Canada has always occupied a unique position when it comes to Cuba. While the United States imposed a trade embargo on the island back in the early 1960s, Canada kept its diplomatic and economic ties intact — and has maintained them ever since. Canadian tourists fill resorts in Varadero each winter, Canadian businesses have long operated in Havana, and Ottawa has historically positioned itself as a diplomatic bridge between Cuba and the broader Western world.
That backstory makes the current moment all the more significant. As thousands of Cubans march in the streets to oppose the U.S. indictment of former president Raúl Castro, one of the most striking dissenting voices isn't coming from Washington — it's coming from a literal daughter of the Cuban Revolution.
Alina Fernandez: A Life in Opposition
Alina Fernandez was born to Fidel Castro and a woman he never married. Growing up in revolutionary Cuba with one of history's most controversial figures as her father, she had a front-row seat to the communist experiment — and eventually concluded it was a failure.
In 1993, she defected to Spain in disguise, wearing a wig and carrying forged documents. She eventually settled in the United States, where she became one of the most vocal critics of the Castro regime.
Now, speaking to CBC's As It Happens, Fernandez says she hopes the U.S. indictment of Raúl Castro is a step toward real change on the island. While the Cuban government rallies its supporters against what it frames as foreign interference, Fernandez sees accountability — not aggression.
Why Canada Is Watching Closely
For Canadians, Cuba isn't an abstract geopolitical story. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians travel to Cuba each year, making it one of the most popular winter sun destinations in the country. Canadian mining and energy companies have operational interests on the island. And Canada's long-standing willingness to engage Havana diplomatically — even when Washington refused — has been a point of quiet national pride.
Any significant shift in Cuba's political direction would have ripple effects felt in Canadian boardrooms, travel agencies, and foreign policy circles alike.
A Revolution Dividing Itself
What makes Fernandez's perspective so striking is that it punctures the narrative of a unified Cuban identity. The protests in support of Raúl Castro are real and passionate — but so is the diaspora community's hope for something different. Cuba, as Fernandez's own story illustrates, has never been monolithic.
Whether U.S. pressure accelerates change or simply deepens divisions remains deeply uncertain. But for Canada, which has spent decades trying to be a constructive voice in Cuban affairs, the stakes are real — and the outcome worth watching.
Source: CBC Top Stories / As It Happens
