Cuba y sus lazos con América Latina y el Caribe: de la cuarentena diplomática hasta el ALBA y otras organizaciones multilaterales, 1959 – presente

Abstract

Cuba navigated between the two superpowers of the time, maintaining its option of an independent foreign policy, first during the three decades of Soviet support and then during the ‘Special Period” of extraordinary austerity and without military muscle. I distinguish three periods: A first period of revolutionary fervor comprising most of the 1960s, the following two decades of pragmatic diplomacy and the post-Cold War period of soft power, deploying medical brigades and medical facilities, literacy campaigns and its good offices during peace negotiations. Cuba played a leading role in the creation of alba, celac and other multilateral fora and normalized its relations with the United States. During the years of the pink tide the Cuban government enjoyed the sympathy of many Latin American countries and benefitted from strong economic support from Venezuela. But in the last few years the regional context considerably changed. At present it counts with less friendly countries and some of them confront deep internal crises.