power. The only assurance is that while the game will not change, the way it is played will have a set of new rules, and new rulers.