Cuba

The Daiquiri is the History of American Empire in a Cocktail

by Ian Seavey

"The daiquiri rose to prominence as a direct result of the American imperial project in the Caribbean during the burgeoning classic cocktail age from 1860 to 1920."

Biden Should Remove Cuba from List of State Sponsors of Terrorism

by Guillaume Long

After Obama removed Cuba from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, Trump reinstalled it for petty political reasons. The Biden administration should reverse the decision again. 

Review: Elizabeth Dore's Grassroots History of Socialism's Decline in Cuba

The loosening of state control over Cuba's economy has delivered most benefits to white Cubans with relatives sending remittances from the United States to start businesses in Cuba. Afro-Cubans and migrants from poorer provinces have suffered. 

Cuba and the US: Necessary Mirrors

by Geraldo Cadava

How much more could the 1619 Project have accomplished if it considered the broader connections of slavery, racism and power in the Caribbean? 

Did British Intelligence Try to Undermine Castro's Cuba with Homophobia?

Declassified documents show that one unknown facet of the British effort to undermine communist Cuba was to encourage the spread of homophobic rumors about Raúl Castro.  

Ada Ferrer on the Missed Opportunity to Influence Cuba's Future for the Better

Ada Ferrer, author of the new "Cuba: An American History" discusses the entanglement of the two nation's histories and how the Biden administration might approach Cuba at a moment of transition. 

The U.S. Should Look to Cuba for Hurricane Mitigation

by Mikael Wolfe

Despite the comparatively meager resources available in the island nation, Cuba's civil defense systems, developed during the Cold War, have been remarkably successful in mitigating mass death and displacement from hurricanes. 

The US Should be Wary of Interfering in Cuba

by Joseph J. Gonzalez

Young Cuban protesters may be forming a revolutionary generation. They may succeed in advancing democracy if the US can resist the historical temptation to interfere.

5 Ways Americans Misunderstand Cuba

by Caroline McCulloch

Both the Cuban government's censorship and many Americans' nationalistic perspective hinder an accurate understanding of even the basic history and politics of the Cuban-American relationship. 

Haiti, Cuba, and the History of U.S. Involvement in the Caribbean (Virtual Event July 29)

Michael J. Bustamante and Alyssa Goldstein Sepinwall are featured in a discussion of American intervention in the Caribbean and its relationship to current turmoil in Haiti and Cuba. July 29, 2:00 PM. 

Cubans Took to the Streets in 1994, Too

by Rozzmery Palenzuela Vicente

Since the Clinton administration, decreased willingness by the US to accept Cuban migrants as political refugees has eliminated a significant safety valve against dissent on the island – encouraging Cuban dissidents to leave. This may make current protests more enduring and possibly more effective. 

60 Years Later: The Enduring Legacy of the Bay of Pigs Fiasco

by Stephen F. Knott

The failed invasion of Cuba by CIA-trained operatives at the Bay of Pigs set the Kennedy administration on a path of increasingly abusive covert operations against the communist regime, with consequences for US-Cuban relations and American foreign policy that still reverberate. 

My Brother’s Keeper

by Ada Ferrer

Historian Ada Ferrer offers her own family history of separation and reunification around the Cuban revolution. 

The Cuban Revolution Explains Why Younger Cuban Americans Supported Trump

by William Kelly

The collapse of revolutionary ideology and wrenching economic transition in Cuba has influenced younger Cuban emigres to embrace individualistic and materialistic politics that align with Republican candidates and Donald Trump.

Venezuela Failed Raid: US Has a History of Using Mercenaries to Undermine Other Regimes

by Andrew Thomson

The arrest of Silvercorp mercenaries in Venezuela echoes a long history of the U.S. government supporting private troops to overthrow foreign governments. 

Celia Sánchez Manduley: The Most Famous Woman You Have Never Heard Of

by Tiffany A. Sippial

The work to preserve and study the history of the Cuban Revolution and its contributors—like Celia Sánchez Manduley—is arduous but important. 

My 60 Years of Disappointment With Fidel Castro

by Enrique Krauze

Latin American, with few exceptions, they have refused to see the historical failure of the Cuban Revolution and the oppressive and impoverishing domination of their patriarch.

There’s More to Castro Than Meets the Eye

by Jonathan M. Hansen

The revolutionary leader fought for and defended the very democratic ideals his government would later suspend.

The Wolf’s Lair Attempts Transition From Tourist Trap to Educational Site

The Polish government has taken over ownership of the one-time nerve center of the Third Reich, ridding the site of paintball and pottery classes.

Why President Trump’s hard-line approach to Cuba is a mistake

by John Ermer

It opens the door to increased Russian influence on the island.