Can Army General Raúl Castro Ruz be considered one of the most influential figures in Latin American international politics in this century?
Let's review the diplomatic milestones that occurred during his tenure as President of the Councils of State and Ministers of the Republic of Cuba, a position he held from 2006 until his official presidency between 2008 and 2018.
1- Declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of Peace
The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States was born in 2011 in Caracas as an integrating space for the 33 independent nations located between the Rio Grande and Patagonia, in the face of challenges such as climate change, sovereignty, global economic crises and inequality.
At the founding ceremony, Raúl Castro intervened and emphasized the privilege of our area for being free of nuclear weapons and outlined the horizon for the region to also be free of foreign military bases, in a speech marked by allusions to the 200 years of struggle on the continent and the islands, colonial and imperial threats and the debt facing 180 million people in poverty.
Three years later, Havana hosted the next Celac summit, under the pro tempore presidency of Raúl. In that space, the joint declaration of the region as a Zone of Peace was issued, something that was undoubtedly announced in the ideas of the Army General expressed in Venezuela.
"Despite inevitable differences, a spirit of greater unity is fostered in diversity, which must be the ultimate goal," he insisted.
2- Return of the Cuban Five
The morning of December 17, 2014, shook Cuba and much of the world with the announcement of the return to the island of the five anti-terrorist fighters imprisoned in the United States since the late 1990s.
The "they will return," proclaimed years earlier by Fidel Castro, and the "I will return," written in verse by Antonio Guerrero and sung by Polo Montañez, ceased to be, in an instant, mere struggles, promises, poetic weapons aimed at the future, and became, in effect, "they returned!"
It marked a turning point in the understanding of what was possible within the revolutionary struggle, while also opening the door to a process of normalizing relations between Cuba and the United States—a contradictory and complex, yet necessary, process that was cut short by Donald Trump's arrival at the White House in 2017.
Shortly before, in South Africa, with José Mujica mediating, Raúl Castro and Obama had shaken hands.
3- Visit of the first sitting U.S. President in nearly century
On March 20, 2016, as part of the process of normalizing relations between the two countries, Barack Obama landed in Cuba. He thus became the first sitting U.S. president to set foot on the Caribbean nation since 1928.
The president's visit was accompanied by a full media blitz that included his appearance on the most popular Cuban comedy show of the time; his presence in the VIP box at the Latin American Stadium —seated next to Raúl Castro— for a game between the Tampa Bay Rays, the U.S. Major League Baseball team, and the Cuban national team; as well as speeches at the country's most emblematic theater and before Cuban business leaders and entrepreneurs.
"We have played very different roles in the world. But no one should deny the service that thousands of Cuban doctors have provided to the poor and those who suffer." "Last year, American health workers—and U.S. military forces—worked shoulder to shoulder with Cubans to save lives and end Ebola in West Africa," Obama said.
4- Peace negotiations in Colombia
In September 2012, Juan Manuel Santos, Colombian president, and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) announced the signing in Havana of a General Agreement to end a half-century armed conflict.
Thus began a process of several years of negotiation, in which Cuba was the host and guarantor, together with Norway, until a bilateral and definitive ceasefire agreement was signed in June 2016 in the Antillean capital. On the cover of the document that both carried in their hands, the coat of arms of the Republic of Cuba was printed.
5- Pope Francis in Cuba
In September 2015, the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis, made his first visit to Cuba.
From his position in the Vatican, the first to hold it having been born in Latin America, Francis had already been key in the rapprochement between Cuba and the United States. He was now celebrating Mass in Havana, Holguín, and Santiago de Cuba, venerating Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre.
During the visit, he also held a private meeting with the leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro.
A few months later, the Pope would return to the island, this time to meet with Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church, a high-level ecumenical meeting that had not taken place for centuries.
Throughout 2022, Francis's words about Cuba and Raúl Castro resonated around the world:
"I love the Cuban people very much." I had good human relations with Cuban people, and I also confess: I have a human relationship with Raúl Castro. Cuba is a symbol. Cuba has a great history. I feel very close to it, even to the Cuban bishops.
6- Speech at the Summit of the Americas
In 2015, Raúl became the first and only Cuban leader to participate in a Summit of the Americas, an event from which the largest of the Antilles was excluded since its first edition in Miami, 1994.
In Panama, site of the seventh conclave, he circumvented sneakily hostile positions with humor and data, such as that of the president of the host Isthmic country, and exceeded the presentation time – eight minutes –, multiplying it by the six times in which Cuba was denied presence. The decision, more than performative, was political.
The speech covered the history of Cuba and its systematic siege by the United States. He highlighted the particular hostility after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution and dismantled the idea that Cuba was a State sponsor of Terrorism. He called for a profound change in hemispheric relations, for a greater commitment to the situation in Haiti and stood alongside the government of Venezuela, condemning the North American executive order that qualified chavismo as a "threat" to the national security of the United States.
7- Repositioning Cuba as a cultural epicenter of the hemisphere
During his years in power, Cuba underwent a process of international recognition as one of the epicenters of hemispheric culture. Among the most notable achievements was Havana's designation as a "Wonder City" of the modern world, an award bestowed by the Swiss foundation New7Wonders in 2016.
In parallel, mainstream figures from the Western cultural industry appeared in Cuba, from Hollywood actors and actresses to iconic bands like the Rolling Stones.
One might think that this occurred exclusively within the context of the rapprochement between Cuba and the United States, but it is worth remembering that in 2009 the Concert for Peace took place, featuring international artists such as Danny Rivera, Juanes, Luis Eduardo Aute, Miguel Bosé, Olga Tañón, and Víctor Manuel.
From a sporting perspective, Cuba achieved its return to the Caribbean Series of baseball in 2014. In 2015, they would win the title.
8- Haiti and West Africa
"Latin America and the Caribbean have a historical and ethical responsibility toward that sister republic," Raúl Castro stated during his speech at the first CELAC summit, referring to Haiti.
On that occasion, he recalled that Cuban healthcare professionals had arrived in the neighboring country to support its population after the 2010 earthquake, and that their presence had been strengthened months later in response to the cholera epidemic that erupted amidst the disaster.
Four years later, another 256 Cuban professionals arrived in West Africa to combat Ebola, particularly in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea.
In parallel, the Cuban medical collaboration policy, established at the beginning of the Revolution, continued, maintaining a strong presence in Latin American and African nations.
