Feldman-Piltch on the Impact of Castro's Death on US-Cuba Relations

Maggie Feldman-Piltch was featured in a Georgetown School of Foreign Service commentary this week, regarding the impact of Fidel Castro's death on U.S-Cuba relations. 

“Fidel Castro’s death was inevitable, but historic nonetheless and comes at a time of relative uncertainty for the future of US foreign policy. It marks the end of an era for the revolution but not the end of the revolution itself. It is naive to assume his death will inherently usher in the end of Cuban communism, but it certainly presents opportunities and challenges. So far, the rapprochement between Cuba and the United States has been a great lesson in how effective diplomacy can build national security in the 21st Century. The progress since December 2014 is larger than one person, even if that person is Fidel Castro. It is in our shared interest to continue down the path towards normalization. Those interests are stronger than any short-term uncertainty and we must focus on what comes next. After all, nothing is written until we write it.”

Castro was a leader of the Cuban revolution and governed Cuba from 1976 - 2008, when he was succeeded by his brother, Raul Castro. Castro's legacy is mixed, with some seeing him as a champion of economic justice while others view him as a dictator who carried out human rights abuses and crippled the country's economy. 

You can read the entire article here.