Book Review: The Economic War Against Cuba by Salim Lamrani

Salim Lamrani - French academic and expert in US-Cuban relations - will be touring the UK in May to discuss his new book The Economic War Against Cuba. Full details of the tour can be found here and you can buy a copy of his excellent academic study ahead of his visit online now.

Salim Lamrani presents a comprehensive and systematic study of the United States’ economic sanctions against Cuba and the harm they cause the Cuban people. Lamrani delicately combines a heart-rending catalogue of human suffering with robust analysis – including the examination of official U.S. government documentation – as he considers the origins, provisions and legality of the blockade. He exposes the farcical nature of blockade legislation, one example being that the export of pianos to Cuba was deemed detriment to the interests and security of the United States.

The introduction expertly shows that the blockade is unique in terms of its length, thoroughness and sophistication. Whilst Washington has normalised relations with China and Vietnam, the blockade has been strengthened and applied retroactively and extra-territorially.

Lamrani exposes the ideological nature of the blockade and demonstrates how it originates from the United States’ historical desire to subjugate Cuba. The blockade’s initial justification was a dispute over compensation following the nationalisation of U.S. multi-national corporations after the triumph of the Revolution. Cuba agreed compensation with France, the UK, Canada and Spain – only the U.S. rejected the compensation process which adhered to all international standards and laws.

Throughout its fifty-year history, the validation for the blockade has changed. Reasons cited include: issues over compensation, Cuba’s alliance with the Soviet Union, Cuban intervention in African liberation movements and fabricated concerns over democracy and human rights. The chapter on economic sanctions from Eisenhower to Obama – which considers each President’s tenure individually – skilfully shows how the blockade has evolved and multi-layered sanctions have been imposed despite growing international condemnation. 

Further chapters consider the impact of sanctions on Cuban healthcare – which documents how the blockade causes the deaths of thousands of Cubans every year – and the extra-territorial application of the blockade. Lamrani references numerous examples of foreign banks and businesses being fined by the U.S. for trading with Cuba and showcases the various cases where U.S. law has superseded domestic law which makes it illegal to discrimination on grounds of race and nationality.

The extra-territorial nature of the blockade means an American tourist that smokes a Cuban cigar or drinks Havana Club anywhere in the world, “could be fined a million dollars and sentenced to ten years in prison” whilst a Cuban living abroad “cannot, theoretically, eat … at McDonald’s”. 

Finally, Lamrani highlights the growing American opposition to the blockade – whilst recognising the continuing influence of the vitriolic Cuba-American lobby – and considers the Cuban claim that the blockade is a “genocidel policy” with reference to supporting Articles from the Geneva Convention.

Lamrani’s book presents the concealed reality of an economic blockade which has cost the Cuban economy more than $751 billion and which particularly affects the most vulnerable people in Cuba. Over 70% of Cubans have lived in a climate of permanent economic hostility and the blockade remains “the main obstacle to Cuba’s national development as well as contrary to the UN Charter and international law”. 

At just under 100 pages, Lamrani’s study is accessible and engaging, however its relevance and erudition make it a timeless reference book and compulsory read for all activists. Lamrani expertly demonstrates that sanctions have totally failed in their objective, which is nothing less than the overthrow of the Cuban government.

Buy the book online now for just £12:45  (inc. p&p)

Books about Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara

Remembering Che – My Life With Che Guevara

In this touchingly affectionate book, Aleida March – Ché’s second wife – recalls a revolutionary romance tragically cut short by Ché’s execution in Bolivia by CIA-backed troops. From a young “girl from the sticks” hopelessly addicted to romantic fiction, Aleida joins the guerrilla struggle against Batista before falling in love with iconic revolutionary hero Ernesto ‘Ché’ Guevara.

Aleida – with tremendous passion and poignancy – conjures a remarkable picture of a remarkable man. Unlike most literature surrounding the subject, the book gives a truly unique insight into Ché’s personality and touching humour. Like all of us, he is a flawed human being, but he is underpinned by steely determination and selfless dedication.

It also gives the first detailed impression of the life and role of Aleida March herself. Her strength and courage is exemplified – not just by her role bringing up four children with an absent father – but the crucial part she played establishing and developing the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) which is now the biggest NGO in the whole of Latin America.

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Who Killed Che? How the CIA got away with murder

This book presents fascinating new evidence which joins the dots between the role of the Bolivian armed forces and the CIA in the events leading to Che Guevara’s murder on 9th October 1967, nearly 24 hours after his capture.

The CIA began a file in July 1956, identifying “Che” as a key political figure and charted his movements from Cuba via the Congo to Bolivia. Despite their antipathy, Che’s personality and political qualities come through even these CIA files.

The account of Che’s capture is well documented but this book contains evidence of direct CIA involvement and places one of their agents at the scene of his murder consulting with the highest authorities in the administration. This is the “smoking gun” that puts them on the spot.

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Travelling with Che Guevara – The Making of a Revolutionary

In 1952, young doctor Alberto Granado, set off from Cordoba in Argentina and travelled through Chile, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela by motorbike, with him was a medical student named Ernesto Guevara.

