POWER PLAYS: THE ROLE OF SPORTS IN CUBA’S HEALTHCARE REVOLUTION By HEATHER LEE GONYEAU A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2018 © 2018 Heather Lee Gonyeau To Lauren and Morgan ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am eternally grateful to the Department of History at the University of Florida for funding my research. The opportunithy to work and study alongside incredible colleagues and scholars has been both humbling and inspiring. I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Heather Vrana, for her guidance in this process. Her enthusiasm and optimism are always appreciated. I am grateful for Dr. Jeffery Needell and Dr. Paul Ortiz for their time and dedication as members of my committee. Dr. Lillian Guerra served as a mentor and her expertise on Cuba propelled much of the earliest drafts of this research. I am thankful for the librarians at the Latin American Collection who generously offered assistance throughout my studies. Finally, I would like to thank my parents Robert and Brenda Gonyeau for instilling in me a love of learning. I would not be here without their support, love, and encouragement. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...............................................................................................................4 LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................6 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..........................................................................................................7 ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................8 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................10 2 INCORPORATING THE CORPORAL: THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF SPORTS AND MEDICINE ...................................................................................................22 Sports Pre-Revolution .............................................................................................................23 Sport Under Socialism ............................................................................................................24 Revolutionizing Healthcare ....................................................................................................30 3 ¿POR QUÉ LA MASIVIDAD? FOSTERING A CULTURE OF WELLNESS ...................35 Creating Cultura Física ..........................................................................................................36 Effects of Sports on Social and Physical Health ....................................................................47 4 CREATING CHAMPIONS ADVANCEMENTS IN SPORTS MEDICINE ........................58 Sports and Medicine in the Public Sphere ..............................................................................59 Victories in Science and Sport ................................................................................................62 Sports and Medical Internationalism ......................................................................................64 5 CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................67 LIST OF REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................70 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .........................................................................................................76 5 LIST OF FIGURES Figure page 2-1 A diagram from a youth pamphlet depicting the Cuban athletic structure. .......................26 2-2 The children’s magazine Pioneros ran public health content like this graph showing the amount of air necessary for physical exercise. ............................................................33 2-3 An infographic from Verde Olivo compares cancer rates in males and females. ..............34 2-4 The differences in this cartoon from Verde Olivo correspond to breaches of hygiene norms in the kitchen. ..........................................................................................................34 3-1 Chess and Checkers exercises found in the monthly sports publication Deportes. ...........38 3-2 An article in the periodical Verde Olivo promotes teaching children to swim with the caption; "Like a Fish in Water" .........................................................................................41 3-3 This infographic quantifies the increase of female participants in masividad and in international competitions like the Olympics, the Pan-American Games, and the Central American Games. ..................................................................................................45 3-4 A notice in Verde Olivo warns about the "invisible war" against bacteria. .......................49 3-5 Mothers to be debate if their children will be track champions or soccer stars. ................55 6 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS BNJM Biblioteca Nacional José Martí José Martí National Library CDR Comités de Defensa de la Revolución Committees for the Defense of the Revolution CVD Consejos Deportivos Voluntarios Voluntary Sports Councils EIDE Escuelas Initiativas Deportivas Escolares Sports Initiation Schools EIEFD Escuela Internacional de Educación Física International School of Physical y Deporte Education and Sports ESPA Escuela Superior de Perfeccionamiento Superior School for Athletic Atlético Perfection FMC Federación de Mujeres Cubanas Federation of Cuban Women INDER Institución Nacional de Deportes, National Institute of Sports, Educación Física y Recreación Physical Education and Recreation IMD Instituto de Medicina del Deporte de Cuba Sports Medicine Institute of Cuba LPV Listos Para Vencer Ready to Win MINSAP Ministerio de Salud Pública Ministery of Public Health SNS Sistema Nacional de Salud National Health System UJC Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas de Cuba Union of Young Communists of Cuba 7 Abstract of Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts POWER PLAYS: THE ROLE OF SPORTS IN CUBA’S HEALTHCARE REVOLUTION By Heather Lee Gonyeau December 2018 Chair: Heather Vrana Major: History In 1982, Fidel Castro announced his goal for Cuba to be recognized as an international medical power, or potencia médica. In the two decades since the Cuban Revolution, the government had reorganized the national health system and expanded medical care in an effort to raise the nation’s health indicators. Official speeches and national archives show that an intense amount of planning, resources, and time went into creating and sustaining national interest in health and wellness. This thesis proposes that the Cuban state promoted physical exercise and mass athletic participation as a means of furthering its medical ambitions. Establishing a culture of fitness could raise the population’s overall health, prevent curable diseases, and improve life expectancy. In other words, recreation was the key to unlocking Cuba’s medical potential. Health, discipline, and fitness became embedded in revolutionary dialogues of citizenship. State institutions in sports and medicine collaborated on initiatives in public health, preventative medicine, and general wellbeing. Looking at health through the lens of fitness not only elucidates these collaborations, it reveals the Cuban government’s ability to effectively unify the population towards common goals with significant benefits for the state and citizens alike. By the early 1970s, Cuban statistics in health and international competitive sports indicate notable achievements, whether by Latin American or general international standards. While undercut by 8 the economic effects of Soviet Collapse, sports and medicine remain important measures of the intent and successes of Cuba’s revolutionary policies. 9 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Sports must not be viewed simply as physical activity. Rather, they must be seen in the context of man and his environment; sports must come to be a symbol of well-being and health, helping future generations to appreciate the true value of work and study.1 -Rolando Lahera, February 13, 1977 In 2005, the World Health Organization reported the life expectancy in Cuba at 79 years. This was on par with the United States.2 To some, this statistic might seem like a mistake—but to others, it was a miracle. How did a tiny, capital-poor island with a population roughly the size of Ohio come to have some of the world’s most impressive health indicators in infant mortality, disease eradication, and maternal care? One key to Cuba’s success may lie with a rigorous set of social reforms in healthcare, fitness and education, which were enacted by the Cuban state in the 1960s and 70s. The medical sector experienced its own revolution as the country underwent massive transformations to increase the scope, accessibility, and sophistication of the health system. Official speeches and national archives show that an intense amount of planning, resources, and time went into creating and sustaining national interest in health and wellness. This thesis examines the government’s efforts to promote a culture of fitness that could improve the overall well-being of the Cuban population and aid its ambitions to become a medical power, or potencia médica.3 In the