Dispatches from Havana: multiple paths to regime change in Cuba, 2006–2010

ABSTRACT

During the early twenty-first century, U.S. diplomats in Cuba helped Cuban dissidents mobilize opposition to the Cuban government. Journalists and scholars have shown that the diplomats aided the dissidents, but the literature has yet to fully incorporate details from the U.S. diplomatic cables that were published by WikiLeaks from 2010 to 2011. Nearly 500 cables in the WikiLeaks archive were written by U.S. diplomats in Havana between 2006 and 2010, a time of significant dissident activity. The cables show that the diplomats steered funding to the dissidents while trying to create a unified dissident movement backed by the international community. The cables reveal that the diplomats grew increasingly critical of the dissidents, particularly their failure to build an effective opposition movement. As the diplomats considered other options, they began focusing on Cuban bloggers. The diplomats’ goal was to create the conditions for the ouster of the Cuban government.

RESUMEN

A principios del siglo veintiuno, diplomáticos estadounidenses en Cuba ayudaron a disidentes cubanos a movilizar la oposición al gobierno cubano. Periodistas y académicos han demostrado que diplomáticos ayudaron a disidentes, pero la literatura disponible aún no ha incorporado completamente los detalles de los cables diplomáticos estadounidenses que fueron publicados por WikiLeaks del 2010 al 2011. Casi 500 cables en el archivo de WikiLeaks fueron escritos por diplomáticos estadounidenses en La Habana entre 2006 y 2010, una época de actividad disidente significativa. Los cables muestran que diplomáticos dirigieron financiación a disidentes mientras intentaban crear un movimiento disidente unificado respaldado por la comunidad internacional. Los cables revelan que los diplomáticos se volvieron cada vez más críticos con los disidentes, particularmente con su fracaso para construir un movimiento de oposición efectivo. Mientras los diplomáticos consideraban otras opciones, comenzaron a centrarse en los bloggers cubanos. El objetivo de los diplomáticos era crear las condiciones para el derrocamiento del gobierno cubano.

KEYWORDS:

• Cuba
• regime change
• dissidents
• bloggers
• exile community
• WikiLeaks

PALABRAS CLAVES:

• Cuba
• cambio de régimen
• disidentes
• bloggers
• comunidad de exiliados
• WikiLeaks

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Edward Hunt

Edward Hunt is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Regis College. He has taught at Babson College, Stonehill College, Worcester State University, the Wentworth Institute of Technology, and the College of William & Mary. He received his PhD in American Studies from the College of William & Mary. He writes about war and empire for independent news media.