ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the political context informing the Cuban economic reform process that underscores the political nature of neoliberal economic reform. It juxtaposes the actual financial reform process and policy debate within Cuba with an elaborate plan on the part of exiled Cuban bankers for neoliberal financial reform. This research underscores how framing market reform within a counter-hegemonic socialist discourse in Cuba constitutes an ideological infrastructure that affects the way the market operates. There have been multiple proclamations since the fall of the Soviet Union about the end of the ideological battle between communism and capitalism, but Cuba represents a persistent alternative to neoliberal globalization. Even during the worst downturns, Cuban government investment in social welfare has continued to grow. Most Cuban citizens tend to see the state as an embodiment, however imperfect, of the revolution, a counter-imperialist structure that defends Cuban sovereignty against a formidable foe. These shared social values shape incentives and frame market outcomes, making Cuba’s heterodox reform path indeed rational.
