Which Latin American country matters most?

Brazil’s economy is the ninth largest in the world—31 times the size of Cuba’s. Its territory makes up nearly half of the South American landmass—80 times larger than the small Caribbean island. And the value of Brazilian trade with the rest of the world is 25 times that of Cuba. So why does Cuba garner such high levels of attention from Latin American countries and from the United States, as well as from extrahemispheric actors like the EU? Why has the island recently attracted more attention from think tanks and at high level summits than Brazil, a continental giant and impressive global player?

Moisés Naím broaches this question in his Newsweek piece, “The Havana Obsession: Why all eyes are on a bankrupt island,” here.

The immediate answer might be that the revolution has been an inspiration—a symbol of David vs. Goliath—that is attractive to many countries, and so Cuba’s global ties, the imposed trade embargo and its more general relationship with the United States remain of interest and concern globally. But this ideological hat-tip would upset many who oppose the political system on the island, and anyway the response is different from Naím’s conclusion: he points out that while Brazil has flourished economically and in trade and diplomatic relationships, narrowing inequality and practically achieving universal education in the country, Cuba remains “a country where people are willing to risk their lives and take to the sea in rickety rafts to escape from material deprivation, brutal repression and political suffocation. It is a country whose economy cannot survive without the handouts from its allies and where food shortages and hunger are common. It is also the country where, for more than half a century, power has been in the hands of the same family.”

Unfortunately, these are indisputable facts about the island nation. Still, Naím’s piece answers “why should the island receive attention,” but the ideological answer is still the likely response to “why does the island receive much of the attention it does?” Cuba receives attention because the United States opposes its political system and treatment of human rights, and because much of Latin America and the rest of the world support the revolution’s symbolism.

Suddenly, the suggestion behind this Newsweek piece becomes intriguing. By sidestepping politics and focusing on the economic and social issues faced on the island, perhaps diverse countries of the world—even the United States—might come to agree on Cuba’s importance.