Despite changes in both U.S. and Cuban leadership since early 2008, experts do not anticipate any normalization of U.S.-Cuba relations in the near to medium term.

Julia E. Sweig argues that the post-Castro era was ushered in by Raul Castro's implementation of new reforms on the island.

Graham Allison ("The Cuban Missile Crisis at 50," July/August 2012) seems to believe that U.S. President John F. Kennedy's handling of the Cuban missile crisis was an unalloyed success.

Stephen Sestanovich offers a rebuttal to Leslie H. Gelb's reading of the Cuban missile crisis.

CFR's James M. Lindsay remembers the Bay of Pigs invasion, which began on April 17, 1961, and discusses the importance of preparing for failure and planning accordingly.

The authors analyze the prospect of oil drilling off the coast of Cuba and suggest precautions the United States should take to defend against a potential oil spill emanating from Cuba.

Under President Raul Castro, Cuba has begun economic and political reforms while bolstering ties with Brazil and the Vatican. But Washington has failed to seize on opportunities for expanding relations, says CFR's Julia E. Sweig.

Julia E. Sweig analyzes the significance of the first-ever Communist Party Conference in Cuba.

Elliott Abrams discusses the Castro regime's prisoner release, in which USAID contractor Alan Gross was not included.

Captain Melissa Bert, USCG, argues that as Cuba moves ahead with plans for a mobile offshore drilling unit, the United States must incorporate Cuba in emergency response coordination and joint operations, work through sanctions hurdles, and properly fund a response to a potential disaster.

As Cuba's Communist Party convenes this weekend for the first time in fourteen years, President Raul Castro will look to clarify and gain support for economic reforms. CFR's Julia Sweig says the country has made significant strides toward modernization and suggests the United States should amend its restrictive Cuba policies.

Julia Sweig says a "radical new phase" in Cuban history is unfolding in plain sight, but Washington does not seem to notice.

Following a recent trip to Cuba, Julia Sweig, Senior Fellow for Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Jeffrey Goldberg, National Correspondent for The Atlantic Magazine, address questions from listeners.

Marifeli Perez-Stable comments on the lack of structural and economic changes in Cuba since Raúl Castro's takeover of power in 2007.

The announcement that Cuba's government will release more than fifty political prisoners could create political space for reforms in Cuba, and an easing of the U.S. embargo, says CFR's Julia Sweig.

Cubans want the United States to lift its long-standing embargo on Cuba, but any serious easing of trade and travel restrictions between the two countries may badly harm Cuba's health-care industry.

The U.S. State Department continues to list Cuba as a state sponsor of terror, though most experts say the country no longer poses a threat to U.S. national security.

Marifeli Perez-Stable discusses the leakage by El País of Obama's message to Raul Castro, warning that if the administration doesn't "break the tired two-step" of Cuban-American relations soon, it may be too late.