Cuba before and after J11: Political, Economic, and Cultural Dimensions

Cuba before and after J11:

Political, Economic, and Cultural Dimensions

Virtual Meeting

February 3–4, 2022

The Cuban Research Institute (CRI) of Florida International University continues its tradition of convening scholars and other persons interested in the study of Cuba and Cuban Americans by announcing its Thirteenth Conference. We encouraged the submission of panels and papers concentrating on any aspects of the main conference theme, but considered all submissions relevant to the history, economy, politics, culture, society, and the arts of Cuba and its diaspora. The recent upsurge in the number of coronavirus cases due to the omicron variant has forced us to hold the conference in a virtual format.

On Sunday, July 11, 2021 (J11), thousands of Cubans took to the streets to voice their discontent with the Island's government. Many demonstrators loudly chanted libertad (freedom), "down with the dictatorship," and Patria y vida (Fatherland and Life), the title of a critical rap song by Yotuel Romero, Gente de Zona, and other Cuban singers, which went viral in February 2021 and won the Best Song of the Year award at the Latin Grammys. The demonstrators also demanded the resignation of current president Miguel Díaz-Canel, calling him insulting names. The protests started in the town of San Antonio de los Baños, near the capital of Havana, and quickly spread throughout the Island. Many young Black Cubans, both men and women, participated in these events. The protests were not called by a single opposition leader or organization, although the Cuban regime quickly detained some of the most visible dissidents. This was the first time in recent memory that economic and health grievances—such as the shortage of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential items—were translated into explicit political demands for reform and even regime change.

In response to the J11 protests, the Cuban government quickly blocked access to the Internet on the Island. That same day, president Díaz-Canel held a press conference in which he called on his sympathizers to defend the Revolution in the streets, which was widely interpreted as an invitation to violence and civil war. The government mobilized its special forces brigade (the "Black Berets"), police officers, and plain-clothes agents to crush the manifestations. Hundreds of dissident leaders and demonstrators were arrested, imprisoned, and subjected to summary trials. The U.S. government supported the right to peaceful demonstration, condemned the violent repression of the protests, and sanctioned Cuban officials and organizations accused of orchestrating this repression, such as the minister of defense and the heads of the police force. The Cuban-American community staged massive street demonstrations in Miami, Washington, D.C., New York, and other cities to express solidarity with the J11 protests. Some exiles have celebrated what they hope is "the beginning of the end" of the Cuban socialist regime, while others remain skeptical of its imminent demise.

The Thirteenth Conference on Cuban and Cuban-American Studies takes the protests of July 11, 2021, as a point of departure for reflection and discussion about the past, present, and future of Cuba. Our main theme, the political, economic, and cultural dimensions of Cuba before and after J11, invites interdisciplinary approaches to the complex, heterogeneous, and multiple layers of contemporary Cuban society, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Although we welcomed discussions about the recent situation and the future of Cuba, we invited a thorough retrospective examination of the political, economic, and cultural causes and consequences of the J11 protests. We were especially interested in assessing the evolving relations between Cubans on and off the Island, particularly in South Florida.

Registration Fees

All participants should be registered under one of the following categories in order to receive a digital link to participate in the virtual meeting:

• Pre-registration for Presenters and the General Public (before January 15, 2022): $125
• Registration (after January 16, 2022): $150
• Non-FIU Students: $35
• FIU Students, Faculty, and Staff: Free of Charge
• Residents of Cuba and Journalists: Free of Charge

No refund will be issued for cancellations received after January 3, 2022.

All requests for information about the conference should be sent to criconferen@fiu.edu.