It Could Happen Here - The Forgotten History of Cuban Anarchism, Part 2 ft. Andrew

Episode Date: May 22, 2024

Andrew and Gare finish their discussion of Cuban anarchism in the 20th century.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Curious about queer sexuality, cruising, and

expanding your horizons? Hit play on the sex-positive and deeply entertaining podcast, Sniffy's Cruising Confessions. Join hosts Gabe Gonzalez and Chris Patterson Rosso as they explore queer sex, cruising, relationships, and culture in the new iHeart podcast, Sniffy's Cruising Confessions. Sniffy's Cruising Confessions will broaden minds and help you pursue your true goals. You can listen to Sniffy's Cruising Confessions, sponsored by Gilead, now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Thursday. of Google search. Better Offline is your unvarnished and at times unhinged look at the underbelly of tech brought to you by an industry veteran with nothing to lose. Listen to Better Offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever else you get your podcasts from. Welcome to Good Happening Here. I'm Andrew Siege of the YouTube channel Andrewism. I'm again joined by Garrison. Say hello again.

Hello again. See, see what I did there? Very, very good. Very original and very funny. Fantastic. So last time we were discussing the forgotten history of Cuban anarchism. I mean, took you by surprise. It did. history of cuban anarchism i mean took you by surprise it took me by surprise and i think it's taken some of the audience by surprise too you know the fact that from the very first peronian mutualist society in 1857 to the rise of the anarchist organizations the strike activities to the schools to even the anarcho-naturists all All of this was going on from the mid-19th century all the way into the early 20th century, even in the height of repression in the 1910s.

And the cycle of US intervention as well. I guess what I'm kind of curious about in this time period is before the socialist revolution, were the anarchists more prominent than some of like the actual communists for my research it does seem so yes yeah like that's kind of what it sounds like like they were kind of the main political block for like almost 75 years well things things do make a turn yeah like the main political block on like the left specifically I guess

if you count anarchism as part of the left which I mean for the case of simplicity let's say sure I don't yes but me personally I wouldn't be caught dead adhering to like French political taxonomy but that's just me

in terms of its relation to like labor, especially during this time period of like. I know what you mean. I just like being difficult sometimes. Oh, absolutely. I mean, yeah,

that is, I agree with you in a lot of cases, but from a like a historical standpoint, it kind of makes sense when like all these, almost all these people are like anarcho communists or anarcho syndicalists. Oh, I mean, you did have the anarcho naturists

and the anarcho naturists there you go the three genders and i mean technically the mutualists as well i mean honestly the divide the the stringent divide between the anarchist schools of thought wouldn't really come into play until we get into like the early 20th century so which we are entering right now yes which we have entered so where do we leave off we left off on the big bang there was the russian revolution remember i said that things will take a turn that is the turn the russian wizard has been killed sad indeed i promised to discuss how the death of that Russian wizard would impact Cuba going forward into the 1920s and beyond. So, here we are. Aquí estamos. Once again, this info is thanks to the work of Cohen R. Schaffer, Stephen J. Hirsch, Lucien van der Waal, Sam Doolgolf, and Frank Fernandez.

Sam Tulkoff and Frank Fernandez. So in 1920, the anarchists formed a congress to advocate a series of immediate and transitory economic measures to resolve the high cost of living brought about by the decrease in sugar prices. Because remember, Cuba's economy was dependent on sugar and tobacco and coffee. They also formed, the anarchists that is, the Confederation Nationale de Trabajo, or National Confederation of Workers. Following the Bolshevik victory in Russia, it took a minute for the world to find out what happened to all the anarchists in Russia. I mean, it was the 1920s, they didn't have Twitter. But in the meantime, the anarchists sent a fraternal salute to the brothers who in Russia have established the USSR. Which is interesting. Yeah, that is interesting.

Yeah, it's like, they have a whole thing coming. It's exciting for the time though, right? Like you're seeing like this thing finally happen. You're like, oh, we have like, we have like a real chance. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I feel like it have like a real chance yeah yeah i mean i feel like it's like a two-panel meme you know it's like the the victory before the yeah very much yeah yeah i mean they knew that the anarchists what they did know of course was the anarchists

had a visible and vital role in that revolution. Absolutely. Reality that is unfortunately forgotten today, but very well known back then. So with the rise of the Soviets, it seemed as though the dream of three generations of struggles against the injustices of capitalism and the state had reached its conclusion. Again, they didn't know what happened to the anarchists and the Lenin yet. Their attitude of jubilation toward the success of the Bolsheviks would of course change very shortly. But the anarchists in Cuba still had some hope in unity though, despite some debate amongst themselves about aligning with the Marxists in Cuba. amongst themselves about aligning with the Marxists in Cuba. See, at the time, the anarcho-syndicalist movement was leading the formation of labor organizations and federations, with figures

like Alfredo Lopez and Antonio Peniche, and well, they were largely in favor of cross-sectarian alliances and collaboration in the promotion of alternative education projects. And after the Congress of 1920, Cuba's workers pressed their demands with renewed force, in solidarity, all together, leading to bombings in Havana and another general strike on Médis. Figures like Penichet and Salinas were jailed, and a bomb was set off in the Teatro Nacional in protest. Though initially condemned to death, Peniché and Sainas were eventually pardoned and released at the beginning of 1921 with the fall of García Menocal's government.

This is when Alfero Zayas' moderate government came into power and this is when the anarcho-syndicalist Federación Obrera de la Habana or FOH, or Workers' Federation of Havana, was founded. The Workers' Federation of Havana inaugurated its Rational School and Library in 1922, aiming to counter public and private education's emphasis on religion and patriotism. In 1925, the Second Congreso Nacional Obrero is celebrated in San Fuegos, and the Confederación Nacional Obrera de Cuba, or National Confederation of Cuban Workers, or CINOC, is founded by anarcho-syndicalists in Camagüey. The CINOC was a big tent organization,

so although it was initially led by anarcho-syndicalists, there were reformist and Marxist elements in there as well. And you'll see the results of Big Tent Organization very soon. Also in 1925, the Partido Comunista Cubano, or PCC, was founded in Havana. And in 1925, there was a strike among railway and sugar workers which would provoke government repression. And in 1925, Gerardo Machado would be elected to the office of presidency. Now, pay attention to the PCC because they become relevant again later on. They're going to be a recurring character. Yes.

Yes. So President Gerardo Machado's administration vowed to suppress worker militancy, leading to another crackdown on foreigners and radicals, including the anarchist schools, and marking another decline of the anarchist movement's influence. anarchists continued to agitate with some fleeing into exile and overall refusing to cooperate with the government they founded militant groups such as espartaco and los solidarios and later the federation de grupos anarchistas de cuba or fgsc they engaged in street fighting against the government and also in several failed assassination attempts against machado i don't know what it is with cuban leaders but they seem to have trouble getting assassinated so while the anarchists and i would like to give them the benefit of the doubt presumably some marxists were engaged in such resistance and i say presumably because i didn't they were into focus of my research but from what i could

see it was the anarchists who were engaged in such resistance anyway that's tangential the operatives of the popular socialist party or psp chose to make compromises with the various dictatorial governments in order to be allowed control of the labor unions, as well as some other perks. Well, that doesn't sound like it could result in any problems. Yeah, so lock in here, okay? The PSP would later be absorbed by the Organizaciones Revolucionarias Integradas, which would later become the Partido Unido de la Revolución Socialista de Cuba, which would later be re-founded as the Partido Comunista Cubano, or PCC, aka the Communist Party of Cuba. So there's like this weird loop happening here. or PCC, the Cuban anarchist part, Cuba, the communist part of Cuba.

