Overview

While growing up in the north Kerala district of Kannur―a bastion of Marxist politics―Ullekh delved into Cuba’s history, culture, literature and political legends in Leftist journals and through Malayalam translations of Cuban works. The great strides the tiny Caribbean nation made in biotechnology, public health, pharmaceuticals and agriculture despite American sanctions were seen as a testament to the power of public-sector-led growth.

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9780143469018

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Reviews

Ullekh NP takes us on an enchanting journey from his childhood in Kerala, an Indian state distinguished by a fascination with Cuba, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, to contemporary Cuba. From the peaceful green lawns of the Hotel National, he rides a classic car through the restaurants and bars of Havana and visit the famous tobacco fields of Pinar del Rio where he learns how to roll a cigar. On the way, he speaks to scientists, government officials, taxi drivers and street sellers, intertwining his observations with historical background and political analysis to capture the complexity, contradictions and achievements of Cuban development since the Revolution of 1959. And inevitably, we hear about the pervasive presence of the US blockade. Beyond that, the author provides a fascinating perspective of the bonds between Cuba and Kerala, from political commitments to culinary tastes and the climate. -- Dr Helen Yaffe, Senior Lecturer, University of Glasgow, author of We Are Cuba: How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World, and Che Guevara: the Economics of Revolution. -- ""Advance Praise""

Author Information

Ullekh N.P. is an author, journalist, columnist and political commentator based in New Delhi and Kerala.

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