Predicting the end of Fidel Castro's regime has always been an exercise in futility. One day he's reported to be near death, the next he's speaking in public with the stamina of a twenty- year-old. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, life in modern Cuba. Why Castro, and his revolution, still captivate a nation

SEGMENT 1:

Journalist Patrick Symmes tells Steve Paulson about life in contemporary Cuba and tries to explain Fidel Casto's enduring mystique even as the economic situation on the island deteriorates to the point where people spend most of their time trying to meet their basic survival needs. Symmes' article "Hasta La Vista Fidel" appeared in the December, 1997 issue of Harper's.

SEGMENT 2:

Pico Iyer is a writer known for his trevel memoirs and essays in Time Magazine. He set his first novel in Cuba and tells Steve Paulson what he found so compelling there. Also, David Penalosa, vice president of Bembe Records and percussionist for the band Kachimbo, tells Jim Fleming what's really hot in Havana: the music of Timba. He says it's where hip hop meets salsa. Bembe Records can be reached at (707) 923-7262.

SEGMENT 3:

Jon Lee Anderson is the author of "Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life." He tells Judith Strasser that Che was the idealist of the Cuban revolution while Fidel was the strategist and pragmatist, and that even the men who killed him praised Che's integrity and dedication.

Distribution dates:

• week of 12/14/97 - hour 1