There's like this weird loop happening here. Yes, yes. So the PSP would go on to become part of the PCC, even though when they were initially founded, the PSP and the PCC were separate organizations. Totally, okay. So coming into the 1930s, starting with 1930, a streetcar strike led to a general strike, backed by almost all of the unions.

The strike failed, unfortunately, due to poor planning by the SINOC, which had come into the hands of the PCC. You see, with the continuous deportation, exile, and murder of anarchists by the Machado government, the Marxists and the SINOC, who had been taking orders fromists by the Machado government, the Marxists in the Senok who had been taking orders from the PCC the whole time were told okay now is your chance, take advantage of the situation, the anarchists out of the way, let's take over the Senok. So in 1933 another transportation strike breaks out in Havana which leads to another general strike and further violence and the PCC used their control over the CNOC to make a deal

with Machado to end the general strike. Even though they were not the ones that started it in the first place. Making a deal to end a strike that they didn't start. Indeed. Very, very cool stuff. Now, they

called this real politic power move the august era but to me that's way too soft considering what they did you see it wasn't a mayor whoopsie you know the pcc ordered the striking workers to return to their jobs and they tried to work with machado's murderous secret police to make that happen no it's just like counterinsurgency thankfully the pcc's attempt to sick machado's dogs on the striking workers failed due to the resistance of the anarchists of the Havana Federation of Liber

and other organized Liber forces. It's funny how, like, it's not the same things happen now, I guess, but very similar things happen where you have, like, these, like, big above-ground kind of orgs that are trying to make concessions with, like, whether that's, like, police

or with, like, whatever kind of institution that people are, like, opposing. You'll have these these big like you know big groups try to make concessions and it's always left to the anarchist to be like no we actually have to keep fighting this actually doesn't the this sort of this this sort of like attempts at calling like victory or trying to end things actually is not what you claim it to be and we have to keep going and it is something that always falls back on like some of like the more anarchist aligned contingents in popular struggles yeah and i see why the why the old anarchists get a bit jaded and crotchety you know because you see you see these failures happening again and again. Like, why are you cheering?

You know, like you have not won. You know, this is not a victory. This is the precursor to squad wipe, to like absolute defeat. You know? Yeah. Game over. But unfortunately, some people have to burn to learn it seems unfortunately until we speak more prominently of the mistakes of the past more honestly of the mistakes of the past instead

of this sort of whitewashed oh the glorious revolutionary movements of the past oh you know like wow so cool until we start to like engage honestly with our history and like the mistakes and whatnot these kind of things are just going to continue to happen you know and that's why i also appreciate you know the sort of honesty that anarchists have where they'll be willing to call i mean not not all you know especially new anarchists tend to be a bit more defensive but and i appreciate the willingness to call out like what the cnt did in spain that was wrong or what the black army in ukraine did that was wrong you know we don't have to follow along like the party line sweeping like you have to defend their honor yeah exactly we we don't have to like follow along the party line in the

same way that all these other groups seem to do there is a much more open consideration towards critiquing things that even you feel like you can like learn from and you feel like we're like like struggles like struggles worth learning from and struggles worth fighting for but you don't have this the need to be like you have to defend every single thing that x person did because it's like i know it it it gets it it gets very weird when you have these like 19 year old communists who are like no stalin's good actually which is a whole a whole other topic but but uh yeah even in like smaller scale things just the resistance to having to to adhere to the party line on a lot of a lot of

these topics when you just don't have a party. So it allows you to be way more open in your consideration of what has worked, what hasn't worked. Yeah. Free association for the win. I don't have a funny ad pivot based on free association, but here's some ads that you can freely listen to if you desire. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more.

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Listen to Better Offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever else you get your podcasts. Check out betteroffline.com. All right, we're back so the very same month that the pcc tried and failed to call off a strike that they never started in the first place machado was forced from office by a military coup backed by the u.s working with several political factions including the p PCC. So the PCC was kind of playing both sides. They were like, yeah, let's work with Machado and then let's also help overthrow Machado. Interesting.

