Fidel Castro’s death set off mourning in Cuba and celebration, and calls for democracy from Miami’s Cuban population. Castro had been out of the spotlight for a decade, handing the reigns over to his brother Raul. What does a post-Castro Cuba mean for those who fled the regime and made a home in Florida? With a new Republican administration taking over January 20th, what of America’s detente with Cuba and the Sunshine State’s relationship to the Island?
The thawing of relations between Cuba and the United States under President Obama could freeze over again.
President-elect Donald Trump took to twitter this week, warning that the deal forged by this administration could go away. Here’s his tweet …
“If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal,” said Trump.
What opportunities have opened up for Florida companies with the restart of relations with Cuba? What does the US- and Florida- have to lose if that detente is reversed? Was the thaw too fast, too soon? And has it really helped Cubans after decades of communist rule?
90.7's Matthew Peddie was joined in the studio by Bertica Cabrera Morris and Steven Vigil joined by phone.
Bertica Cabrera-Morris is a government and business consultant. She was born in Havana, Cuba and worked with presidential candidate Mitt Romney in 2012 and Senator Marco Rubio during his 2010 senate campaign. Steven Vigil’s parents fled Cuba in 1960. He was born and raised in Florida and visited the country for the first time in 2013.