Livin la vida retiremente

First Kosovo unilaterally declares its independence. Then Pakistan sticks it Musharraf. Now Fidel Castro declares he’s calling it quits. How long Castro actually lives will determine what kind of Cuba emerges following his resignation as maximum leader. The Cuban National Assembly votes for a new leader on February 24. There are several possible candidates to choose from but in all probability the reins of power will remain in the hands of his brother Raul, derided as Fidel-lite. While Fidel's former daughter-in-law warns not to expect any immediate miracles, there are reasons to think things could improve, albeit slowly. Exile leaders want to see the U.S. government bring criminal charges against Raul in the deaths linked to the downing of a plane. On the streets, all was quiet. Garbage was collected and a relative calm prevailed, a view shared by passengers arriving from Havana. In a week of momentous change one can only wonder what's next.