Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/cuban-government-celebrates-50th-anniversary Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript On the 50th anniversary of the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power in Cuba, analysts mull U.S.-Cuban relations and efforts to reform the economy and politics of the Latin American country. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. RAY SUAREZ: Now, is it time for a change in U.S. relations with Cuba? The government there celebrated its 50th anniversary today without the public participation of its legendary leader.On New Year's Day, 1959, Fidel Castro and some 9,000 rebels descended from the mountains and declared victory over dictator Fulgencio Batista. By 1961, Castro had embraced communism and, in response, the U.S. severed diplomatic relations and imposed an economic embargo of the island nation.Following major surgery two years ago, Fidel Castro, now 82, has only been seen in public on film and video. Fidel formally resigned his presidency last February and turned over power to his brother, Raul Castro.Raul, 77, has maintained a tight grip over the country, but has made some minor reforms. The 50th anniversary of the revolution comes as a debate heats up in Washington and in Miami on U.S. policy toward Cuba.During the presidential campaign, President-elect Barack Obama called for a rethinking of Cuba policy. U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA: It's time to let Cuban-Americans see their mothers and their fathers, their sisters and their brothers. It's time to let Cuban-American money make their families less dependent on the Castro regime. RAY SUAREZ: At the same time, Mr. Obama said the embargo should stay in place. Ending it entirely would require an act of Congress. BARACK OBAMA: I will maintain the embargo. It provides us with the leverage to present the regime with a clear choice: If you take significant steps towards democracy, beginning with the freeing of all political prisoners, we will take steps to begin normalizing relations.That's the way to bring about real change in Cuba: through strong, smart, principled diplomacy. RAY SUAREZ: Marking a major turnaround from the past 10 U.S. presidents, Mr. Obama has said he would sit down face-to-face with Cuba's leader. That idea is anathema to many of Florida's more than 800,000 Cuban-Americans, but Mr. Obama carried the state in November, in part with a big win among non-Cuban Latino voters.Polls show shifting attitudes among Cuban-Americans in Florida, especially the young, with more than half supporting an end to the embargo.In Havana, Raul Castro recently offered to free some political dissidents in exchange for the release of five Cuban spies in U.S. prisons. Castro also said he'd like to meet President-elect Obama on neutral ground and discuss normalizing trade.