The United States and Cuba

From Closest Enemies to Distant Friends

By (author) Francisco López Segrera

Publication date:

17 April 2017

Length of book:

140 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781442267213

This timely book takes the historic restoration of diplomatic ties between Cuba and the United States in 2015 as the point of departure for a Cuban perspective on future relations. Tracing the history of the long and contentious relationship, Francisco López Segrera analyzes the pre-revolutionary and Cold War periods as well as more recent changes within each nation and in the international environment that led to the diplomatic opening and the abandonment of regime change as the goal of U.S. policy. He considers factors such as the declining influence of hard-line Cuban exiles in the United States; almost universal calls from Latin America, Europe, and other U.S. allies for constructive diplomatic engagement; and the economic restructuring underway in Cuba following the crisis of the “Special Period” triggered by the collapse of the Soviet Union. The author also identifies conditions favoring further progress, as well as outstanding issues that may constitute barriers—especially the blockade, U.S. demands for a Western-style democracy in Cuba, and its refusal to return the Guantánamo naval base to Cuban sovereignty. Comparing the differing perceptions shaping policies on both sides, López Segrera weighs the steps that will be necessary for the two countries to move toward full normalization.

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Historical Roots of the Cuban-U.S. Conflict
Chapter 2: Mutual Perceptions (1959–2015)
Chapter 3: From Close Enemies to Distant Friends
Conclusion
Chronology

A valuable Cuban overview of the continuities and ruptures in the relationship between the United States and Cuba. López Segrera’s generally optimistic and nuanced account brings the story right up to date with a discussion of the normalization announced on December 19, 2014, and the reestablishment of diplomatic relations in July 2015. In a field dominated by U.S. scholarship, this Cuban-centered analysis benefits from close access to key players in the island’s foreign policy establishment.