The Cuban Revolution is one of the great events of human history. The small island was completely dominated by US imperialism until the revolution of 1959 shattered the Batista dictatorship and introduced a nationalised planned economy in the years following the revolution. Since then impressive achievements in health care and education have been met with loud shouts of "dictatorship" from the bourgeois press. What was the background to the revolution and why did it develop in the way that it did? Where is Cuba going today?
Jorge Martín, international secretary of Hands Off Venezuela, addressed a recent meeting of the ULU Marxist Society in London on the topic of the Latin American Revolution. The meeting took place in the midst of mobilisations in Mexico, a coup in Honduras and the extraordinary congress of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. For Marxists the unfolding revolution in Latin America is a great source of inspiration and lessons.
Jorge Martin, international secretary of the Hands Off Venezuela campaign and contributing writer to Marxist.com was interviewed on August 29 by Sylvia Richardson of the Canadian radio CJSF on her program "Latin Waves." Topics discussed include the coup in Honduras, the expansion of US military in Colombia, the so called "war on drugs" and "Plan Colombia".
The Workers' International League held its first National Marxist School over the weekend of June 13th and 14th. As part of the School, a public event was organized jointly with Hands Off Venezuela, to discuss the 50th Anniversary of the Cuban Revolution and the lessons for Latin America. Jorge Martin spoke on the Revolution and the lessons that revolutionaries can draw from it.