Huh. Very interesting. Yeah. So that coup, along with the 1933 revolution it was part of, resulted from the opposition of the Cuban people to President Machado's attempts to keep himself in power, with flames further fanned by the widespread misery caused by the economic collapse of 1929. Anarchists were, of course, participants in the strikes and the revolutionary actions during this time. Military forces and student activists were also very much involved.

So, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes y Quesada came to lead a provisional government, which led to the installation of a new government led by a five-man coalition known as the Pentarchy of 1923. But after only five days, the Pentarchy gave way to the presidency of Ramón Grau San Martín, whose term became known as the 100 Days Government, for obvious reasons. It really only lasted about 100 days because it decided to defy the US and remove the Platt Amendment from the Cuban Constitution, and it also introduced the 8-hour workday and tried to intervene in the American-owned electrical and telephone utility companies. But before you celebrate that government as a champion of the working people, it also contributed to the suppression of the Cuban anarchist movement, which had a significant foreign-born labor base, with the introduction of the 50% law, which forced owners to reserve

at least half their jobs for Cubans. That law prompted many of the Spanish anarchists, remember they were a very prominent part of the anarchist movement in Cuba that prompted them to return to Spain where as you may know a civil war would kick off rather soon so the leader of the revolt against the hundred days government was sergeant Fulgencio Batista who became the head of the armed forces and began a long period of influence on Cuban politics. The summer of 1933 obviously marked the end of the cooperative relationship between Cuban anarchists and communists. You know, because of the whole PCC sickening much-added dogs and the anarchists and all that. Yeah, I could see that being non-conducive to a working partnership.

It's a toxic, toxic situation. You know, they'll have to co-parent the labor movement separately. Anyway, so yeah, violence would erupt between the two groups. The Federación de Grupos Anarquistas de Cuba, or FGAC,

published a manifesto denouncing the traitorous actions of the PCC in collaboration with Machado in 1935 the PCC exposed its alignment for all to see see after Batista basically told the PCC yeah don't call a general strike after the PCC tried to call a general strike the PCC was like okay we won't call a general strike and then the pcc adopted moscow's popular front line and basically aligned themselves with batista and what's interesting is you see but what batista desperately needed to like secure his legitimacy

was an electoral base basically he needed a large group of people to say yeah we back his leadership sure he needed some form of like legitimacy exactly and so the pcc in aligning themselves with batista they created that electoral base for his growing dictatorial ambitions you see he started off as a president before he became like a full-on dictator many such cases many such cases and the one of the historians i was telling you about finlando fernandez he wrote that the pcc actually offered batista a deal putting all of the machinery of cuban and international communism at his service and it promised to deliver votes in the coming elections which batista badly needed in exchange the pcc was to be given the recently government created

confederation de trabajadores de cuba the ctc the cuban confederation of workers and the ctc was basically meant to be the largest most most centralized labor organization in Cuba. One that would combine all of the existing factions. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And unlike the previous umbrella organization, which as you may remember was the CNOC, the CTC was meant to be ideological. It was meant to marry unionism to the state. It was meant to be under the control of Batista through the pcc from the very beginning you know the cnoc started off being led by anarcho-syndicalists but it was big tent it was like you know bringing all the ideologies but no the ctc is like yeah we are explicitly state

aligned yeah meanwhile you know in 1936 the spanish civil war would erupt and you know the cuban anarchists who were in solidarity with the Spanish anarchists would establish the Solidaridad Internacional Antifascista to aid them. And some of them even went to Spain to participate. But by 1939 with the defeat of the Spanish Republic

surviving Cuban anarchists returned to the island. In the 1940s It's interesting because when they returned, they also returned with a lot more experience as well. Indeed. I wonder if that will lead to anything.

