Program Overview

• Hosts: Ray Suarez and Deborah Amos
• Original Airdate: Mar 2008

Fidel Castro’s communist government survived a tight U.S. trade embargo, a tense missile crisis and the collapse of its Soviet patron. Now, after 49 years at the helm, the world’s longest serving political leader has stepped down, handing power to his brother, Raúl. We explore what this change in leadership will mean for the citizens of Cuba, and for Cuba’s relationship with the U.S.

In segment one, Ray Suarez reports on reaction of the Miami Cuban-American community about the transition in power.

Deborah Amos talks to Frank Mora, a national security expert, on what to expect from Raul Castro in segment two.

Deborah Amos traces the history of U.S.-Cuban relations from the Spanish-American War to the controversy over Elian Gonzalez in segment three.

Ray Suarez takes a look at the Helms-Burton Act of 1996 that tightened the embargo against Cuba in segment four.

Deborah Amos explores the economic and political conditions of daily life in Cuba, and looks ahead to possible changes in post-Fidel Cuba in segment five.

Guests on this program include:

Andy Gómez, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies at the University of Miami

Aldo Leiva, Board Member of the Cuban American National Foundation

Álvaro Fernández, President of the Cuban American Commission for Family Rights

Ninoska Pérez Castellón, a talk show host for Radio Mambi and co-founder of the Cuban Liberty Council

Frank Mora, Professor of National Security Strategy at the National Defense University in Washington

Dr. Louis Pérez, Professor of History at the University of North Carolina

Richard Nuccio, former Special Advisor to President Clinton on Cuban Affairs

Morton Halperin, former Special Assistant to President Clinton and Senior Director for Democracy at the National Security Council

Roger Noriega, former senior staff member of Senator Jesse Helms and a key author of the Helms-Burton Act

Julia Sweig, Director for Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations

Dagoberto Rodríguez, Chief of the Cuban Special Interests Section in Washington, DC

Dr. Mark Falcoff, Resident Scholar Emeritus at the American Enterprise Institute and author of Cuba: The Morning After—Confronting Castro’s Legacy

Dennis Hays, former Coordinator for Cuban Affairs at the Department of State and former Executive Vice President of the Cuban American National Foundation