by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

Until 1989 the old Soviet Union(Russia today)was supporting Cuba’s economy with billions of dollars, but during that same year communism collapsed \in the Soviet Union, so they could not support Cuba, who was basically their satellite and only bastion of communism in the new world. Since then Cuba has been alone and with no structure but the same people that have ruled over them for all these years. Once a country that exported more sugar than anybody in the world, among other goods, Cuba has actually went “back in time”not in prosperity but resembles more of a 1950’s time warp.

Today American tourism, who is the largest and most sought after and most lucrative tourism in the world, has started to flood the island of Cuba, soon huge hotel companies like Hyatt, Hilton and others will begin building resorts in the island, and just with the opening of the Cuban society, the people in Cuba should prosper again, if the Cuban government doesn’t get in their way.

It is inevitable. The Cuban people have no money, anyplace you visit in Cuba today, you will see lots of people(specially young people)roaming the streets with absolutely nothing to do. The Cuban economy doesn’t rank in any global financial market; Cuba has been ruled by the same Castro dictatorship for 56 years, generations of Cubans have not experienced any type of self determination, and freedom, they have lived for decades dependent on the government, who basically ruled over their collective lives. Yes the Cuban government provides for free social services, including medical, and education, but in return from that, they actually have little say on the future of their lives or their families. Basically Cuba has been a country of human robots under the same failed system of government.
American companies will be investing in Cuba, something that until 1989 even if you suggested that in the island, you could be put away, called anti-revolutionary and an enemy of the state.

Still today Amnesty International lists Cuba among the world countries that continue violating its citizens civil rights. Young and old Cubans alike still do not have access to the internet, (something that is taken for granted in the free world)but that will also soon change and once that happens, doesn’t matter what Raul Castro or his brother Fidel might say or do, like the very old American saying: “you cannot put the toothpaste back in the tube”, Cuba will undoubtedly go through tremendous changes.

Major League Baseball is changing its policy. How would MLB handle these changes with Cuba? visit this website for more informationhttp://www.baseballamerica.com/international/mlb-will-handle-big-changes-cuba/

Among the many “treasures”of Cuba is its baseball, a country that has been the leader in Latin America as far as baseball talent since the 1860’s when Cuban-born Esteban Bellan, became the first Hispanic to play pro-baseball in the United States. Baseball is slowly playing a big role in the inevitable result that Cuba will be free from the tyranny their people have been subjected for over a half a century.
As a Cuban-born person, who left Cuba when I was 17 years old and have lived for the rest of my life here in the United States, I once believed I would die and never see Cuba free.

However, right now the changes are looking very good for Cuba.
It is about time!

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Vice President of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Museum and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com