Mike and I have been planning an episode on Cuba for a while now. We wanted to put together a solid history of U.S.-Cuba relations and the unfolding changes taking place since the December 17, 2014 announcement of plans to normalize relations.
As a half-Cuban Miami native, I’m incredibly familiar with the polarized feelings about U.S.-Cuba relations and the Castro government. The relationship between the two countries and the experiences of Cubans and Cuban-Americans have been so complex, rich and at times deeply contentious for centuries. For this episode, we tried to focus on laying out the history.
I’m really proud that Mike and I were able to sit down and talk with Dr. Philip Brenner of American University’s School of International Service, an expert on U.S.-Cuban history, to put together what I hope will be part one of a series of episodes on Cuba.
There’s so much more left to say, but I think this episode gives a nice run-down of the history and points out some of the changes currently taking place.
Give it a listen on our blog, our libsyn page or our iTunes account. Then, if you still want more on Cuba, we hope you’ll enjoy the YouTube playlist we’ve put together with songs and videos that give a glimpse into the incredible variety of Cuban music, as well as a glimpse into life on the island over the years.
Angelika Albaladejo 
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