The fall of Communism in Europe in 1990 brought about a colossal upheaval in Cuba, a country which relied almost exclusively on aid from the USSR. The economic hardship which followed was catastrophic, with the country literally halving its gross domestic production and seeing both its exports, and imports, reduced by three-thirds. Castro finally opened the country up to free enterprise in order to alleviate poverty and, for the first time, allowed the first foreign tourists to visit.
The US-Cuban Cold War continued well into the start of the 21dst century, with dissident missions and subverting broadcasts becoming common occurrences between the two nations. The decades-long US embargo shaped the economy of the country and caused a love-hate relationship between Cubans: those who stayed and stayed true to revolutionary ideals and those who risked life and limb to leave in search of a better life. Cultivating closer ties with countries more to its liking (such as China and North Korea) Cuba would continue to scorn the US in the first decade of the 21st century.
The death of Fidel Castro and a page-turner for Cuba
A Cuba without Fidel Castro was something that was almost impossible to imagine, for so many years. Castro would go down as one of the most significant historical figures who ever lived and although he had technically been insignificant, in Cuba, for well over a decade, his death sent shockwaves the world over. Cuba looked toward a new dawn, one which looked much brighter with the visit by US President Obama, in 2016, and the subsequent easing of the US embargo and tentative influx of US tourists by the start of 2017.
There’s no doubt that Cuba’s history is currently living one of its most important chapters and although it’s still early days to assess the consequences of current President Trump’s tough stance (restricting travel and business in Cuba , once again) history has shown that once the ‘door to modernity, freedom and cooperation’ is opened, closing it again is but a fleeting affair.
Travelling 