Scholars Online
Michael Bustamante
Council on Foreign Relations
Filmed in May 2008
- Why is José Martí such a contested figure among Cubans? [3:30]
- What is life like in Cuba today? [3:07]
- Why have many Cuban professionals left their jobs to work in the tourist industry? [1:16]
- Why are there two different currencies in Cuba? [3:48]
- What do Cubans on the island think about the Cuban government? [3:20]
- What changes did Raúl Castro make when he became president in 2008? [3:03]
- What do Cuban Americans think about the change in leadership in Cuba? [1:56]
- What changes do some Cuban Americans hope to see in Cuba? [1:44]
- What is U.S. policy towards Cuba? [1:53]
- What is the rationale for U.S. policy towards Cuba? [3:01]
- How successful has the U.S. embargo against Cuba been? [1:50]
- Why is it more difficult to lift the embargo than to change other U.S. policies towards Cuba? [1:13]
- What should the United States hope for in a post-Castro Cuba? [1:50]
- What was your family's experience emigrating from Cuba? [3:14]
- Why should high school students learn about Cuba? [1:24]
Michael Bustamante is a doctoral student in the Department of History at Yale University. At the time of the interview, he was research associate for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C., a position he held from 2006-2009. He collaborated on a number of policy reports and participated in fact-finding trips to Bolivia, Brazil, and Cuba. Bustamante received his BA from Yale University. In 2005, he was a visiting student researcher at the Institute of Cuban History in Havana, Cuba. He is also co-author of "Buena Vista Solidarity and the Axis of Aid: Cuban and Venezuelan Public Diplomacy," Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, March 2008.
