Cultural Influence

Cuba and the United States have been at odds since Fidel Castro seized power in 1959. While successive U.S. administrations have employed tough measures, including prolonged economic sanctions and the designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, none have greatly weakened the government. There has been some softening in U.S. policies toward Cuba since Castro formally transferred the Cuban presidency to his brother Raúl in 2008 and Barack Obama became U.S. president, but experts say normalization of relations is unlikely in the near to medium term. The continued imprisonment of U.S. citizen Alan Gross, accused in 2009 of trying to destabilize the Cuban regime through a U.S.-sponsored program, and the detainment of Cuban nationals in U.S. prisons remain significant sticking points in the relationship. Meanwhile, Raúl Castro has gradually implemented major economic reforms and lifted travel restrictions, moves that help the country strengthen its international position and consolidate some of its domestic changes.

The president of Cuba