Raul Castro

Gen. Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja, a top communist party boss, led the military-controlled corporation that accounts for most of Cuba's economy.

Cuba's parliament isn't big on dissent. But Mariela Castro, daughter of the country's president — and niece of Fidel Castro — is making waves for rejecting a workers' rights bill.

President Obama shook hands Tuesday with Cuban leader Raul Castro, a move that led to speculation about the future of ties between the two Cold War-era foes. But one expert says none of the issues separating the U.S. and Cuba will be resolved by a handshake alone.