After the news of the death of the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro on November 24, Europea Media this week interviewed two professors from the School of Social Sciences and Communication. The professors, who are experts on their subjects, analyzed the funeral of November 29, and the future of Cuba.
In the program Kiosco de Protocolo, María Gómez, professor and expert on Protocol at the Universidad Europea, mentioned that the presence of Spanish diplomacy, led by the former King Juan Carlos, at Fidel Castro’s funeral “was the right decision”. Despite criticism from several sectors of Spanish politics, “our country’s decision to send top level representatives was the best choice”. Gómez, a founding partner of GMS Protocolo y Eventos, also emphasized that these kinds of situations “require a differentiation between the person and the figure. Whether or not you sympathize with Castro’s ideology, Spain’s presence in Cuba is important.”
For his part, Pablo Santa Olalla, professor of International Relations, said on Calle Mayor that “Castro’s death will not change politics for the moment.” According to Santa Olalla, “the Republic of Cuba will begin to change when the late leader’s brother, Raúl Castro, retires. Cuba is a divided society, and it will be difficult to reach agreements in the near future.” When asked about the new relationship between Cuba and the USA under Obama, and the arrival of Trump in January 2017 with policies opposed to the Castro regime, Santa Olalla clarified that “Trump is a businessman, and running a business is not the same as running a country.”