ABSTRACT
From the outset of its revolution, Cuba viewed itself not only as bringing a message of truth and hope to the hemisphere, but as a revolutionary vanguard to be emulated and imitated. In the post-revolutionary phase of the early 1960s, Venezuela and Guatemala were rocked by Cuban "warrior-proletarian" insurgency movements. Cuba is the willing, enthusiastic executor of Soviet designs. The wide level of tactical maneuverability granted to Cuba by the Soviet Union has given it a latitude of operations which can be easily misinterpreted as autonomy. The idea of a peace process implies an ability on the part of each national actor to act autonomously. But the history of Cuba over the past quarter century demonstrates that such independent behavior is no longer feasible when Cuba has become, to all intents and purposes, a satellite, surrogate, and sponsor of Soviet activities from Afghanistan to Angola.
