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A Changing Cuba in a Changing World Compiled by Mauricio A. Font Bildner Publication Changing Cuba/ Changing World Compiled by Mauricio A. Font With the assistance of John Arias and Jackie Slater The Cuba Project Bildner Center for Western Hemisphere Studies Copyright © 2008 by Bildner Center for Western Hemisphere Studies Published by Bildner Center for Western Hemisphere Studies The Graduate Center, The City University of New York 365 Fifth Avenue Suite #5209, New York, New York, 10016 All Rights Reserved iii iv Contents List of Figures vi List of Tables viii Acknowledgements ix 1. Introduction Editors 1 2. Ideology and Power in the Cuban State Stephen Wilkinson 11 3. Epistemic Organic Intellectuals Anthony P. Maingot 23 4. Cuba and Castro: Beyond the “Battle of Ideas” Mauricio A. Font 43 5. Batalla de Ideas: Old Ideology in New Clothes? Antoni Kapcia 73 6. What the Cuban Revolution Means to Older Cubans David L. Strug 89 7. Symbolic Emancipation in Authoritarian Cuba Marie Laure Geoffray 103 8. How Revolutions Justify Themselves Enrique S. Pumar 121 9. Bound to Outlast? Education for Socialism Salomon Berman 137 10. FAR from Perfect: The Military and Corporatism Brenden M. Carbonell 175 11. After Fidel: Mechanisms of Regime Change Andreas Pickel 201 12. The US Strategy for Transition in Cuba Gary H. Maybarduk 225 13. Cuba and the US in a Sandbox: Cuban Funny Papers Sara E. Cooper 235 14. EU-Cuba Relations Denis Baresch 267 15. Cuba’s Medical Diplomacy Julie M. Feinsilver 273 16. Rethinking Socialism in Today’s Latin America Ted Goertzel 287 17. A Contribution to the Assessment of a Changing Cuba Claudia Kaiser-Lenoir 295 v 18. Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourist Development Hilary Becker 315 19. Cuba’s New Export Commodity: A Framework Orlando Pérez and Angela T. Haddad 327 20. Dollarization, Distortion, and the Transformation of Work Emma Phillips 345 21. Cuban Remittance Agencies from the US: A Survey Mario A. González Corzo and Scott Larson 361 22. State Agenda and Race Alejandro Campos-Garcia 375 23. Benjamin no llegó a la Habana Rafael Rojas 393 24. Fernando Ortiz: Pensamiento y acción Judith Salermo Izquierdo 413 25. Japanese and Okinawan Cubans Ryan Masaaki Yokota 429 26. Eduardo Chibás: Incorrigible Man of Cuban Politics Ilan Ehrlich 447 27. La Biblioteca Nacional, Culture and Politics Carlos Riobó 471 28. Independent Medical Juntas in Colonial Cuba, 1820-43 Marianne Samayoa 483 29. Globalization in the Contemporary Cuban Art World Natania Remba 501 30. Cuba’s Globalized Art World and Evolving Art Market Darrel Couturier 523 31. Reinaldo Arenas: The Sexual Politics of a Queer Activist Rafael Ocasio 527 32. El cine cubano sale de viaje Alfredo A. Fernandez 539 33. Porno para Ricardo: “Rock, Analchy and Transition” Laura García Freyre 549 34. Staging the Revolution: Cuba’s Theatrical Perspectives Yael Prizant 561 35. ‘Los Novísimos’ and Cultural Institutions Lauren E. Shaw 571 Appendix: The Conference 581 Authors 589 vi Figures 4-1. Mentions of US and other countries in F. Castro’s Reflexiones 57 13-1. La leche del vaca 248 13-2. Bromas de la intervención 248 13-3. Panorama de un campamento Yanqui 249 13-4. FBI and CIA Piglets 249 13-5. Kennedy with baby Rómulo Betancourt 250 13-6. Uncle Sam’s Brothel 250 13-7. U.S. Mascot in the Boxing Ring 251 13-8. Girón, Jirones 251 13-9. President Kennedy Superman 252 13-10. Kennedy: Food for Peace 252 13-11. Pueblo vs. imperialismo: Una partida clásica (Final Square) 253 13-12. Pueblo vs. imperialismo: Una partida clásica (Final Square) 253 13-13. El Tiburón... y el Caimán 254 13-14. Bush in an Exploding Boot 254 13-15. Uncle Sam and Bio-fuel 255 13-16. World Wrestles Gangster for Corn 255 13-17. Ethanol-Fueled Limousine 256 13-18. Talking Head of Corn 256 13-19. Bush’s Plan for Cuba 257 13-20. Bush Rides Dinosaur, Bloqueo 257 13-21. Bloqueo (Lacoste) 258 13-22. Bloqueo (Pedreira) 258 13-23. Bloqueo (Nico) 259 13-24. Bloqueo (José Luis) 259 13-25. Bloqueo (Míriam) 260 13-26. Bloqueo (Wilson) 260 13-27. Bush Sweeping Coffins 261 13-28. Fleeing Soldiers, Bush’s War Lies 261 13-29. Terrorist or Human Rights Warrior 262 13-30. Uncle Sam Lurking Behind Globe, Mural 262 13-31. Chupa-petróleo [Oil-Sucker] 263 13-32. Robando petróleo [Stealing Oil] 263 13-33. Alien 264 13-34. Dale un chance al planeta 264 vii 18-1. Beach Erosion 317 18-2. Deforestation 318 18-3. Moka Hotel Complex 320 18-4. Process for Sustainable Tourism in Tourist Destinations (ACS) 322 21-1. Cuban Remittances Forwarding Agencies (RFs) by State 365 21-2. Cuban Remittance Forwarding Agencies (RFs) by City (Cities of 3 or More RFs) 366 21-3. Relationship Between Concentration of Cuban RF Agencies for U.S. Cities with 3 or More RFs 367 29-1. Los problemas del peso (Weight [Money] Problems), 