Eric Hershberg writes:

But the Cuban revolution is both highly institutionalised and considerably more flexible than its detractors care to admit. As Kapcia shows, there have been distinct cycles of crisis, debate and resolution, with relatively open discussion allowed in ruling circles. ‘Within the revolution, anything,’ was Fidel’s famous slogan, first articulated in the 1960s in regard to the role of intellectuals. This attitude fostered the revolution’s capacity for renewal, but also asserted the party’s incontestable supremacy. Any activity that could be construed as anti- revolutionary was in effect proscribed, particularly if it could be attributed to external forces or the Miami exiles: ‘Outside the revolution, nothing,’ was the second half of the slogan. Hundreds of political prisoners, not to mention many thousands of political exiles, can attest to the seriousness with which the regime has taken this principle.

(LRB 28 May 2009)

Reaktion | paperback 208 pp. |ISBN: 9781861894021