We'll see. Curious. So in the 1940s, over 100 delegates met at the Mortazo Ranch to establish the Asociación Libertaria de Cuba, or ALC. Since the Stalinist-dominated CTC had purged anarchists and other militant labor activists, the ALC was formed to challenge state control and Stalinist influence within the labor movement.

The ALC held a congress attended by 155 delegates in 1948, and in that congress they discussed the creation of a libertarian society in Cuba and they established the Solidaridad Gastronomica, which was a publication meant to serve as their official organ. Carlos Prius Socaras assumed the Cuban presidency in 1948, following the presidency of Ramon Grau San Martin, because he actually got another chance to be president after the 100 days government, and then you had a few filler presidents after that, and then you had Batista's run as president.

But anyway, so Prio becomes president, and the anarchists try and fail to create a new labor confederation, the Confederación General de Trabajadores, or CGT, and it was meant to be independent of the CTC. But unfortunately, thanks to reformist elements, the Stalinists and the government, it suffered under an extensive propaganda campaign against the initiative in both the Cuban communications media and in the officially approved unions. But despite everything, the anarchists were enduring on the grassroots level, and there were anarchist militants scattered everywhere and anarchist propagandists in every provincial capital. By the way, it is interesting that the Stalinists would gleefully purge the anarchists to appease their own thirst for power earlier in the decade, considering that they themselves would be expelled from their posts in the CTC by the government under US pressure.

Creo declared the PSP illegal, motivating the Stalinists to eye themselves yet again with their old buddy, old pal, Fulgencio Batista. In 1950, the ALC would hold another Congress, aiming to reorganize the Cuban Union movement against its control by bureaucrats, politicians, cults, and religionists. The Congress repudiated the CTC and dedicated itself to maintain the CGT's struggle in spite of President Prio's repression. In 1952, Batista took power in a coup, and the ALC joined other revolutionary groups in armed resistance to the dictatorship in the cities and the countryside. Despite facing imprisonment, torture, and kidnapping, they challenged Batista's rule through propaganda distribution,

clandestine activities, and coordinated sabotage efforts. They even worked with groups like the Directorio Revolucionario, the Federation of University Students, and elements within Castro's group, the M26G. The M26G, by the way, despite taking credit for everything, had little to no involvement in many of the uprisings that took place in this period they tried at one point to call a general strike but it was badly organized and uncoordinated with other revolutionary groups so you know of course it failed meanwhile the alcs meeting not only distributed information and coordinated sabotage efforts but even taught some of castro's fighters how to shoot firearms sure yeah yeah yeah yeah by december 31st 1958 also it's very sad that they would teach some of castro's fighters how to shoot firearms considering you know the direction those firearms be shooting in very soon

yes that is uh tragically ironic yeah so december, December 31st, 1958, Batista flees Cuba, marking the end of his regime and the beginning of a new era. As Castro's revolutionary government gained power, tensions would rise as he consolidated control and marginalized dissenting voices. Any hope

anarchists had for social change following 1959 would be crushed by the increasing centralization and bureaucratization of the government. Further purges of anarchists from the CTC, which, by the way, they renamed the CTC-R, as in CTC Revolutionary. And they also militarized it. They forced a bunch of the workers to create militias. And they also militarized it. They forced a bunch of the workers to create militias.

And with Castro's public alignment with Marxism-Leninism, the suppression, the revolutionary tribunals, and the exile of anarchists and other dissidents. In January 1960, the ALC held an assembly and expressed support for the Cuban revolution while rejecting dictatorship everywhere. By the end of the year, they would publish the final issue of their publication, Solidaridad Gastronomica. The ALC fell under government pressure.

And unlike previous Cuban governments, Castro's regime was extra bloodthirsty with the working class and peasant dissenters. That same year, the Grupo de Sindicalistas Libertarios issued a document criticizing the Cuban government's direction, fearing the increasing totalitarianism. They had to change their name to avoid reprisals. As a PCC's organ, Hoy responded to the Grupo de Sindicalistas Libertarios document with insults and accusations.