1996. Sandra Ramos 511 29-2. Los cuc del coloso (The CUC from the Colossus), 1996. Sandra Ramos 512 29-3. Quizás hasta deba partirme en dos (Perhaps I Should Split in Two), 1993. Sandra Ramos 512 29-4. ¡Esto no hay quien lo arme! (No One Can Assemble This!), 1999. Abel Barroso 513 29-5. La República y el capital extranjero (The Republic and Foreign Capital), 1994. Abel Barroso 513 29-6. Celular-cuchilla multipropósito (Multipurposehandy), 2000. Abel Barroso 514 29-7. Sin título 3 (Untitled 3), 2000. Abel Barroso 514 29-8. Sin título 4 (Untitled 4), 2000. Abel Barroso 515 29-9. Café Internet Tercer Mundo (Third World Internet Café), 2000. Abel Barroso 515 29-10. Café Internet Tercer Mundo (Third World Internet Café), 2000. Abel Barroso 516 29-11. Obsession, from the series Tiempos Nuevos (New Times), 1996. José Angel Toirac 517 29-12. Malboro, from the series Tiempos Nuevos (New Times), 1996. José Angel Toirac 517 29-13. Guerrillero Heroico (Heroic Guerrilla), 1960. Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez (Korda) 518 29-14. Apple part of A Brief History of Cuba as Told by Other Events, 2001. Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez (Korda) 518 ix 29-15. Sin título (La Internacional), [Untitled (The International)], 2005. Carlos Garaicoa 519 29-16. Sin título (The Republic), [Untitled (The Epoch)], 2005. Carlos Garaicoa 519 29-17. Sin título (La gran Vía), [Untitled (The Grand Boulevard)], 2005. Carlos Garaicoa 520 29-18. Sin título (La Época), [Untitled (The Epoch)], 2005. Carlos Garaicoa 520 Tables 3-1. Scholarly Sources Used by the Reformist Economists, Number of References 38 3-2. Cuban Scholars with Written Papers. Latin American Studies Association Congress 2007. Montreal, Canada 40 4-1. “Battle of Ideas” and Related Themes 48 4-2. United States Frecuencies 67 4-3. Country Frecuencies 68 4-4. World Frecuencies 69 21-1. Cuban Remittances Forwarding Agencies (RFs) by State 364 21-2. Cuban Remittances Forwarding Agencies (RFs) by City (Cities with 3 or More RFs) 366 21-3. Estimated Costs of Sending Remittances to Cuba Using Data Collected in our Survey 369 21-4. Cuba: Remittances Delivery Times 370 xi Acknowledgments This volume is a collaborative effort in which each chapter and respective authors’ research and analysis furthers the study of a diverse array of issues in a current Cuba. A large number of organizations and individuals need to be thanked for their support of the Changing Cuba/Changing World conference and this volume. The long list would need to start with the faculty and students at the City University of New York in the orga- nizing committee, the conference participants and the contributing authors featured in this volume, and the Bildner Center and Cuba Project staff. The list of organizers includes Jerry Carlson, Raquel Chang-Rodri- guez, Margaret Crahan, Ilan Ehrlich, Sujathat Fernandes, Ted Henken, Ana Maria Hernandez, Kathy Lopez, Alfonso Quiroz, Carlos Riobo, Araceli Tinajero. Araceli Tinajero and Ted Henken worked with me in the conference executive committee. The conference would not have been possible without financial sup- port from the Christopher Reynolds Foundation, the Office of the Vice- Chancellor at the City University of New York, the Graduate Center, Queens College, and Julien Studley. Staff at the Cuba Project and the Bildner Center worked hard to make the conference a success. Thanks to Janaina Saad, John Freeman, John Arias, Hernan Giraldo, Astrid Guerrero, and David Jancsics. Jackie Slater and Jacob Lederman helped proof read and lay out the volume. xii Introduction Editors This volume includes papers originally discussed at the symposium, “A Changing Cuba in a Changing World” (The Graduate Center, City Uni- versity of New York, March, 2008). The conference featured a wide range of scholars and panelists working on contemporary Cuba (Appen- dix). The essays in this collection explore various aspects of change in today’s Cuba, including politics and economics, history, culture and the arts, and race and ethnicity.1 Fidel Castro’s incapacitation in July 2006 gave a special significance to this conference. Initially declared temporary, the health problems of the older Castro led to the official transfer of the presidency to Raúl Castro on February 2008. Many expected that the younger Castro’s ascension to the presidency would bring about an acceleration of the reform process or even a transition. Indeed, some measured changes were announced in early 2008. The new head of state has implemented a few relatively mod- est reforms—such as allowing more cultivation by private farmers and the general population’s access to mobile phones and personal computers. But Raúl Castro moved cautiously. A bill to replace the pay scale from one based on egalitarianism toward another based on productivity and merit moved slowly.