Women who Smoke Cigars and the Men Who love them!

"Fidel Castro stepped down Tuesday morning as the president of Cuba after a long illness, according to Granma, the official publication of the Cuban Communist Party. His resignation ends one of the longest tenures as one of the most all-powerful communist heads of state in the world"

The blogoshpere, newsrooms and any and all news reporting agencies have been buzzing with the long awaited resignation of El Presidente Fidel Castro! Among the many obvious questions arising out of the dictator's step down, is "Will the Embargo be lifted" and will that mean a sudden influx of Cuban Cigars!

Neither here nor there, my response has been "more campaign rhetoric, this is an election year" - Hilary vows to enforce the restrictions, unless democracy reigns; Barrack will sit down and have dialogue, dinner and drinks with the new government; and, Senator McCain, well, the good Senator wants to track down the Cuban who mocked the prisoners when visiting the POW camp he was held in! [did I hear that right?]

But what does Cuba say - more importantly to me, how will Castro's resignation effect Cuban women?

Cuba, historically a more liberated country for women who enjoy cigars and the culture, Cuban Cigar manufacturers have turned to women to create their art.

Apart from Cuban women's precise technique used in crafting fine hand rolled cigars, Cuban women smoking cigars is a very familiar site in Cuba and other South American countries.

On another note, in a country where the media is completely state-owned, a young Cuban blogger braves the government's restrictive laws, and authors her thoughts on a life in Cuba.

Havana Fashion Show Honors the Cuban Cigar

"....Runway models wore earth-toned fabric and gigantic hats resembling tobacco leaves as Cuba’s annual cigar festival hosted a celebration of high fashion inspired by this island’s famed tobacco business.

Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes, guitarist Juan Antonio Navarro and the women’s chamber orchestra Romeau performed during the pause between the showing of each collection before a painted backdrop depicting a tobacco plantation.