2023
Fewer than 100 miles from the United States, Cuba is on the verge of a new era with challenges and opportunities for Cubans and Americans alike. Cuba after Fidel Castro may see a wide range of changes, including an end to international political and economic isolation. However, fundamental change within Cuba will depend on Cuba’s new leadership and whether it will afford the Cuban people individual freedoms and the needed economic reforms. Cuba’s ability to institute change, and the degree of the changes put in place, likely will determine how the United States will respond, if it even responds at all, with substantive policy engagement. U.S. policy-makers from both sides of the aisle and the American people have the power to influence and foster change during Cuba’s transition.
On February 6, the Brookings Institution hosted a conference to provide the insights critical to confronting the challenges and seizing opportunities as a new Cuba emerges. A distinguished panel of experts on Cuba and Latin American discussed whether Cuba’s leaders will be up to the challenge of managing the succession and beyond.
>> Read the uncorrected transcript:
- Panel One
- Panel Two
-
Panel Three
- Panel Four
Agenda
-
February 6
-
9:00 – 9:30 A.M. Welcome Remarks
CPCarlos Pascual Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Senior Vice President for Global Energy - IHS Markit, Former Brookings expert @CarlosEPascual -
9:30 – 10:45 A.M. Panel One – Cuba and the World: Succession to Transition
Peter Hakim President Emeritus - Inter-American DialogueVHVicki Huddleston Former Brookings ExpertJSJaime Suchlicki Director, Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami -
11:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. Panel Two – After Fidel: Political and Social Change
MPMarifeli Pérez–Stable Vice President, Democratic Governance, Inter-American DialogueASGAndy S. Gomez Assistant Provost, University of MiamiPPPhil Peters Vice President, Lexington InstituteRaj M. Desai Nonresident Senior Fellow - Global Economy and Development, Center for Sustainable Development -
1:45 – 3:15 P.M. Panel Three - It's the Economy: Contraints and Incentives to Reform
CSCarlos Saladrigas ChairmanRLMRobert L. Muse Attorney, Law Offices of Robert L. Muse, Washington, D.C.DPEDaniel P. Erikson Director, Caribbean Programs, Inter-American DialogueKJKirby Jones President, U.S. Cuba Trade Association -
3:30 – 5:00 P.M. Panel Four – Why Cuba Matters to the U.S.
ALBAnn Louise Bardach Author/Journalist, Global Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara (Moderator)FJ(HFrancisco J. (Pepe) Hernandez President, Cuban American National FoundationWLWilliam LeoGrande Dean, School of Public Affairs, American UniversityJPJorge Pinon Senior Research FellowJMJohn McAuliff Executive Director, Fund for Reconciliation and Development -
5:00 P.M. Closing Remarks
VHVicki Huddleston Former Brookings Expert
-