futuristic military dictatorship Cuba with an American blockade?

What's a plausible reason that Cuba would end up as a country where smuggling is legal 20 Minutes in the Future? (Madrugada's suggestion of smugglers not antagonising the Americans has made me think).

And here's what I've got:

• Havana: City Noir. Tourist destination. Great music and other stuff is legal.

• Guantanamo: Shipping point for drugs, thriving black market especially to the military base. And of course, the famous prison. And The Mob.

• Santiago de Cuba: Tourist destination. The music's great.

Kind of like Havana, and people go there for not-fully legal stuff too. Oh and it's also a shipping point and a City Noir.

• Rural areas of the country, including Banes, the birthplace of Fulgencio Batista: Crime is not as obvious as everywhere else but still there, just under the surface.

So what's a reason for a futuristic military dictatorship?

edited 7th Sep '12 12:31:41 AM by MorwenEdhelwen

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien

A coup de'tat overthrows Raul Castro. Alternatively, his successor takes a different path.

It wouldn't be the first time either scenario has happened to authoritarian states like present-day Cuba.

"Allah may guide their bullets, but Jesus helps those who aim down the sights."

@Major Tom: Thanks.

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien

America invades, curbstomps the Cubans and installs a puppet dictator. (This is a standard American policy play.)

The blockade stays because polititians know better than to associate with such a voter agitating issue.

@Natasel: Thanks. Where does you username come from btw?

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien

My early, mangled, Chinese to English translation of: "Not a sale."

Ohhh. Because it's really cool and distinctive. Just noticed I made a typo in my last post. Are you Chinese, or do you just speak one of the dialects? Because I'm Chinese.

edited 7th Sep '12 1:54:32 AM by MorwenEdhelwen

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien

It's worth noting that this was primarily a Cold War policy, and may not be as likely in a setting without it, although I'm not sure whether that's the case for the OP or not.

@Morwen as far I know, I'm Chinese. I speak the official Mandarin and some Fukien/Cantonese.

Since the USA hasn't updated their policy towards Cuba since the Cold war, its oddly fitting.

Much like how London Cabs have by law, a minimum height requirement so gentlemen with tophats can ride without taking it off.

Hopelessly outdated, but with the backlog and everpresent list of More Important Things To Worry About, the odds of politicians getting round to changing it is low.

edited 7th Sep '12 4:19:06 AM by Natasel

oh ha ha. I can understand both languages. And yeah, the Cold War happened in the setting.

edited 7th Sep '12 3:52:14 AM by MorwenEdhelwen

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien