Fidel Castro’s legacy: how the revolutionary inspired and appalled the world
Castro continued to hold a place in people’s hearts and minds despite largely withdrawing from public life in the last decade of his life
No street bears his name and there is not a single statue in his honour but Fidel Castro did not want or need that type of recognition. From tip to tip, he made Cuba his living, breathing creation.
Children in red neckerchiefs scampering to free schools, families rationing toilet paper in dilapidated houses, pensioners enjoying free medical treatment, newspapers filled with monotonous state propaganda: all in some way bear the stamp of one man.
Watch: A look back on the life of Fidel Castro
Historians will debate Castro’s legacy for decades to come but his revolution’s accomplishments and failures are on open display in today’s Cuba, which – even with the reforms of recent years – still bears the stamp of half a century of “Fidelismo”.
When Fidel took power in 1959 few would have predicted that he would be able to so completely transform Cuban society
The “maximum leader” was a workaholic micromanager who turned the Caribbean island into an economic, political and social laboratory that has simultaneously intrigued, appalled and inspired the world.
“When Fidel took power in 1959 few would have predicted that he would be able to so completely transform Cuban society, upend US priorities in Latin America and create a following of global proportions,” said Dan Erikson, an analyst at the Inter-American Dialogue think tank and author of The Cuba Wars.
The most apparent downside of his legacy is material scarcity. For ordinary Cubans things tend to be either in short supply, such as transport, housing and food, or prohibitively expensive, such as soap, books and clothes.
These problems have persisted since Fidel handed the presidency to his brother Raul in 2008. Despite overtures to the US and encouragement of micro businesses since then, the state still controls the lion’s share of the economy and pays an average monthly wage of less than US$19. This has forced many to hustle extra income however they can, including prostitution and low-level corruption. The lucky ones earn hard currency through tourism jobs or receive dollars from relatives in Florida.
Cubans are canny improvisers and can live with dignity on a shoestring, but they yearn for conditions to ease.