Country Report
Cuba is in a unique situation in terms of foreign cultural policy. On the one hand, the country is low-income and internationally isolated, which limits its international appeal. On the other hand, it has remarkable strengths, such as impressive scientific and educational capacities and an image as a champion of the developing world, which raise its international profile. Since 1963, Cuba has sent half a million doctors around the world. The New York Times described it as "the largest Peace Corps style program of civilian aid in the world". At the same time, the country is torn between the desire to protect itself from US influence and the need to allow culture to flourish freely without the burdensome government interference. These tensions characterise Cuba's ECP, which oscillates between being a relic of the Cold War and an important model for today's international cooperation.
