How Cuba Survived Sanctions and the Lessons for Zimbabwe

Abstract

This article discusses how Cuba survived the economic sanctions that were imposed by the USA and the lessons that Zimbabwe and other sanctioned countries can glean. Using the subaltern framework for analysis, the article’s central argument is that Cuba survived the US-imposed economic embargo through sound planning, rigorous policy formulation, and implementation in the critical sectors of education and health, including tactical diplomatic maneuvers among other strategies. It concludes that Cuba’s survival against the US economic embargo provides a number of significant lessons for many countries, including Zimbabwe facing economic sanctions from powerful states.