What the world thinks now

World reaction to Fidel Castro’s retirement announcement has been mixed. The Bush Administration did what every other U.S. administration has done and did so in it's normally unhelpful manner, declaring that it will not tear down the trade wall with Cuba. China called Fidel an old friend. The UK's Gordon Brown hopes it'll provide a transition to democracy, and the EU is hoping for revived ties to the island nation. Spain's secretary of state for Iberoamerica is optimistic that economic reform is in the offing. For the most part, the Cubans themselves and the exiles in Miami seem to be saying to the world ‘don’t hold your breath.’