Cuba Has Failed to Build Democratic Society and an Effective Economy

this from a Russian observer, familiar with the aftermaths of glasnost and perestroika.

some excellent insights:

[T]he 1959 revolution has failed to [] bring genuine democracy to the Freedom Island.

In this respect, Havana has every reason for despair. Cuba has indisputable achievements in education and medicine but it has obviously failed to build a free and democratic society, and an effective economy, which would ensure a decent life for its population. Rank-and-file Cubans have remained poor despite the government's versatile social support.

...

To sum up, at the dusk of Castro's era Cuba has largely given up its socialist principles in the economy (at least in their Soviet version). Ideologically, it is drifting back to Jose Marti's principles, and to the traditional Latin American Bolivarian ideas of fighting for independence.

It is hard to say which part of this policy is purposeful, and which was forced by the circumstances, but today's Cuba is moving in the direction of those countries that are placing their bets not so much on the socialist economy as on the socially oriented capitalist model. Brazil, Venezuela (for all the radical rhetoric of the extravagant Hugo Chavez), Bolivia, and now Nicaragua (after Daniel Ortega's victory) are following this road.

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Interesting indeed... particularly if one considers that Raul Castro has long been an admirer of the Chinese model, and suddenly, he finds himself in charge.