Andrés Pertierra
@andrespertierra.bsky.social
Historian of Cuba and Communist systems. LatAm & Caribbean History PhD candidate at UW-Madison. U of Havana BA, UW-Madison MA. Bylines in The Nation Mag & Dissent Mag, among others.
Pinned
From our spring issue: @andrespertierra.bsky.social on the mass emigration from Cuba.
www.dissentmagazine.org/article/the-...
www.dissentmagazine.org/article/the-...
The Cuban Exodus - Dissent Magazine
So long as Cubans’ rage and despair remain, the government cannot afford to curtail emigration. And there is no end in sight.
www.dissentmagazine.org
Happy to announce my feature article on the current Cuban crisis is now no longer paywalled!
Please feel free to read & share
Please feel free to read & share
The Soviet fleet was only 12th biggest in the world by 1961 per Oscar Sanchez-Sibony's Red Globalization
This recontextualizes, for me, how much of the fleet would be tied up in shipments to Cuba for sugar that the USSR and its allies didn't even need in the 60s
This recontextualizes, for me, how much of the fleet would be tied up in shipments to Cuba for sugar that the USSR and its allies didn't even need in the 60s
November 12, 2025 at 11:03 AM
The Soviet fleet was only 12th biggest in the world by 1961 per Oscar Sanchez-Sibony's Red Globalization
This recontextualizes, for me, how much of the fleet would be tied up in shipments to Cuba for sugar that the USSR and its allies didn't even need in the 60s
This recontextualizes, for me, how much of the fleet would be tied up in shipments to Cuba for sugar that the USSR and its allies didn't even need in the 60s
Wrote a short post on the alleged spy scandal in Cuba involving the former Minister of the Economy; probably the highest ranking spy scandal since 1959, *if true*
pertierra.substack.com/p/spy-story-...
pertierra.substack.com/p/spy-story-...
Spy Story or Scapegoat?
Notes on the ongoing Alejandro Gil Affair
pertierra.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Wrote a short post on the alleged spy scandal in Cuba involving the former Minister of the Economy; probably the highest ranking spy scandal since 1959, *if true*
pertierra.substack.com/p/spy-story-...
pertierra.substack.com/p/spy-story-...
"It is estimated that from the end of [WWII] until its fall, the Soviet Union offered a total of $68 billion in economic aid, of which about $41 billion had been delivered before the fall; this is about the same as the United States provided Israel alone during the same period."
November 10, 2025 at 1:59 PM
"It is estimated that from the end of [WWII] until its fall, the Soviet Union offered a total of $68 billion in economic aid, of which about $41 billion had been delivered before the fall; this is about the same as the United States provided Israel alone during the same period."
I knew the economic situation in Bolivia was getting dire, but I didn't realize that despite being an important gas exporter in the 00s and 2010s (the fossil fuel underwriting expanded gov social spending), at present Bolivia is *importing* gas
t.co/ueAfEiZxL8
t.co/ueAfEiZxL8
https://bbc.com/audio/play/p0mdrrlw
t.co
November 6, 2025 at 11:45 AM
I knew the economic situation in Bolivia was getting dire, but I didn't realize that despite being an important gas exporter in the 00s and 2010s (the fossil fuel underwriting expanded gov social spending), at present Bolivia is *importing* gas
t.co/ueAfEiZxL8
t.co/ueAfEiZxL8
Finally got around to reading this and am about halfway through.
Honestly, pretty important book imho. Certainly important for moving past the false idea of capitalist vs socialist world economies in the Cold War and super helpful for understanding how Soviet trade strategy worked
Honestly, pretty important book imho. Certainly important for moving past the false idea of capitalist vs socialist world economies in the Cold War and super helpful for understanding how Soviet trade strategy worked
November 5, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Finally got around to reading this and am about halfway through.
Honestly, pretty important book imho. Certainly important for moving past the false idea of capitalist vs socialist world economies in the Cold War and super helpful for understanding how Soviet trade strategy worked
Honestly, pretty important book imho. Certainly important for moving past the false idea of capitalist vs socialist world economies in the Cold War and super helpful for understanding how Soviet trade strategy worked
Wrote a short post on the Venezuela-Libya analogies that are going around.
pertierra.substack.com/p/the-proble...
pertierra.substack.com/p/the-proble...
