Castro’s passing sees the departure of one of the giants of the cold war era and a revolutionary guerilla leader. Although his brother Raul assumed presidential powers in 2006 before getting the official title in 2008, modern-day Cuba was built by Fidel Castro. As Ebola ravaged west Africa, Cuba led aid efforts while the west fretted. Waves of Cuban refugees, some of which Castro used for political propaganda, turned parts of Florida into Latin America. Given that the island’s standard of living will depend on the world’s largest market, it seems history may absolve Castro, but geography may not.

Source: The Guardian November 27, 2016 19:23 UTC