Capitalism didn’t happen here

: a historical perspective of why socialism prevails in modern day Cuba

Abstract

For the better half of this last century US-Cuba relations have taken an all-or-nothing approach in their foreign policy measures. Though only ninety miles separate the nations, for better or for worse limited engagement has been made in recent years. Fidel Castro’s victory of the Cuban Revolution of 1959 overthrew military dictator, Fulgencio Batista out of power. This event led to not only to a shift in leadership, but to the adoption of a new economic model and form of governance. Cuba’s move to socialism while establishing close diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War, posed a threat to democracy and the capitalist system in the United States of America. Ideological differences coupled with Cuba’s close relation ship with its Soviet allies became a main point of contention with the United States, thus creating the US-Cuba antagonism that still exists today. This study examines how socialism in Cuba has been able to endure over sixty years of coercive diplomacy efforts issued through United States foreign policy measures. Having explored this topic extensively from a historical perspective, I examine key events using various theoretical frameworks to explain why the US-Cuba dynamic exists inits present form. I also explore the faults and triumphs of the Cuban socialist revolution in its fight to maintain legitimacy in the face of the larger capitalist world-economy. The theoretical frameworks I use cover the concepts of democratization theory, crisis management, group think dynamics, and coercive diplomacy efforts, all while considering differing ideological perspectives in capitalist and socialist societies. I argue that policy change, starting with lifting US economic imposed sanctions is the only effective means of respecting Cuban sovereignty.

Date of Award	30 May 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Orlando Samões (Supervisor)