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Hello and welcome to Behind the News, my name is Doug Henrywood.

Just one guest today, Helen Yaffe talking about Cuba,

both in the long sweep of its history since the Revolution's victory in 1959,

and more recently, about a round of protests in July,

which were heavily advertising the U.S. as being part of a mass movement for democracy.

During those protests, I tried to get Yaffe in the show.

On twice before, mailing to talk about Cuba's response to COVID,

and it's impressive by a technology industry.

I wanted to hear her perspective on the protests, but she wasn't Cuba at the time,

with an unreliable internet connection.

So I waited for her return to Britain, which included an 11-day COVID quarantine in her arrival,

for a more in-depth interview instead of the thrill of an onsite report.

Many people in the left echo mainstream criticisms of Cuba as repressive and undemocratic.

Sadly, there's some truth to the critique, but on the other hand,

I've never heard any of the critics come up with a satisfactory response to my question,

how would you defend the country against six decades of relentless hostility from the U.S.?

Those decades of hostility included economic sanctions, in invasion,

fomenting of domestic uprisings, and assassination attempts, all of which have failed.

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