We Are Cuba!: How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World

by Helen Yaffe

Overview

The extraordinary account of the Cuban people’s struggle for survival in a post-Soviet world

In the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba faced the start of a crisis that decimated its economy. Helen Yaffe examines the astonishing developments that took place during and beyond this period. Drawing on archival research and interviews with Cuban leaders, thinkers, and activists, this book tells for the first time the remarkable story of how Cuba survived while the rest of the Soviet bloc crumbled.
 
Yaffe shows how Cuba has been gradually introducing select market reforms. While the government claims that these are necessary to sustain its socialist system, many others believe they herald a return to capitalism. Examining key domestic initiatives including the creation of one of the world’s leading biotechnological industries, its energy revolution, and medical internationalism alongside recent economic reforms, Yaffe shows why the revolution will continue post-Castro.

This is a fresh, compelling account of Cuba’s socialist revolution and the challenges it faces today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300230031
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	04/06/2020
Pages:	380
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Helen Yaffe is a lecturer in economic and social history at the University of Glasgow. Her teaching focuses on Latin American and Cuban development. Since 1995, she has spent time living and researching in Cuba. Her doctoral thesis was adapted for publication as Che Guevara: The Economics of Revolution in 2009 and she is the co-author of Youth Activism and Solidarity: The Non-stop Picket- Against Apartheid, 2017. She regularly provides commentary on Cuba for the mainstream media.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables vi

Acknowledgements vii

Introduction 'Somos Cuba! Somos Continuidad!' 1

1 The Challenge of (Socialist) Development 13

2 Surviving the Crisis: The Special Period 37

3 Fidel Castro's Citizens' Army: The Battle of Ideas 69

4 Power to the People: The Energy Revolution 95

5 The Curious Case of Cuba's Biotech Revolution 120

6 Cuban Medical Internationalism: An Army of White Coats 147

7 Cuba and the United States: Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose? 175

8 Raul Castro's Reforms: Socialist Efficiency or Capitalist Opening? 204

9 The Cuban Tightrope: Between the Plan and the Market 231

10 Surviving into the Post-rapprochement Period 256

Interviews and Selected Talks 279

Notes 281

Further Reading 334

Index 341

Editorial Reviews

A timely and compelling exploration of the Cuban revolution . . . offering both a comprehensive understanding of the country’s history and political-economic development as well as a compelling argument for its continued relevance in today’s global landscape.”—Corinna Mullen, Science and Society
“An insightful analysis of the political economy of Cuba’s socialist development strategy and the struggle to balance the need for growth with the commitment to social justice that has been a hallmark of the revolution since 1959.”—William LeoGrande, coauthor of Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana

“With her eye for all manner of detail and her ability to read Cuba well, Yaffe has given us a valuable analysis of the recent reforms in Cuba, placing them within their historical and ideological context. . . . It is a welcome contribution to our understanding of it all.”—Antoni Kapcia, author of Cuba: Island of Dreams

“Yaffe’s book on the last thirty years of the Cuban Revolution explains why, in the absence of the two Castro brothers, it has not just survived but pioneered new forms of socialism suitable for the 21st century.”—Richard Gott, author of Cuba: A New History

“Yaffe has lived in Cuba and shares the experiences, concerns and hopes of the Cuban people. . . . Written with clarity and flair, this book will help you understand how and why Cuba will survive in a post-Trump world.”—Ricardo Alarcón, former president of the Cuban National Assembly and representative at the United Nations

“While presenting Cuba’s shortcomings and problems in the same way as she presents its impressive achievements, Yaffe has written the story of a people trying to build a more humane society.”—Al Campbell, Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Utah

From the Publisher