Castro has initiated a reform program and his government has been aggressively seeking investment, especially in the tourism industry. According to American reporters, some of the new wealth is clearly starting to trickle down to ordinary people. There are discos and fast food chains. Cubans eat hot dogs and pizza and drink Cokes. Some people say life in Cuba isn't so bad.
Statistics show people in Cuba are about as healthy as people in the United States.
The average life expectancy in Cuba is 74 for men and 79 for women. In the US, it's 72 for men and 79 for women. Ninety-eight percent of Cubans can read and write and almost no one is homeless. Cuba still has more doctors and teachers per capita than almost any other country in the world. In a population of 11 million, more than half a million Cubans hold university degrees.