Part Three of the Cuba Puzzle ends with a look at Cuba's current foreign relations. In my opinion, it is the most balanced article in the entire three-part report. Pablo Bachelet produces a good summary of events that have occurred recently, and does quote at least one Cuban studies expert, William LeoGrande, Latin American policy specialist from the American University, saying "[South American countries] think the US policy of isolation is a big mistake." But, that is all we get from the Miami Herald who prefer the academic analysis of UM's Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies, which is essentially an arm of the US State Department.
While the Cuba Puzzle does suffer from a slanted view of Cuba after Fidel, it is nevertheless a excellent report about sentiments in Miami. There's no doubt that Gyllenhaal's wish of reaching a "wider audience" may come true, though it may only be for those interested in Miami's perspective, and not the nation's.
The "Voices" section on the Cuba Puzzle website reveals this Miami view by including 16 short interviews, almost split between opposing views on US policy, but the majority of whom are from Miami. There's plenty of extras (audio and video) on the website to absorb too.
I will end my post with an apt comment found in Part Two of the Cuba Puzzle. It comes from Yoidel, a 24 year-old cowboy from central Cuba, who says that he wishes to leave Cuba for a better life, but is committed to fighting for Cuba "until the end."
This describes well the complexity of the Cuban issue.
[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]
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