That same year, the Movimiento de Acción Sindical began circulating a bulletin critical of the PCC and Castro. They too would be suppressed. After the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, Castro's government intensified its suppression of opposition, including anarchists. The anarchist movement also bore a terrible betrayal, as Manuel Gayona Sousa, a prominent anarchist, betrayed his comrades by endorsing the Castro regime and denouncing the anarchists who opposed it. Some anarchists would end up in prison, some would flee to Florida, where they would unfortunately be grouped with the Batista supporters who had also fled to Florida at that time, and an international solidarity effort emerged, with donations from various anarchist groups worldwide to aid Cuban

anarchists escape. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. You know that rush of endorphins you feel after a great workout? Well, that's when the real magic happens. So if you love hearing real, inspiring stories from the people you know, follow, and admire, join me every week for Post Run High. It's where we take the conversation beyond the run and get into the heart of it all. It's lighthearted, pretty crazy, and

very fun. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hola mi gente, it's Honey German and I'm bringing you Gracias, Come Again. The podcast where we dive deep into the world of Latin culture, musica, peliculas, and entertainment with some of the biggest names in the game. If you love hearing real conversations with your favorite Latin celebrities, artists, and culture shifters,

this is the podcast for you. We're talking real conversations with our Latin stars, from actors and artists to musicians and creators sharing their stories, struggles, and successes. You know it's going to be filled with chisme, laughs, and all the vibes that you love. Each week, we'll explore everything from music and pop culture to deeper topics like identity, community, and breaking down barriers in all sorts of industries. Don't miss out on the fun, el té caliente, and life stories. Join me for Gracias Come Again, a podcast by Honey German, where we get into todo lo actual y viral. Listen to Gracias

Come Again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Ed Zitron, host of the Better Offline podcast, and we're kicking off our second season digging into how Tex Elite has turned Silicon Valley into a playground for billionaires. From the chaotic world of generative AI to the destruction of Google search, Better Offline is your unvarnished and at times unhinged look at the underbelly of tech from an industry veteran with nothing to lose. season I'm going to be joined by everyone from Nobel winning economists to leading journalists in the field and I'll be digging into why the products you love keep getting worse and naming and shaming those responsible. Don't get me wrong though, I love technology. I just hate the people in charge and want them to get back to building things that actually do things to help real people. I swear to God things can change if we're loud enough so join me every week to understand what's

happening in the tech industry and what could be done to make things better. Listen to Better Offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Check out betteroffline.com. The anarchists that fled the cure formed the Movimiento Libertario Cubano en Exilio, the MCLE, or Cuban Anarchist Movement in Exile, and continued to advocate for anarchist principles through publications like Guancara Libertaria. The New York-based Libertarian League, led by figures like Sam Dolgoff, provided critical

support to these exiles. But you know what really sucks? The Cuban anarchists had to struggle to garner support from their fellow anarchists around the world thanks to the propaganda efforts of the Castro regime. The Cuban anarchists were smeared as CIA agents, which is, if you may recall, still a favorite tactic of campus authoritarians. Interesting. Yeah. Interesting to see how it's literally the same. Yeah.

In fact, one anarchist group in South America, the Federación Anarquista Uruguaya, even split between pro and anti Castro factions. The pro Castro majority went on to join the Marxist Lenders to Pomaros in Uruguay. Eventually, the Federazione Anarchica Italiana, the FAIT, organized a conference in Bologna in 1965 to address the confusion among anarchists globally regarding Cuba. They came out of that conference condemning Castroism and expressing support for Cuban anarchists. But despite the efforts of Abelardo Iglesias to present the Cuban anarchists' viewpoint, many anarchist groups in Europe and Latin America still aligned with Castroism,

