ON CUBA

A book-length essay on the history of Cuba-U.S. relations.

On a visit to Havana, Prashad received a book from famed Cuban singer Silvio Rodriguez to deliver to Prashad’s friend and fellow scholar Chomsky. The gift sparked a conversation between Prashad and Chomsky, co-authors of The Withdrawal, which they transcribed and edited to create this book. Despite the general title, the text mostly focuses on Cuban resistance to U.S. aggression. “We cannot think of another case like this in world history,” they write, “of a small country practically engulfed by the world’s most powerful state, which is trying to destroy it, yet managed to survive—and not only survive but succeed in many ways.” With a population smaller than that of greater New York City, Cuba’s status as “a threat to be contained” feels disproportionate to its size. Additionally, its enviable health and education outcomes, as well as its intervention in struggles like those against apartheid South Africa, ought to position Cuba as a model of morality, rather than as an enemy. One of the main sources of the U.S. government’s animosity toward Cuba lies in the island’s refusal to fall in line with American economic interests, an impressive feat for such a tiny, underresourced country. The authors back their well-formed argument about the disturbing tone of U.S. aggression toward Cuba with little-known primary-source documents and extensive statistics about Cuba’s contributions to the globe and, in particular, the global South. At times, the writers sugarcoat Cuba’s flaws—e.g., dismissing the island’s homophobic history and the negative consequences of Fidel Castro’s narcissism. While disappointing, this lack of nuance is not enough to override the authors’ central argument, as they clearly demonstrate “the suffocation that the United States has tried to implement against Cuba.”

A strong, left-leaning history of the U.S. government’s long-standing vendetta against Cuba.