Along the way they came across shocking levels of poverty and exploitation of the native population which had a massive effect on both men. This is the beginning of a tale in which Granado commits himself to medicine on his continent, and Ernesto becomes Che, Cuban revolutionary and Latin American hero.

Published for the first time in English, this partner to Che's Motorcycle Diaries is a moving and often hilarious story of how two carefree young men came of age and found their true purpose in life.

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Che in Verse

Complex and charismatic, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara has been immortalised in popular culture as the archetypal, self-sacrificing rebel with a cause. His martyr's death in October 1967 transformed him into the poster-boy of revolution - and also inspired poets and songwriters the world over to put pen to paper.

Che in Verse reproduces 134 of the finest poems and songs from 53 countries about or referring to this enigmatic Argentine-Cuban revolutionary. It examines how Che was celebrated or remembered from before his death at the hands of the CIA-backed Bolivian army to the present day. And it explores why Guevara - himself a gun-toting poet - has achieved a level of sanctification comparable to Christ.

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Books by Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara

The Motorcycle Diaries

These diaries were written by Che during his 1952 motorcycle odyssey through Latin America with his friend Alberto Granado as Guevara is transformed and politicised by the injustice he witnesses.

During their travels, Guevara and Granado encounter the poverty of indigenous peasants: they witness a penniless couple forced onto the road because of their communist beliefs in Chile; the maltreatment of workers at a Chuquicamata copper mine; the segregation of dark-skinned peasants; and observe the division of society whilst volunteering on a leper colony in Peru. They also chase girls, drink too much and get into scrapes along the way – but it is the encounters with social injustice that help crystallise Guevara’s belief in egalitarianism and a pan-Latin American identity.

Had Guevara’s life not become entwined in revolutionary adventure, this would have been the journey of a lifetime. As the Times described it, the Motorcycle Diaries is “Easy Rider meets Das Kapital”.

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Latin America Diaries

This book is another riveting instalment of the life and times of Che Guevara as he travels Latin America and becomes increasingly involved in political struggles from 1953. It is a sequel to the Motorcycle Diaries and provides an enjoyable and fascinating look at the development of a revolutionary hero.

His second trip through the continent reveals the emergence of a revolutionary icon, captured in these writings - his diary entries, poetry, journalism and letters. Together they document his life after leaving medical school, travelling through Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador and his witnessing of the US-inspired coup in Guatemala before travelling to Mexico where he encounters Fidel Castro.

As a writer, Che had the ability bring to life sights, sounds, emotions; elicit feelings of romance, laughter, even tears. This book makes clear Che’s humour, passion for life and love of people.

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Reminiscences of Cuban Revolutionary War

This autobiographical book by Che Guevara documents his experiences during the Cuban Revolution. First published in 1963, it was a compilation of articles by Che that originally appeared in Verde Olivo, the weekly publication of Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces.

This collection of memories conveys the excitement, zeal, possibilities, problems and limitations of Guevara's "guerrilla warfare" strategy as it was practiced in the Sierra Maestra. It is brimming with battlefield action as it examines how the popular war transformed a nation and follows Che’s own transition from troop doctor to world famous revolutionary leader.

It features a preface by Che’s daughter, Aleida Guevara, and a new translation with Che’s own corrections incorporated into the text for the first time, this edition also contains extraordinary photographs of the period.  

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Guerrilla Warfare

This classic account of the motivations and justifications of revolution forms the basis of Che’s theory of guerrilla warfare. It was written after the Cuban Revolution and soon became the guidebook for thousands of guerrilla fights in across the world. As well as being used as a manual for revolutionary struggle, it has been studied by counter-revolutionary military schools to inform counter-insurgency strategy.

Guevara stresses the need for an underpinning political motivation to guerrilla methods, organisation and supply. He emphasisez that guerrilla warfare is a favourable method only against totalitarian regimes where political opposition and civil struggle is impossible to conduct.

Guevara dedicated the book to his recently deceased comrade Camilo Cienfuegos, "who should have read and corrected it, but whose fate prevented him from carrying out the task."
With an introduction by Marc Becker, this is more than an instruction guide to founding a guerrilla movement, it is a work that sets out the faith necessary for political action, it showcases Che’s own idealism and gives the best insight into Guevarist political philosophy and military strategy.

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African Dream – Diaries of the Revolutionary War in the Congo

The African Dream follows Che’s attempts to spread the fight against U.S. imperialism to Africa. This extraordinary diary records in minute and often humorous detail Guevara’s experiences with a Cuban guerrilla force in the eastern Congo between April and November 1965. In his own opinion, the adventure was a fiasco and this book is an unvarnished account of what he saw as flaws in the Congolese revolutionaries he met and his own military strategy. 

The differing splits and factions in the Congolese resistance characterises the ethnic in-fighting that has effected the whole world and, in particularly, this region of Africa. Che’s frustration at the lack of success with his task becomes obvious, but one must not diminish the importance of how much the Cubans learnt from their experiences in the Congo, in relation to their later international successes.
This special edition contains a beautiful foreword by Aleida Guevara March, the daughter of Che Guevara plus 8 pages of stunning photos.

