Twilight For The Dictator Next Door

Fidel Castro, one of the world's longest-serving leaders, is retiring as president of Cuba after nearly a half-century of ruling with an iron fist. At 81 and suffering from an undisclosed illness, he's expected to cede power to his brother Raul (who is 76), but remain with the government in some capacity.

Castro has outlasted nine U.S. presidents since taking power in 1959, from Dwight Eisenhower to Bill Clinton. The Soviet Union, Cuba's chief benefactor during the Cold War years, no longer exists.

Believe it or not, there was once a time when Castro was considered a hero for ousting the hated dictator Fulgencio Batista. That was before he declared himself a Comminust and turned Cuba into a socialist state. Since then, the United States has tried to get rid of Castro who knows how many times, mostly ending in disaster (see: Bay of Pigs invasion).

When the Soviets put nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962, President Kennedy orders a blockade to force them out. War almost broke out before the Soviets agreed to dismantle the missiles and JFK agreed not to invade Cuba.

In the half-century since Castro took control, Cuba changed from a vibrant country to a ramshackle existence, dotted by dilapidated buildings and 1950s-era transportation. Government-mandated repression and alleged human rights abuses abounded. Thousands of Cuban exiles have fled to the United States in rickety old boats, risking death and the possibility of getting turned back by the Coast Guard.

The U.S. embargo on trade and tourism has been in place since the early 1960s, and it looks as if the Bush administration and whoever succeeds them intend to continue the policy, even though there seems to be no good reason for it. What's the excuse this time? Has Castro been harboring terrorists?

The news of Castro's retirement has not set off any parades in the Cuban-American section of Miami, where thousands of exiles now live, because no one really expects their onetime homeland to suddenly drop Communism until both Castros are out of the picture for good. Besides, after having spent so much time in America partaking of all it has to offer (not to mention wielding extraordinary political clout), why would they want to go back?

The twilight of a bearded, cigar-smoking man who symbolized a revolution wearing army fatigues and making long speeches while ruling his country with an iron fist is upon us. What remains to be seen is what will happen to Cuba after Fidel Castro is gone.