Julia E. Sweig, CFR's director for Latin America Studies, says a new U.S. president offers a chance to improve Washington's relations with Cuba.

Listen to experts discuss the implications of Fidel Castro's announcement that he will step down as the president of Cuba.

Fidel Castro—thorn in the side of the U.S. government, icon for many of the impoverished of Latin America—has resigned, leaving Cuba’s immediate fate in the hands of his brother Raul.

Watch David Rothkopf, president and chief executive officer of Garten Rothkopf, and C. Ford Runge, distinguished McKnight university professor of applied economics at the University of Minnesota, discuss the potential impact of the increasing demand for biofuels on global energy and food security.

Listen to David Rothkopf, president and chief executive officer of Garten Rothkopf, and C. Ford Runge, distinguished McKnight university professor of applied economics at the University of Minnesota, discuss the potential impact of the increasing demand for biofuels on global energy and food security.

In Prospect Magazine, Bella Harris writes about Cuba in a post-Castro era. She concludes that little has changed over recent years and life for most Cubans remains harsh. Yet western visitors continue to romanticize the place as a viable alternative to western capitalism. 

Observers of Cuba speculate that Raul Castro wants a liberalized, China-style economy for his hermetic island. But so far, scant evidence exists to back that analysis.

Caleb McCarry, Cuba transition coordinator at the U.S. State Department, discusses U.S. policy toward Cuba and U.S. government support for a democratic transition in Cuba.

Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) and Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA) discuss U.S. Cuba policy in light of their recent trip to the country.

Fidel Castro’s July decision to temporarily turn over the reins of power to his brother Raul increasingly looks permanent. Many wonder what changes, if any, to expect from Raul—or from U.S. policymakers.

CFR Senior Fellow Julia E. Sweig debunks the conventional wisdom on what is going to happen in Cuba after Fidel Castro dies. She also discusses the future of U.S.-Cuba relations.

U.S.-Cuban relations have been virtually nonexistent since 1961, when the United States assumed a two-pronged policy of economic embargo and diplomatic isolation. Now that Fidel has transferred power to his younger brother, Raul, some experts think the United States should reconsider its policy toward Cuba. Philip Peters of the Lexington Institute and Dennis Hays, the State Department's former Coordinator for Cuban Affairs, debate how the United States should engage with a post-Castro Cuba.

This report is one of a series of briefings on the identity and background of the detainees held by the United States at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.