ABSTRACT
One important resource the Cubans tried to utilize to counter US intransigence was their Mexican connection. Although the Grenadian coup in March 1979 clearly caught the Cubans by surprise, they moved quickly to establish cordial relations with the new government by responding favorably when Bishop approached a number of countries for economic assistance. The successful US invasion of Grenada was a serious setback for Havana, removing its main ally in the island Caribbean, and Cuba also suffered losses elsewhere in the Basin. Contemporary Cuban globalism can perhaps best be likened to a complex balancing act on a quadrilateral scale, with Havana constantly seeking a rough equilibrium between its US, Soviet, Third World, and Latin American/Caribbean interests. The successful US invasion of Grenada was a serious setback for Havana, removing its main ally in the island Caribbean, and Cuba also suffered losses elsewhere in the Basin.
