After the revolution

Nearly 50 years after the revolution, is Cuba on the brink of another major change? Dreams of founding a Socialist utopia have all but vanished. Few expect Fidel Castro to return to government. Even his brother, Raul, accepts the economy needs to be reformed. But decades of crippling sanctions have not had the desired effect. Cuba famously has one of the best healthcare and education systems in the world. And while critics lambaste Castro's regime as a Communist dictatorship, in the favelas of Havana, people have seen real benefits.

On the sandy beaches of Varadero, the beautiful people are topping up their tans. Over 50 luxurious resorts have been built here, complete with golf courses and well stocked shops. But the beaches, hotels and stores are reserved solely for tourists. In Veradero, the government has created an illusionary paradise, worlds apart from the real Cuba."Everyone has money but us Cubans", complains one man. State employees, paid in pesos, barely earn enough to get by. "What we earn only covers food", states Eduardo. Goods are strictly rationed from public groceries. "Buying more chickpeas would be like building a castle in Madrid: impossible!" laments one pensioner.

But life wasn't always this difficult. Before the fall of Communism, Russia propped up the Cuban economy. Now, the economy is lubricated by dollars. But this has created a two tier society. Those with access to dollars can supplement their meagre rations and enjoy a far higher quality of life. "If you don't have dollars, you can't eat meat", complains Eduardo. The US embargo has forced Cuba to come up with creative solutions to their lack of resources. Faced with a lack of food, city dwellers started cultivating car parks and open spaces. "You don't have to look for food in the countryside", states one man. "You grow it in the neighbourhood, near your house". Today, the urban agricultural programme is perhaps the biggest organic farm on the planet. Even without chemical fertilisers, it produces three million tonnes of fruit and vegetables per annum.

Cuba was one of the first countries in the world to instigate a system of family doctors. "Before, only rich people had the right to get sick", states MP Jorge Lescano. "It was impossible to find a hospital bed". Now, it exports its doctors to Latin America and its infant mortality rates are lower than those in America. The state has also invested heavily in education. "We set out to make our people one of the most educated in the world", explains government Minister Ismael Gonzales. But critics claim the state is more interested in indoctrination that education. "Writers expressing an opinion against Communism are prohibited", complains Berta Mexidor. Even the Beatles music is vetoed. "You can't say anything, otherwise you go to jail", claims Eduardo. Seventy five people who signed up to the Varela Project calling for constitutional reform were imprisoned.With tensions simmering, the real test will come when Fidel Castro dies. His brother, Raul, has hinted at structural reforms. Will Castro's death lead to a slow, orderly transition to a more open society?