In a surprising nod to the march of time, Fidel Castro resigned as President of Cuba yesterday. Castro and Cuba have just always been in my life. I was just four months old when he wrested power and became dictator of the island.

Aligning his country with the Soviet bloc, Castro stood up to anything the US, and in particular the American CIA, threw at him. Of course, that was in the days before the fall of the Soviets and the era of making up excuses to invade countries to topple their leaders. Castro might not have fared well in today’s world climate.

Castro’s health has been deteriorating since at least the 1990s and became more profound in 2006 when he temporarily turned power over to his brother Raul. The exact nature of his illness wasn’t disclosed but he’s been rarely seen in public since then. His brother is his designated successor but it is expected that Fidel will remain a strong influence in the politics of Cuba.

Canada has maintained official diplomatic relations with Cuba since 1945. Engaging in what Ottawa terms as “constructive engagement”. We carry on political and economic relations with Cuba while addressing concerns about human rights violations and democratic freedoms.

How effective has our constructive engagement been? Probably not a lot but then neither has the American’s 45+ year total embargo of any trade with Cuba. Castro and Kennedy, one of 10 American administrations he has outlived, squared off in 1962 over the Soviets placing missiles in Cuba aimed at the US. For ten days the world held its breath while the spector of a nuclear exchange played out. In the end, the missiles were removed and the US pledged not to invade Cuba.

Dissent in Castro’s Cuba has been brutally repressed over the years prompting many to flee the island for places like the US and Canada. That repression is unlikely to change under the younger Castro. Raul is a different temperament than his brother, more low key in his approach to public life.

Raul is not that much younger than his brother at 76. Depending how much longer Fidel hangs in there and is a presence officially or unofficially in Cuban politics, Raul may end up being more an interim leader than a man fully in control.

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