What: This summer, three major political events occurred in Cuba, among the most important since Raúl Castro became president four years ago: the announcement of plans to release 52 political prisoners; Fidel Castro’s first major public address since he fell ill in late 2006; and the beginning of a new phase of economic reform.  Mr. López-Levy will discuss the magnitude and motivations of these changes, as well as their medium and longer term significance for Cuba’s liberalization and its relations with the United States. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A.

When: Sept. 27, 2010, 10:00 - 11:00 AM

Where: FOCAL Board Room, 1 Nicholas St., Suite 720, Ottawa

Who: Arturo López-Levy, lecturer and PhD Candidate at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. In Cuba, López-Levy worked as Secretary of the Bnai Brith Lodge of the Cuban Jewish Community (1999-2001) and as a political analyst for the Cuban government (1993-1994). He frequently publishes opinion columns on Cuba in blogs and publications such as Espacio Laical (Cuba), Encuentro de la Cultura Cubana, Kaos en la Red, Diario Critico and El Mundo.  In 2005, Lopez-Levy received the Leonard Marks Essay Award of the American Academy of Diplomacy. He has also been a fellow of the Inter-American Dialogue (2004), the Carter Center (2005), the International Foundation for Electoral Systems-IFES (2005) and the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (2009).

Related program: Cuba

To RSVP, please send an email to Fatima Gardaad at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it before Friday, Sept. 24.