The Tricontinental: Revolutionary Cuba's Attempt to Unite the Global South Through Liberation Movements During the Cold War

Cold War history has been taught through biased lenses and for many in the United States, the discussion of communist or socialist revolution brings up a set of strong and potentially fearful emotions that has been instilled in us. However, revolutionary leaders in Cuba, saw their history in a very different sense at the time. After the successful coup in 1959, Fidel Castro made one of his goals to expand radical and armed movements worldwide. In 1966 the Tricontinental Conference was held in Havana, Cuba, shattering the previous status of non-alignment during a time of decolonization. Countries represented at the conference ranged from those of Central to South America through Africa and Asia. The Organization of the Peoples of Latin American, Asia, and Africa (OSPAAAL) was an important product of the conference. The biggest impact of this conference was the publication of Tricontinental bulletins, written and edited by OSPAAAL. These periodicals were used as a didactic tool to propagate Castro’s revolutionary ideals and forge solidarity amongst themselves and liberation movements worldwide. Bulletins from the first decade of the Tricontinental’s publication were acquired through the Freedom Archives, which possesses publications well into the early 21st century. Focusing on the first decade of publication made it possible to recognize and track multiple proxy conflicts at the height of the Cold War; between 1967 and 1977, the Tricontinental fostered revolutionary activity and championed the emerging geopolitical fight for ideological control in the Global South. These bulletins contain stories and articles, staunchly informing the reader of the Tricontinental’s goals to connect liberation movements throughout the Global South by exposing the imperialist policies of the United States, spreading knowledge of guerrilla warfare and movements, and framing the Cuban Revolutionary ideology as the correct answer to accomplish revolution. This thesis finds that the Tricontinental was successful in exposing exploitation and intervention throughout Latin American and in African and Asian countries. However, with the privilege of hindsight, we did not see any revolutionary governments emerge like the ones Castro preached about. The rise in totalitarianism and militarism in the name of socialist and communist action did not appear in Tricontinental bulletins but was felt immensely by those living in the countries. Thus, this calls into question the just society that was propagated through the Tricontinental. This is a history told by the Tricontinental of their struggle for Cuban-defined liberation, not a full and wide-ranging history of each country. The Tricontinental disseminated information strategically to highlight guerrilla groups, U.S. intervention and exploitation, and leaders who aligned with the Cuban revolution. In so doing, the bulletin attempted to achieve support and expansion for a radical, armed revolution worldwide with Cuba as the model.