Contemporary Cuba, Sports, Internationalism, and Global African Liberation

• In Event: New Directions in the Study of Global Africa

Description for Program

This paper examines the contemporary condition of Cuban internationalism and how it materializes around Cuban institutions centered on sport. Internationalism and Third-World solidarity have always been essential components of the Cuban revolutionary project, however the principled internationalist stance projected by the Cuban state is not without its own contradictions and hurdles, most apparent in the deteriorating material conditions for Afro-descended Cubans as they face environmental catastrophes, US sanctions, and a precarious economy. Ultimately, I aim to highlight the example of Cuban sport to emphasize the potency of internationalism and South-South cooperation as guiding principles for African liberation across the globe.

Author

• Omar Hernandez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign