Despite its deep economic crisis, Cuba retains an international influence greater than its material weight thanks to a broad network of governments, political parties, trade unions, and social organizations that support the regime.
The figure of the "American friend" continues to symbolize an unequal power relationship, from the Cold War to contemporary transatlantic and Latin American politics.
Washington is once again betting on a strategy that already failed more than six decades ago: using economic sanctions to force political change in Cuba. Yet, while it seeks to isolate the regime, it also hampers reforms and pushes Havana closer to China.
Far from disappearing, the region’s integration mechanisms are seeking to adapt to political fragmentation through more flexible arrangements that preserve minimum spaces for cooperation and governance.
