The Promise of Cuban Relations Great, Says Keller
Renata Keller, assistant professor of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, said that the initiation of formal diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba was a development that held great promise.
Keller spoke in an indepth interview with Radio France Internationale, where she described the normalization of relations, announced by President Obama on Dec. 17, as ‘a long time coming.’ You can hear the entire interview here.
Keller also spoke to Insights, a blog maintained by the John Kluge Center at the Library of Congress. Said Keller in that interview:
Given that the policy of isolating Cuba has been failing for more than 50 years, and the Cold War has been over for about 25 years, I’d say that the biggest reason we are seeing a change has to do with generational shifts. As President Obama pointed out in his recent speech, most people no longer remember why or how our two countries became enemies in the first place. Gallup polls show that most Americans–even Cuban Americans–now support normalizing diplomatic relations. And my guess, based on the personal experiences in Cuba that I’ve already talked about and most of what I’ve read, is that the majority of Cubans now favor closer ties, as well. I think these generational changes were the main impetus, but it required leadership to respond to the changing circumstances and take a chance on reconciliation.
You can read Keller’s entire article here.
Renata Keller’s research and teaching interests focus on Latin American history, particularly the connections between foreign and domestic politics, the dynamics of the Cold War, and U.S. relations with Latin America. She has special expertise in Mexican, Cuban, Chilean, and Argentine history.
Keller’s dissertation and current book project analyze Mexico’s relations with Cuba and the United States in the decade after the Cuban Revolution. She has held grants and fellowships from the Social Science Research Council, Mellon Foundation, and Fulbright Foundation. She has presented her work at regional, national, and international conferences, as well as in edited volumes and articles, including an article in the Latin American Research Review.