I never cease to be amazed at the short sightedness of our so called "free country" governments or the ignorance and propaganda that they sometimes would have us accept. Years ago Trudeau went against the allied grain saying that Castro was not the demon portrayed and extended the hand of friendship (got him on the CIA watch list and the Mafia hit list). Since then Canadian media has been free to visit Cuba and report without interference on life there. Canadians have been free to visit and it is a prime winter vacation destination. What happened 50 years ago was a civil war and one side had to be the loser, and that was the most corrupt one as well. Refugees from that war still live in the USA mostly in Florida and USA policy is still driven by their demands for retribution. Didn't Florida cast enough funny ballots to elect a president with the help of the state governor? Is this what Bush wants as "free elections" for Cuba?
That all being said there is hope that November elections in the USA may see a return of esteem to a country that has done much for the world, but has tarnished its image to that of an international bully.