The United States and Cuba: From Closest Enemies to Distant Friends

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This timely book takes the historic restoration of diplomatic ties between Cuba and the United States in 2015 as the point of departure for a Cuban perspective on future relations. Tracing the history of the long and contentious relationship, Francisco Lpez Segrera analyzes the pre-revolutionary and Cold War periods as well as more recent changes within each nation and in the international environment that led to the diplomatic opening and the abandonment of regime change as the goal of U.S. policy. He considers factors such as the declining influence of hard-line Cuban exiles in the United States; almost universal calls from Latin America, Europe, and other U.S. allies for constructive diplomatic engagement; and the economic restructuring underway in Cuba following the crisis of the Special Period triggered by the collapse of the Soviet Union. The author also identifies conditions favoring further progress, as well as outstanding issues that may constitute bariersespecially the blockade, U.S. demands for a Western-style democracy in Cuba, and its refusal to return the Guantnamo naval base to Cuban sovereignty. Comparing the differing perceptions shaping policies on both sides, Lpez Segrera weighs the steps that will be necessary for the two countries to move toward full normalization.

Reviews

A valuable Cuban overview of the continuities and ruptures in the relationship between the United States and Cuba. Lpez Segreras generally optimistic and nuanced account brings the story right up to date with a discussion of the normalization announced on December 19, 2014, and the reestablishment of diplomatic relations in July 2015. In a field dominated by U.S. scholarship, this Cuban-centered analysis benefits from close access to key players in the islands foreign policy establishment. -- Barry Carr, La Trobe University, Australia

Author Bio

Francisco Lpez Segrera was permanent secretary and interim president of the Cuban Commission of UNESCO and deputy director of the Institute of International Relations, Havana, Cuba, where he is adjoint titular professor.