BY BRIAN WILLIAMS AND BRIAN TAYLOR
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Discussion about Cuba was at the center of the 19th International Conference of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) held here September 28- 30. Nearly two dozen workshops on Cuba took place at the gathering, which was attended by some 2,000 people, including students and professors from Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, and campuses across the United States. A delegation of about 30 people came from Cuba.
Political debate broke out at several of the workshops related to Cuba. At one of these, panelist Phillip Brenner, who is opposed to the U.S. embargo, argued that "the blockade doesn't have much real impact on Cuba" because of Cuba's growing trade ties with Latin America. He said the embargo will eventually be lifted through pressure from U.S. businessmen and other governments, and that organized public opposition will be ineffective in changing U.S. policy.
Brenner downplayed the embargo by alleging that "it's not clear that the Cuban government really wants the embargo lifted."
Another panelist, Julio Carranza of the Center for the Studies of the Americas, rejected this argument and called for "the immediate lifting of the embargo." Several in the audience also took issue with Brenner's statements.
Rafael Noriega from the Cuban Interests Section, who was attending as an observer, said that Cuban revolutionaries are "ready to face the challenges of the future" that would be posed by economic and political ties to the United States, including greater capitalist investments and attempts by capitalists to politically influence Cubans. "Our revolution is strong enough," he declared.
Another panel discussion, on Cuba in the Americas, included Richard Nuccio of the State Department's Cuba desk. Nuccio defended U.S. policy by saying Cuba was a dictatorship. At the same time, Nuccio acted friendly toward the visiting Cuban scholars and portrayed the administration's policy as reasonable compared to the Helms- Burton bill.
One panelist, Nelson Valdes of the University of New Mexico, who is Cuban-American, said, "OK, let's talk about democracy." He argued that the U.S. government, while posing as democratic presided over growing poverty and social problems, while undemocratically restricting travel to and from the island by Cubans.
Aurelio Alonsio, of the Center for the Studies of the Americas, said the real issue was Cuba's right to self- determination. "What right does the United States have to act like its policies against Cuba are an `internal U.S. matter?' These policies are a violation of our right to sovereignty."
Opponents of the Cuban revolution unsuccessfully tried to get LASA to adopt resolutions attacking the Cuban government.
Among those participating at the LASA conference were Norberto Codina, editor of La Gaceta de Cuba, a bimonthly journal of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba that features lively discussion and debate on culture and politics. Dozens of people expressed interest in La Gaceta.
Some had previously known of the publication and were excited that it was going to be more accessible to people in the United States. Many said they plan to subscribe to the magazine through their college departments.
Twenty-five people bought single copies of La Gaceta. Volunteers distributed hundreds of recently updated brochures highlighting some of the articles that have appeared in recent issues of the magazine. Several Cuban guests at the conference volunteered to publicize and circulate La Gaceta.
Representatives of Pathfinder Press, which distributes and sells subscriptions to La Gaceta in the United States, hosted a reception at the LASA conference for Codina. A number of conference participants stopped by for further information and discussion with the Cuban poet and to find out more about La Gaceta. A professor from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. said he is planning to purchase an entire set of La Gacetas.
Immediately following the conference, Codina began a month-long tour of several U.S. cities, beginning in Washington, D.C. where he will speak about Cuba and read poetry at various local campuses in the Maryland, D.C., and Virginia area. A number of professors at the LASA conference signed up to help set up speaking engagements for Codina in Los Angeles, Houston, and New York.
Martín Koppel contributed to this article.