Cuba Pt. 4: Counterrevolution w/ Renzo Llorente

Apr 7, 2026

Renzo Llorente, associate professor of philosophy and author on Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, brings scholarly perspective to Cuba’s long struggle. He maps decades of counterrevolutionary tactics from sabotage and invasions to economic warfare. Short, sharp takes explore political prisoners, one-party choices, press limits, and how sustained attacks have hardened Cuba’s resolve.

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INSIGHT

Counterrevolution Is Continuous And Externally Backed

Counterrevolution is a persistent, often violent force that appears after revolutions and receives external support to restore the old order.
In Cuba it began immediately after 1959 with sabotage, insurgency, assassination plots, and U.S. financial and logistical backing.

ANECDOTE

La Coubre Explosion Cemented Revolutionary Resolve

The La Coubre explosion killed over 100 Cubans while unloading Belgian arms in Havana Harbor and intensified Cuba's sense of vulnerability.
The funeral for the victims produced Fidel's slogan patria o muerte and the famous Che photograph that became iconic for the revolution.

ANECDOTE

Bay Of Pigs United Citizens And Radicalized The Revolution

The Bay of Pigs invaded with ~1,500 U.S.-backed exile mercenaries and failed within 72 hours, leading Fidel to publicly declare the revolution socialist.
Victory unified Cubans and was framed as the first defeat of U.S. imperialism in Latin America.

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In this episode, part 4 of our ongoing series on Cuba, we're joined by Renzo Llorente for a conversation exploring the counterrevolution to Cuba's 1959 revolution and the various forms it took. Renzo Llorente is associate professor of philosophy at Saint Louis University-Madrid and the author of the books, The Political Theory of Che Guevara and The Political Thought of Fidel Castro.

The conversation begins with a look at the current assault on Cuba from the Trump administration and situates it within the context of a long counterrevolution which has been by and large a bipartisan project since the revolution's inception. We then discuss why counterrevolution occurs in socialist societies and the toll that it takes on the revolutionary ambitions of societies attempting to lay the foundations for socialism. We look at examples of sabotage—from assassination attempts to economic disruption, examples of outright military excursions like the Bay of Pigs invasion, and more.

We then look at how Cuba has been forced to respond to these perpetual attempts at counterrevolution often fueled and resourced by the imperialist powers, and why the degree of repression seen in Cuba can be understood as a direct and dialectical response to the United States' never ending quest to return Cuba to what it was before 1959. Specifically, we examine the concept of political prisoners and explore ways in which we can view political prisoners in Cuba as counterrevolutionaries. We examine multi-party versus one-party systems and discuss their potential for representation and democracy. And we explore the concept of a free press and how this is weaponized by the imperialist powers in not just Cuba, but in all states where imperialism is seeking a foothold. Finally, we discuss how counterrevolution has served to strengthen Cuba's resolve and determination to continue their long-fought battle for sovereignty.

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Intermission music: "Celos eternos" by Roberto Carcasses

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