The relationship between the Soviet Union and revolutionary Cuba was a flash point in the Cold War. Soviet aid played a critical role in Cuba—but not without controversy. The Cuban Revolution was born out of a drive to rid itself of imperialist intervention and foreign control. So how did Cuba reconcile the need for Soviet support with efforts to avoid dependency? Soviet-Cuban scientific exchanges were one key area where this tension played out. These not only shuttled Cuban and Soviet experts 9,500 kilometers between Havana and Moscow, it also opened the island’s resources for Soviet pursuit. This live interview with Clare Ibarra will discuss Soviet-Cuban scientific exchanges, and how, despite unity in ideology, both nations were constantly at odds over what “good socialist development” should look like.

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