The renewal of diplomatic ties with the U.S. was a victory for Cuba, but the socialist government faces a challenging future as President Raul Castro reaches his twilight years.

Yarisley Rivero, of Havana, talks about what it's like to be separated from her husband, Yoandri, who emigrated from Cuba to the United States this fall.

The biggest wave of Cuban migration since the 1990s has divided families, causing anguish and uncertainty. Cubans say they don't expect to see their relatives back home for at least a year.

Inflatable Santas and other trappings of Christmas have sprung up all over Havana. Many Cubans making less than $20 a month say they can barely afford gifts, but have plenty of holiday spirit.

Injustice spawns both refugees and extremists. The difference is that refugees believe humanity is still on one side. In a time of terror, they are the teachers we need.

Pope Francis called for a “revolution of tenderness” while in Cuba in September. Dissidents say arrests of human rights activists have increased in the months since and violence is up.