viewing criticism of the regime as opposition to the broader socialist revolution. But despite the skepticism of their peers and the refusal of some anarchist publications to even hear them out, the Cuban anarchists continued their activism in exile. They published works denouncing the Castro regime and sought to clarify their position within the global anarchist movement. Back in Cuba, the remaining anarchists dwindled in size as most had either left or rotted in prison. In the 70s and beyond, the Cuban anarchists faced isolation and defamation. They still accuse this day of being in service of reaction. It's only with Sam Dolkoff's book The Cuban Revolution, A Critical Perspective in 1976 that attitudes began to shift, leading to a gradual reassessment of the MLCE within the

anarchist community. In 1979, the MLCE renewed ties with the Anarchist Confederación Nacional de Trabajo slash Asociación Internacional de los Trabajadores, the CNT-AIT, during a congress in Madrid. Subsequent publications and articles further clarified the MLCE's position on Castroism, marking the end of a long and damaging chapter of derision against them. In 1980, Guangara Libertaria emerged as a new platform for Cuban anarchists in exile. cautious in its advocacy due to the hostile political climate in Miami, Guangada gradually became more explicitly anarchist and critical of both Castro's regime and the reactionary exile community. It played a significant role in challenging pro-Castro narratives and fostering international solidarity among anarchists. As of recently, as in the 21st century, the Taller Libertario Alfredo López, or Alfredo López Libertarian Workshop, has published a few pieces on anarchism in the

Cuban context. They even took part in the creation of the Central American and Caribbean Anarchist Federation. And before anyone asks, I haven't found a way to get in contact with them yet. The recent decentralized protests in Cuba sparked a deluge of conflicting narratives from various sources. Where on one side, Cuban authorities and leftist supporters defended the regime, blaming the economic crisis and health challenges on the US blockade while treating Cuban critics with one broad reactionary brush, on the other hand, you had the right-wing media criticizing the lack of freedoms under the communist government. While amidst this, anarchists sought a deeper understanding, seeking neither alignment with the US nor the Cuban government, but seeking understanding of the needs of the

people frustrated by the pandemic and the failures of the government. The condition that Cuba is in now, obviously, is due to the impact of the US's blockade, which should be lifted immediately. But it shouldn't be missed that the government uses the blockade to divert attention from other matters, where it does deserve significant critique. Emergency measures were eventually implemented to appease the protesters, but it remains to be seen what the outcome of that frustration of the people will be in the long term. As Francisco Fernandez wrote in Cuban Anarchism, the history of a movement, hopefully there are those in this generation who will take up the legacy of their forebearers so that the roots of anarchism that

are now buried in the fertile Cuban soil will once again spring to life. Anyway, this has been the forgotten history of anarchism in Cuba. This has been It Could Happen Here, and this has been Andrew Sage. All power to all people. Peace. It Could Happen Here is a production of Cool Zone Media. For more podcasts from Cool Zone Media, visit our website, coolzonemedia.com, or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can find sources for It Could Happen Here updated monthly at coolzonemedia.com slash sources. Thanks for listening. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about.

down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Curious about queer sexuality, cruising, and expanding your horizons? Hit play on the sex-positive and deeply entertaining podcast, Sniffy's Cruising Confessions. Join hosts Gabe Gonzalez and Chris Patterson Rosso as they explore queer sex, cruising, relationships, and culture in the new iHeart podcast, Sniffy's Cruising Confessions. Sniffy's Cruising Confessions will broaden minds and help you pursue your true goals. You can listen to Sniffy's Cruising Confessions, sponsored by Gilead, now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Thursday.

Welcome to Gracias Come Again, a podcast by Honey German, where we get real and dive straight into todo lo actual y viral. We're talking musica, los premios, el chisme, and all things trending in my cultura. I'm bringing you all the latest happening in our entertainment world and some fun and impactful interviews with your favorite Latin artists, comedians, actors, and influencers. Each week, we get deep and raw life stories,

combos on the issues that matter to us, and it's all packed with gems, fun, straight-up comedia, and that's a song that only nuestra gente can sprinkle. Listen to Gracias Come Again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.