The Problem with Analogies
Why Libya does NOT seem like a good comparison for Venezuela
pertierra.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Wrote a short post on the Venezuela-Libya analogies that are going around.
pertierra.substack.com/p/the-proble...
pertierra.substack.com/p/the-proble...
Reposted by Andrés Pertierra
NEW EPISODE - The German Democratic Republic The Rise and Fall of a #ColdWar State with @historyned.bsky.social & @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social
Listen here 🎧🎧 coldwarconversations.com/episode428/
#eastgermany #GDR #DDR #berlinwall
Listen here 🎧🎧 coldwarconversations.com/episode428/
#eastgermany #GDR #DDR #berlinwall
November 2, 2025 at 9:05 AM
NEW EPISODE - The German Democratic Republic The Rise and Fall of a #ColdWar State with @historyned.bsky.social & @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social
Listen here 🎧🎧 coldwarconversations.com/episode428/
#eastgermany #GDR #DDR #berlinwall
Listen here 🎧🎧 coldwarconversations.com/episode428/
#eastgermany #GDR #DDR #berlinwall
Finally getting around to reading something more in-depth about Libya.
About a quarter of the way through and, honestly, it is making me more skeptical of Libya comparisons for Venezuela rather than more. There's some points of similarity but feels apples to oranges
About a quarter of the way through and, honestly, it is making me more skeptical of Libya comparisons for Venezuela rather than more. There's some points of similarity but feels apples to oranges
November 1, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Finally getting around to reading something more in-depth about Libya.
About a quarter of the way through and, honestly, it is making me more skeptical of Libya comparisons for Venezuela rather than more. There's some points of similarity but feels apples to oranges
About a quarter of the way through and, honestly, it is making me more skeptical of Libya comparisons for Venezuela rather than more. There's some points of similarity but feels apples to oranges
The former Cuban Minister of the Economy, who was unceremoniously removed from his post without explanation in early 2024, has been accused of corruption and (even bigger news) espionage
www.dw.com/es/cuba-acus...
www.dw.com/es/cuba-acus...
Cuba acusa a exministro por espionaje, evasión y lavado – DW – 01/11/2025
Alejandro Gil, extitular de Economía, fue destituido en febrero de 2024 por supuestos "graves errores".
www.dw.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:03 AM
The former Cuban Minister of the Economy, who was unceremoniously removed from his post without explanation in early 2024, has been accused of corruption and (even bigger news) espionage
www.dw.com/es/cuba-acus...
www.dw.com/es/cuba-acus...
Kind of insane story I came across while reading for the dissertation:
Apparently one of the main players of a major Cuban exile terror org defected in the early 1990s, revealing himself to be a double agent for Cuban intelligence, saying they gave him supplies
www.nytimes.com/1992/11/11/u...
Apparently one of the main players of a major Cuban exile terror org defected in the early 1990s, revealing himself to be a double agent for Cuban intelligence, saying they gave him supplies
www.nytimes.com/1992/11/11/u...
Leader of Exile Group Tells of Spying for Cuba (Published 1992)
www.nytimes.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Kind of insane story I came across while reading for the dissertation:
Apparently one of the main players of a major Cuban exile terror org defected in the early 1990s, revealing himself to be a double agent for Cuban intelligence, saying they gave him supplies
www.nytimes.com/1992/11/11/u...
Apparently one of the main players of a major Cuban exile terror org defected in the early 1990s, revealing himself to be a double agent for Cuban intelligence, saying they gave him supplies
www.nytimes.com/1992/11/11/u...
A rare case of a journalist actually documenting how congresses/parliamentary meetings in Cuba are choreographed theater.
This from Oppenheimer's "Castro's Final Hour", on the 1991 Cuban Communist Party Congress, that was set to debate reforms to economy and political system
This from Oppenheimer's "Castro's Final Hour", on the 1991 Cuban Communist Party Congress, that was set to debate reforms to economy and political system
October 29, 2025 at 4:00 PM
A rare case of a journalist actually documenting how congresses/parliamentary meetings in Cuba are choreographed theater.
