LATIMES: “Cuba's capitalist road” (Editorial)

Since succeeding his brother Fidel as president in 2008, Raul Castro has repeatedly promised to adopt market reforms intended to help save Cuba's ailing economy.
And he has delivered, for the most part, slowly but steadily. The year he took over, Castro made it easier for Cubans to buy cellphones. Last year, the government agreed to increase the number of permits issued for privately run barbershops, beauty salons, restaurants and other businesses in the hopes of spurring grass-roots economic activity. At the same time, it approved a plan to let foreign investors rent state-owned land, a move intended to help boost international tourism. And last month, a new law took effect legalizing the private sale of autos.
Still, unlike in Vietnam or China, where ideologues have made dramatic concessions to economic reform, Cuba's leaders have been much less aggressive about moving away from a state-dominated economy. At least until this week.