John F. Kennedy led the nation for just shy of three years, but in that short time, a series of Cold War crises embroiled the JFK Administration into what nearly became an armed conflict with Castro’s Cuba. The heightened tensions between Castro and the Kennedy Administration led many to believe that Fidel might have played a role in JFK’s assassination. Two federal investigations dismissed this idea, but a new book by former CIA analyst Brian Lattell claims that Castro knew of Lee Harvey Oswald’s assassination plot before the shots were fired from the Texas Book Depository on November 22nd, 1963.

The baseball season is just warming up, but Miami Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen has wasted no time getting himself into hot water. Just five games into his career with the team, Guillen started a political row when he told Time Magazine that he loves and respects Cuba’s military dictator for staying in power as long as he has. The Sunshine State’s large Cuban community has been up in arms calling for the manager’s ouster.

During his trip to Cuba, Pope Benedict the 16th led mass and met with Raul and Fidel Castro. He urged the leaders to open up Cuba to change and called for an end to the U.S. trade embargo. What, if anything, will the Papal visit to Cuba mean for the country’s future? Carlos Eires is the Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University and the author of the National Book Award winner "Waiting for Snow in Havana."

Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Cuba today after a three-day visit to Mexico. It’s his first time visiting both countries. During his visit to the island nation, the Pope says he hopes to build on the dialogue and cooperation ushered in by his predecessor, John Paul II — whose visit in 1998 was considered groundbreaking. How do locals feel about the current Pope’s visit? And what, exactly, is the Pope’s desired outcome of the visit? Sarah Rainsford, Havana correspondent for our partner the BBC, joins us from Cuba.

The Republican candidates kicked off their Florida campaigns at last night's debate in Tampa. Florida is the first Republican presidential battleground with a significant Latino population, and as Mitt Romney battles Newt Gingrich for the lead in the Sunshine State, Latinos across the country are taking note. How the candidates position themselves on immigration and court the highly influential Cuban-American vote remains to be seen.

Hugo Chavez has returned to his home country of Venezuela just in time for the 200th anniversary of his country’s independence from Spain celebrated with parades and parties today. Chavez had been in Cuba receiving treatment for stomach cancer and his arrival was somewhat unexpected. Yesterday he gave a speech from the balcony of the presidential palace to excited crowds in Caracas. 

Cuba made significant changes to its leadership on Tuesday, appointing someone other than a member of the Castro family to the second-highest position in the Communist Party. Raul Castro was named first secretary of the party, and Fidel Castro was not included in the leadership for the first time since the party's creation in 1965. Are we seeing the start of a new era in Cuba?

The American Ballet Theatre traveled to Cuba for the first time in 50 years to participate in the 22nd Havana International Ballet Festival. The last time the dance company took the stage in Cuba, Fidel Castro had just taken power. We hear music from the Karl Marx theatre and talk with Rachel Moore, the executive director of the American Ballet Theatre, about the trip.

In October, 1960 the United States imposed a partial embargo on Cuba. Two years later, it would be strengthened to a near-total embargo. To help explain the state of Cuba since the start of the 50-year embargo, we talk with Michael Voss, Cuba correspondent for our partner, the BBC.

On April 20th, 1980, Fidel Castro announced the port of Mariel opened to anyone wishing to leave Cuba. A massive exodus ensued in the following six months, with as many as 125,000 Cubans making the journey to Florida.

Thirty years later, we talk to participants about their memories, their first impressions of South Florida and how they changed the culture around Miami.

If you live in Miami, we're asking, How did the Mariel boatlift change your city? You can call us at 877-8-MY TAKE or leave a comment here.

Small beauty salons, with 3 seats or less are being privatized in Cuba. Fidel Castro nationalized all small businesses in 1968 and now his younger brother, Raul Castro is trying to modernize the system without jumping to full scale capitalism. The move is significant for small business owners who are not accustomed to working for themselves and will now have to pay rent for their locations and pay taxes.

A black-hulled, two-masted replica of a 19^th century slave-carrying schooner called the “Amistad” will sail into Havana harbor today flying both the U.S. and Cuban flags. The ship sails as part of the United Nations commemoration of March 25^th as the global Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Atlantic slave trade.

 

 

A recent ruling that allows U.S. companies to provide Internet services Cuba, despite the embargo. But Cuban officials say this is a direct threat to the Cuban leadership, claiming that the United States aims to "use these services as a tool of subversion and destabilization." 

A photo-journalism and essay project by the Miami-based Iris Photo Collective portrays the complex connections between Haiti and her neighbor Cuba. We speak with Iris co-founders Carl Juste and Luis Rios talk about the photographs and essays, produced before the earthquake, and how their context has changed after the disaster.

The leaders of several Latin American nations converged on Havana for a two day summit of the Bolivian Alliance for the Peoples of America (in Spanish, 'ALBA'). BBC's Cuba correspondent Michael Voss joins us with a report on how this Latin American union is dealing with a global economic crisis.

Florida fishermen found Elián González floating in the Atlantic Ocean ten years ago today. After months of legal wrangling, González was sent back to Cuba and his waiting father; who can forget the picture of an armed federal official confronting a screaming Elian? The incident once again brought the frayed relations between the United States and Cuba to the forefront. How have those relations changed in the ten years since? Ann Louise Bardach brings us an update on González; she is the author of “Without Fidel: A Death Foretold in Miami, Havana, and Washington,” and previously of “Cuba Confidential.”

President Barack Obama has made clear that he views Cuban Americans as “Ambassadors of Democracy” who can bring a message to Cuba when they visit their families there. But what do Cuban-Americans think? Are they excited at this new patriotic title bestowed on them? Or glad to be able to trace their roots back to the island nation? Are they unwilling to return to Cuba while the Castros are still in power? Or are they just happy to have another beach to visit? This morning we are listening to the response from younger Cuban-Americans who were born here in the U.S. and never personally knew life under Castro or in Cuba. The Takeaway talks to Danny Mendoza, a filmmaker and student at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

President Obama has lifted restrictions on travel and remittances for Cuban-Americans who wish to visit family or send money to their kin in Cuba. The Takeaway talks to Michael Voss, BBC correspondent in Havana and Joshua Johnson a reporter and anchor with WLRN, Miami Herald News, who has been covering the story from South Florida.

Signaling its willingness to discuss improved relations with the United States under the Obama administration, Havana welcomed a contingent from the Congressional Black Caucus. On the agenda? The relationship between the two countries, but also an audience with Fidel Castro. Three members of the Congressional Black Caucus were the first American officials to meet with Fidel Castro since he fell ill in 2006. Representative Barbara Lee (D-Cal), Chair of the Congressional Black Conference, joins The Takeaway to report on the state of the relationship between Cuba and the U.S. and the state of health of Fidel Castro.

Click through for the transcript.

The U.S. Senate voted to lift some restrictions on relations with Cuba imposed by the Bush Administration in 2004. It says that Cuban Americans should be allowed to travel to the Communist island once a year and send more money to relatives there. The Senate has also agreed that restrictions on sending food and medicines to Cuba should also be eased. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law later today.
BBC America Editor Americo Martins joins The Takeaway to discuss what this means for the U.S. and Cuba.