Cuba Libre? Not So Much. [S4, E15]

Altamar - Navigating the High Seas of Global Politics

Calls for freedom and change ring in Cuba as the country faced the most widespread, violent protests since 1959. What spurred these demonstrations and what lies in store for the island’s future?

Exhausted by food shortages, lack of opportunity, and a declining economy, protests exploded across the island as people – from novelists and singers to cooks and nurses – took to the streets to call for freedom from the authoritarian regime. The world was taken by surprise by the scope and size of the Cuban people’s defiance. Despite years of oppression and a complete lack of political freedom, Cubans don’t seem to merit more than a shrug from many Western governments. Why? The U.S.’ decades-long embargo hasn’t succeeded in isolating Cuba, but rather the U.S. Other countries – from Canada to Brazil, Spain, and China – have invested heavily for years on the island. The embargo has become the Havana authoritarian government’s favorite political crutch.

Altamar hosts Peter Schechter and Muni Jensen are joined by José Miguel Vivanco, Director of the Human Rights Watch’s Americas division and a clear voice in defense of human rights, to dig into the complexities of Cuba. Altamar’s ‘Téa’s Take’ by Téa Ivanovic discusses how social media allowed young Cubans to use the internet as a tool for protest.