Cuba Celebrates 50 Years Since Castro Revolution

HAVANA-Fifty years after triumphant armed rebels descended from the eastern mountains, communist Cuba celebrated the revolution's anniversary Thursday with toned-down festivities after a trio of devastating hurricanes and under the enduring public absence of an ailing Fidel Castro.The austere celebrations, including dances and concerts across the island, belied the start of a year infused with possibilities for increased cash and visitors, and other changes that might ease Cubans' daily hardships. Many here hope for improved relations with the United States when President-elect Barack Obama takes office Jan. 20 following declarations he would talk directly with Raul Castro and lift severe restrictions on family travel and remittances to the island."I hope he gets rid of the blockade," 42-year-old Ana Luisa Mas said as she bought a pork leg for her family's New Year's Eve celebration, referring to decades-old U.S. trade sanctions. "We are very hopeful that with Obama our relatives will be able to visit us more, and send us more money," she said, maneuvering through hundreds of shoppers packed inside the enclosed Cuatro Caminos farmers market, rushing to buy black beans and rice, salad greens and other New Year's Eve dinner standbys."We also hope that Fidel will stay with us a little bit longer,"Mas added.President Raul Castro, who succeeded his older brother in February, planned to speak Thursday night from the same balcony where Fidel declared victory over dictator Fulgencio Batista's government on Jan. 1, 1959.No foreign leaders were expected at the evening speech on a small, leafy plaza, with little fanfare beyond invitations to 3,000 Communist Party faithful. Outside the seaside U.S. Interests Section in Havana, the popular group Los Van Van were performing...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,474864,00.html
PS:The cuban woman speaking above was born and raised under this regime.How sad that people still look at Fidel like a hero when in reality has turned the island into a living hell,his little communist kingdom and has deprived the cubans of their freedom.I dont think there is nothing to celebrate about these 50 years under Fidel...
As in the days of Noah...