The U.S. Response to Cuban and Puerto Rican Right-Wing Terrorism in the Pre and Post 9/11 Era

Abstract

This chapter explores the U.S. response to the terrorist actions carried out by Cuban exiles and Puerto Rican extreme right-wing organisations during the pre and post 9/11 era. Rooted in the perspective of the critical studies on terrorism, it takes as a point of departure the fact that after the Cuban Revolution, Puerto Rico (PR) became one of the main destinations of Cuban exiles and their terrorist organisations supported by both the U.S. and PR governments. The chapter is divided into three sections. The first section traces a depiction of the historical and socio-political conditions that determined the formation of Cubans exiles’ organisations in the U.S. The second section provides an outline of some of the terrorist actions perpetrated by these organisations against Puerto Rican independence movements. The third part addresses the positions and responses adopted by the governments of the U.S. and PR in the post 9/11 era. The overall aim of the chapter is to show how counter-terrorist policies implemented by democratic states in pre and post 9/11 are not equally effective or consistent when dealing with actions that contribute to their geopolitical interest and the control of left-wing and independent movements.