ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Cuba's regional objectives in political, ideological, and military terms, its strategies in pursuit of these objectives, the means used in expanding its influence, and the set of constraints which Cuba faces. Disintegration in Central America and the opportunity to strengthen ties with several Caribbean nations have drawn Cuba into various regional struggles, turning these into multilateral competitions among states with different and often rival interests in the region. As a revolutionary state committed to the destruction of capitalist orders that it considers illegitimate, Cuba can arrogantly deploy political, military, and ideological assets on behalf of its allies and in pursuit of its goals, and do so as a matter of "national right." Processes of transformation underway in the Isthmus seek either to create viable political communities through genuine democratization, or to impose statist and authoritarian models through regimentation, class warfare, and the de-legitimation of political opposition.
