Title: The United States and Cuba : from closest enemies to distant friends /
Authors: López Segrera, Francisco, 1940-
Year: 2017
Subjects: Diplomatic relations.; United States Foreign relations Cuba.; Cuba Foreign relations United States.; Cuba; United States
Abstract: 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 Lopez 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 Guantanamo naval base to Cuban sovereignty. Comparing the differing perceptions shaping policies on both sides, Lopez Segrera weighs the steps that will be necessary for the two countries to move toward full normalization.
Contents: Historical Roots of the Cuban-U.S. Conflict From Colonialism to Neocolonialism (1510-1959). A chronology of the revolution -- From Eisenhower to Obama (1959-2015) -- Mutual Perceptions (1959-2015). Cuba's foreign policy (1959-2015) -- Different perceptions of the conflict -- From Close Enemies to Distant Friends. Main obstacles to resolution of the Cuban-U.S. conflict -- Main actors influencing U.S. policy toward Cuba -- Steps toward reestablishing diplomatic relations (2014-2015) -- Circumstances in the United States that facilitated the process -- Circumstances in Cuba that facilitated the process -- From reestablishing relations to full normalization -- Main areas for cooperation.