This from Oppenheimer's "Castro's Final Hour", on the 1991 Cuban Communist Party Congress, that was set to debate reforms to economy and political system
This from Oppenheimer's "Castro's Final Hour", on the 1991 Cuban Communist Party Congress, that was set to debate reforms to economy and political system
Reposted by Andrés Pertierra
So excited for this! 4pm today—Hope to see you there!!
October 27, 2025 at 1:17 PM
So excited for this! 4pm today—Hope to see you there!!
"It doesn't make sense to create islands of efficiency such as tourism or biotechnology in an economy that is globally inefficient. We have to be able to invest the proceeds of our showcase industries [...]. Otherwise, we're throwing money into a bottomless barrel." - Cuban official circa 1991
October 27, 2025 at 11:07 AM
"It doesn't make sense to create islands of efficiency such as tourism or biotechnology in an economy that is globally inefficient. We have to be able to invest the proceeds of our showcase industries [...]. Otherwise, we're throwing money into a bottomless barrel." - Cuban official circa 1991
Reposted by Andrés Pertierra
🇨🇺NEW EP🇨🇺 We take on both parts of Steven Soderbergh's epic of revolutions triumphant and disastrous, CHE, with historian of Cuba @andrespertierra.bsky.social!
You have no idea how much reading we did for this. Really special episode, check it out!
podcastyforme.com
You have no idea how much reading we did for this. Really special episode, check it out!
podcastyforme.com
October 24, 2025 at 4:09 PM
🇨🇺NEW EP🇨🇺 We take on both parts of Steven Soderbergh's epic of revolutions triumphant and disastrous, CHE, with historian of Cuba @andrespertierra.bsky.social!
You have no idea how much reading we did for this. Really special episode, check it out!
podcastyforme.com
You have no idea how much reading we did for this. Really special episode, check it out!
podcastyforme.com
Honestly, even if the Sandinistas had won the 1990 elections, it sounds like they were looking down the barrel of economic collapse anyway bc of hyperinflation combined with the imminent loss of most of its supply of oil from the USSR and Cuba
October 20, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Honestly, even if the Sandinistas had won the 1990 elections, it sounds like they were looking down the barrel of economic collapse anyway bc of hyperinflation combined with the imminent loss of most of its supply of oil from the USSR and Cuba
Reading something else entirely I tripped across Gabriel García Márquez saying, on the record, back in in the early 1990s that he had personally been behind the freeing of over 2k "political prisoners".
Gabo isn't exactly a CIA agent or enemy of the Left, so maybe hearing it from him helps ppl
Gabo isn't exactly a CIA agent or enemy of the Left, so maybe hearing it from him helps ppl
October 16, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Reading something else entirely I tripped across Gabriel García Márquez saying, on the record, back in in the early 1990s that he had personally been behind the freeing of over 2k "political prisoners".
Gabo isn't exactly a CIA agent or enemy of the Left, so maybe hearing it from him helps ppl
Gabo isn't exactly a CIA agent or enemy of the Left, so maybe hearing it from him helps ppl
Some quick thoughts on NYT piece that Trump authorized the CIA to act inside Venezuela
1) seems insane he's announcing this before results rather than after
2) unclear what operations will look like, but seems likely to help solidify gov coalition vs foreign attack
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...
1) seems insane he's announcing this before results rather than after
2) unclear what operations will look like, but seems likely to help solidify gov coalition vs foreign attack
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...
October 16, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Some quick thoughts on NYT piece that Trump authorized the CIA to act inside Venezuela
1) seems insane he's announcing this before results rather than after
2) unclear what operations will look like, but seems likely to help solidify gov coalition vs foreign attack
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...
1) seems insane he's announcing this before results rather than after
2) unclear what operations will look like, but seems likely to help solidify gov coalition vs foreign attack
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...
