About The Cuban Studies Institute

The Cuban Studies Institute objectives are to preserve and disseminate the history and culture of Cuba; provide research and information about contemporary Cuba, U.S.-Cuba relations and Cuban-Americans and prepare for change in the island. We are a depository of the most comprehensive contemporary information on Cuba and sponsor research, seminars and briefings for the public and private sectors.

cubaninstitutebackup@gmail.com

(786) 308-0908

Meet the Cuban Studies Institute

Jaime Suchlicki

Founder president of the Cuban Studies Institute

He is the author of Cuba: From Columbus to Castro & Beyond, now in its fifth edition, Mexico: From Montezuma to the Rise of the PAN, now in its second edition, Breve Historia de Cuba, University Students and Revolution in Cuba, and Historical Dictionary of Cuba. He also co-edited, with Irving Louis Horowitz, the influential volume Cuban Communism. He taught at the University of Miami for half a century and, in addition to his distinguished academic career, has served as a highly regarded consultant to both the public and private sectors.

jsuchlicki@cubanstudiesinstitute.com

Luis Leonel León

Executive Director of the Cuban Studies Institute

Specializing in Cuban studies through journalism, historical research, and audiovisual media, his work has appeared in El Nuevo Herald, Diario Las Américas, The American Spectator, El Nacional, Disidentia, and La Gaceta de la Iberósfera. He has produced films and documentary series on Cuban history, culture, and exile, including Mariel: 40 años, Brigada 2506: Héroes cubanos, and 8 × 8: Mujeres cubanas en busca de la libertad. His books include La libertad y la isla, Historias de Cuba, and Breve manual contra la trampa socialista. He is a member of the Academy of the History of Cuba in Exile.

cubaninstitutebackup@gmail.com

Senior Research Associates

Gustavo Pérez-Firmat

Cuban-born writer, poet, and scholar, and David Feinson Professor Emeritus of Humanities at Columbia University. His work explores Cuban and Cuban-American identity, exile, bilingualism, literature, and popular culture. He is the author of Life on the Hyphen, Next Year in Cuba, The Cuban Condition, and The Havana Habit, among numerous works of criticism, memoir, and poetry.

Carlos Alberto Montaner (†)

Cuban writer, journalist, political analyst, and one of the foremost intellectual voices of the Cuban exile. A longtime columnist for *El Nuevo Herald* and analyst for CNN en Español, he authored numerous books on Cuba, democracy, and Latin America and was a prominent defender of liberal democracy and freedom for Cuba.

Martín Aróstegui

Terrorism analyst and veteran foreign correspondent who has reported from conflict zones around the world for Voice of America, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Telegraph, Fox News, CNN, The Washington Times, The American Spectator, The Times of London, and Diario Las Américas. He is the author of Twilight Warriors, a book on special operations forces published by Bloomsbury and St. Martin’s Press.

Gustavo Pita Céspedes

Cuban philosopher, researcher, translator, and professor in the Department of East Asian Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. A specialist in Japanese philosophy, Buddhism, and warrior culture, he is the author of *Genealogía y transformación de la cultura bushi en Japón* and has translated major works of Japanese literature into Spanish.

Julio M. Shiling

Political scientist, author, lecturer, and media commentator specializing in totalitarian systems, democratic transitions, and Cuban affairs. He directs the political forum and digital publications Patria de Martí and The CubanAmerican Voice and is the author of fourteen books, including Dictatorships and Their Paradigms: Why Do Some Dictatorships Fall While Others Do Not?

Graciella Cruz Taura

Historian and retired professor specializing in Cuban and Cuban-American history and Latin American intellectual history. Her publications include Espejo de paciencia y Silvestre de Balboa en la historia de Cuba, and she co-edited the landmark bilingual art volume Outside Cuba/Fuera de Cuba: Contemporary Cuban Visual Artists. She has also curated exhibitions on Cuban history, exile, and the diaspora.

Eloy Cepero

Cuban music historian, author, and collector specializing in the preservation of Cuba’s musical and cultural heritage. He has published several books on Cuban history and holds one of the largest private collections of Cuban recordings, postcards, photographs, and cultural memorabilia.

Roland J. Behar

Cuban former political prisoner, journalist, and civic leader whose work focuses on Cuba, Israel, Judaism, and the Middle East. A longtime columnist for *El Nuevo Herald*, he has held leadership positions in the Unión Liberal Cubana and the Anti-Defamation League in Florida and has written extensively on democracy, antisemitism, and Cuban-Jewish history.

Robert D. Cruz

Founder and Principal of Economic Analysis & Research Group, Inc., specializing in quantitative analysis, regional economic development, macroeconomic forecasting, and economic modeling. He previously served as Chief Economist for Miami-Dade County and Florida TaxWatch and held academic and administrative positions at Miami Dade College, Barry University, and Florida International University.

Mario González-Corzo

Mario González-Corzo, Ph.D., is Professor of Economics at Lehman College, CUNY, and Lecturer in Finance at Columbia University. His research focuses on Cuba’s economic transformations, agriculture, banking, remittances, and emerging private sector. He is also a Faculty Fellow at CUNY’s Bildner Center and a contributing editor to the Handbook of Latin American Studies.

Ambassador Otto Reich

Ambassador Otto J. Reich is President of Otto Reich Associates, LLC, an international consulting firm specializing in Latin America and the Caribbean. He formerly served as U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Special Envoy for Western Hemisphere Initiatives. He writes and comments extensively on Cuba, Venezuela, regional security, and U.S. foreign policy.

Robert Cruz

Marcos Antonio Ramos

Cuban historian, theologian, essayist, and professor specializing in Caribbean history and the history of religion. A full member of the North American Academy of the Spanish Language and corresponding member of the Royal Spanish Academy, he has authored more than ten books on Cuba, the Caribbean, and religious history.

Ignacio Uría

Professor of Contemporary History and Director of the Department of History and Philosophy at the University of Alcalá. A specialist in modern Cuban history, he is the author of Iglesia y revolución en Cuba, Bajo dos banderas, and Viento norte: La primera ocupación militar norteamericana de Cuba, 1899–1902.

Collaborators

Maria C. Urizar

Program Coordinator/ Office Manager

murizar@cubanstudiesinstitute.com

Susel Brocca

Research Consultant

sbrocca@cubanstudiesinstitute.com