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The Bolivian Diary

Che Guevara’s famous last diary – found in his backpack after he was captured by the Bolivian Army and assassinated by CIA-backed troops in 1967 – played a pivotal role in catapulting him to iconic status after his death.

This fascinating diary is the remarkable and ultimately tragic account of the Bolivian Liberation Army and Che’s attempts to forge a revolutionary movement of workers and peasants against the military dictatorship. The book is a sobering account of the drudgery, fear and monotony of guerrilla warfare. Much of the diary is taken up with the preoccupations of basic survival in primitive conditions. There are some wonderful moments, such as commandeering a jeep and running it on the urine of his guerrillas, but ultimately this period will be remembered for Che’s tragic death which enshrined him as a martyr of the radical Left.

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Book Review: Remembering Ché – My Life With Che Guevara, Aleida March

In this touchingly affectionate book, Aleida March – Ché’s second wife – recalls a revolutionary romance tragically cut short by Ché’s execution in Bolivia by CIA-backed troops.  From a young “girl from the sticks” hopelessly addicted to romantic fiction, Aleida joins the guerrilla struggle against Batista before falling in love with iconic revolutionary hero Ernesto ‘Ché’ Guevara. 

Their first encounter – deep in the Escambray Mountains – involves Ché removing a secret package of supplies and money strapped to Aleida’s torso. Whilst Ché confessed he suspected her of being sent to “monitor him because of his reputation as a communist,” Aleida found Ché’s “penetrating gaze rather intriguing”. It is not long before Ché is serenading Aleida with poetry as they cavort through battlefields.

Aleida – with tremendous passion and poignancy – conjures a remarkable picture of a remarkable man. Unlike most literature surrounding the subject, the book gives a truly unique insight into Ché’s personality and touching humour. Like all of us, he is a flawed human being, but he is underpinned by steely determination and selfless dedication.

It also gives the first detailed impression of the life and role of Aleida March herself. Her strength and courage is exemplified – not just by her role bringing up four children with an absent father – but the crucial part she played establishing and developing the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) which is now the biggest NGO in the whole of Latin America. No other organisation has done more to champion and advance the role of women in Cuban society. Furthermore, she succeeded in raising her family – according to the frugal ideals she shared with Ché – as ordinary Cubans. She went on to institute the Ché Guevara Studies Centre in Santa Clara and, to this day, remains its Director. 

The book gives a fresh perspective on decisive historical events – such as the Battle of Santa Clara – and illustrates the qualities of Ché’s leadership. Correspondence between Ché and his family and between Ché and Fidel help deepen understanding of Ché’s revolutionary sojourns in the Congo and Bolivia. When Aleida’s narrative requires further clarification, helpful footnotes explain the historical significance. 

Letters and poems sent between Ché and Aleida are peppered throughout the book and reveal Ché’s psychological state as he endeavours to export revolution. In a remarkable short story, The Stone, written in the Congo and reproduced in full here, Ché predicts: “I would decompose on the grass or they might exhibit me”. The precise foreshadow is truly chilling.

One hundred priceless photographs from family albums – many published here for the first time – illustrate the story and add further depth to our understanding of Ché. One particular photo shows Ché disguised as the balding “old uncle Ramón” with his four children in 1966. It tragically captures the last time Ché saw his beloved family.

As Ché once wrote: “At the risk of seeming ridiculous, the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality.” This book provides an authentic insight into Ché’s love – for the world’s dispossessed, popular revolution and his treasured family.

Buy it now for just £12.99 from our Cuba Connect website

Che and Aleida’s daughter – Dr. Aleida Guevara March – will be touring the U.K. in September. Catch her at a venue near you - full details here

Obama and the Empire, by Fidel Castro

Obama and the Empire is a collection of Castro’s Reflections of Comrade Fidel column in the Cuban Communist Party’s daily newspaper. The period covered spans from Obama’s Presidential campaign in 2008 to mid-2010. As an anthology of newspaper features, many of the articles vary in terms of breadth and detail, but Castro provides a compelling critique of Obama and the United States which is not present in mainstream Western media.

The Cuban Revolution in the 21st Century, by George Lambie

This is a monumental work describing how the destiny of the Cuban revolution is now inextricably linked to the mounting world resistance to neoliberal globalisation. Over five chapters George Lambie covers in detail (there are over 30 pages of references) the background to globalisation, western liberal democracy, the Cuban revolution, its beginnings, crises and future. To understand why Cuba can survive he delves into the ideological formation of capitalism to reveal its weaknesses and contradictions.

Cuba: A History, by Sergio Guerra Viaboy & Oscar Loyola Vega

A book that does exactly what it says on the tin, or at least the front cover, 'Cuba: A History' is a slim volume that sets out the what, where, when and who of Cuban history from 1492-2008.

Five hundred years are packed into just over 100 pages of clear and concise narrative on the pivotal events and people that shaped the island.