I made my way through all of War and Peace but halfway through the epilogue I felt so sad at what Tolstoy considered happy endings for characters that I never finished it
Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat
October 14, 2025 at 2:26 PM
I made my way through all of War and Peace but halfway through the epilogue I felt so sad at what Tolstoy considered happy endings for characters that I never finished it
For years Cuba's peso was equivalent to 25:1 dollar at official rates and around 30-40 on the black market exchange.
Recent inflation shot official exchange to 125:1 dollar and unofficial rates to 300-400. Then it stabilized just short of 400 for a while.
It's now up to an eye watering 460:1 USD
Recent inflation shot official exchange to 125:1 dollar and unofficial rates to 300-400. Then it stabilized just short of 400 for a while.
It's now up to an eye watering 460:1 USD
October 14, 2025 at 2:15 PM
For years Cuba's peso was equivalent to 25:1 dollar at official rates and around 30-40 on the black market exchange.
Recent inflation shot official exchange to 125:1 dollar and unofficial rates to 300-400. Then it stabilized just short of 400 for a while.
It's now up to an eye watering 460:1 USD
Recent inflation shot official exchange to 125:1 dollar and unofficial rates to 300-400. Then it stabilized just short of 400 for a while.
It's now up to an eye watering 460:1 USD
Reposted by Andrés Pertierra
Tomorrow is my book's official pub date! I'm celebrating by tackling a whole new social media platform and hosting an #AskMeAnything on Reddit! Join me and ask me anything about my book, the Cuban Missile Crisis, my hobbies, publishing...whatever! @uncpress.bsky.social @sonyabonczek.bsky.social
October 13, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Tomorrow is my book's official pub date! I'm celebrating by tackling a whole new social media platform and hosting an #AskMeAnything on Reddit! Join me and ask me anything about my book, the Cuban Missile Crisis, my hobbies, publishing...whatever! @uncpress.bsky.social @sonyabonczek.bsky.social
German when I arrived: zero
German by end of month 1: a handful of words
German by end of month 2: very basic phrases, can buy at stores in very simple language
Hopefully by end of month 3 I’ll be able to actually communicate outside of very scripted conversations
German by end of month 1: a handful of words
German by end of month 2: very basic phrases, can buy at stores in very simple language
Hopefully by end of month 3 I’ll be able to actually communicate outside of very scripted conversations
October 12, 2025 at 9:48 AM
German when I arrived: zero
German by end of month 1: a handful of words
German by end of month 2: very basic phrases, can buy at stores in very simple language
Hopefully by end of month 3 I’ll be able to actually communicate outside of very scripted conversations
German by end of month 1: a handful of words
German by end of month 2: very basic phrases, can buy at stores in very simple language
Hopefully by end of month 3 I’ll be able to actually communicate outside of very scripted conversations
Trump admin is basically doing the meme meant to show that correlation is not causation but totally unironically
Besides linking Tylenol in pregnant women to autism, RFK Jr. now says circumcision is part of the reason why kids are autistic.
"Children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it's highly likely because they're given Tylenol. None of this is positive..."
"Children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it's highly likely because they're given Tylenol. None of this is positive..."
October 12, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Trump admin is basically doing the meme meant to show that correlation is not causation but totally unironically
Downside of a solo trip to Worms is that I can’t make dad jokes like “wow! This ‘Kein Trinkwasser’ guy is commemorated everywhere, weird I haven’t heard of him”
October 11, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Downside of a solo trip to Worms is that I can’t make dad jokes like “wow! This ‘Kein Trinkwasser’ guy is commemorated everywhere, weird I haven’t heard of him”
Turning up the dial labeled “tarrifs” and looking at the audience like The Price is Right
oh no
October 11, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Turning up the dial labeled “tarrifs” and looking at the audience like The Price is Right
I hope that the luxurious feeling of getting to drink an espresso at heart of the historic platz/square of a centuries if not millennia old European city doesn’t just fade and become normal. At the very least not anytime soon
October 11, 2025 at 9:20 AM
I hope that the luxurious feeling of getting to drink an espresso at heart of the historic platz/square of a centuries if not millennia old European city doesn’t just fade and become normal. At the very least not anytime soon