I was raised to revere Fidel Castro. It took a trip to Cuba to knock Castro off the pedestal in my mind. Castro had ruled the country since 1959, when he toppled the repressive dictator Fulgencio Batista. The Castro regime has used this ever since as a ready excuse for its own ineptitude and corruption, but the dissident knew better. Take a broader view, using the UN’s Human Development Index, and Cuba’s performance pales, even against other Caribbean nations.

Source: Hindustan Times November 29, 2016 09:27 UTC