ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that the process of rectification begun in 1986 represents an opportunity to revise and correct errors and negative tendencies in contemporary Cuba. It examines redistribution of income as a measure of democracy in the economy and associates the guarantee of certain social services with social equality. The book also argues that the Cuban Revolution transformed Cuban culture, national values, and ideology. It describes the new political leadership after 1959, focusing on the institutionalization process and the means whereby these leaders were able to mobilize the population for effective participation in society. The book explores Cuba’s accomplishments, differentiating its socialism from the experience in Eastern Europe. It shows that Che Guevara’s proposals for central planning were premised on the application to the Cuban revolutionary process of modifications and adaptations of advanced capitalist technology and organization.
