Centre for American Studies (CEA)
Encyclopedia
The Centre for American Studies is an academic institution in Havana
, Cuba
. Established along similar institutions by the Cuban Government in 1964, it was intended to serve at the same time to provide intelligene information for Cuban leaders, and to provide propaganda
by proposing to international audiences Cuban views on certain topics.
The centre became renowned in the 1990s, when some of its most prominent members, including economist
Julio Carranza and Pedro Monreal, and sociologists Haroldo Dilla and Aurelio Alonso, started to promote views that were not in concert with those of the government. This led in 1996 to a purge
of the institution, resulting in all its core academics being transferred to other functions. Many of them were also expelled from the Cuban Communist Party, and some left the country.
The purge was exposed by Maurizio Giuliano
in his book "El Caso CEA: Intelectuales e Inquisodores en Cuba - ¿ Perestrojka en la Isla ?", published in 1998 in Miami, Florida
. The book, a work of investigative journalism complemented by academic analysis, dealt a strong blow to hard-liners within the regime, by exposing for the first time the internal conflicts between Cuba's apparatus and its intelligentsia.
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Established along similar institutions by the Cuban Government in 1964, it was intended to serve at the same time to provide intelligene information for Cuban leaders, and to provide propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
by proposing to international audiences Cuban views on certain topics.
The centre became renowned in the 1990s, when some of its most prominent members, including economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
Julio Carranza and Pedro Monreal, and sociologists Haroldo Dilla and Aurelio Alonso, started to promote views that were not in concert with those of the government. This led in 1996 to a purge
Purge
In history, religion, and political science, a purge is the removal of people who are considered undesirable by those in power from a government, from another organization, or from society as a whole. Purges can be peaceful or violent; many will end with the imprisonment or exile of those purged,...
of the institution, resulting in all its core academics being transferred to other functions. Many of them were also expelled from the Cuban Communist Party, and some left the country.
The purge was exposed by Maurizio Giuliano
Maurizio Giuliano
Maurizio Giuliano is an Italian-British traveller, author and journalist. As of 2004 he was, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the youngest person to have visited all sovereign nations of the world...
in his book "El Caso CEA: Intelectuales e Inquisodores en Cuba - ¿ Perestrojka en la Isla ?", published in 1998 in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. The book, a work of investigative journalism complemented by academic analysis, dealt a strong blow to hard-liners within the regime, by exposing for the first time the internal conflicts between Cuba's apparatus and its intelligentsia.