This book takes a deep dive into the murky and often concealed world of the Bacardi empire. It reveals how Bacardi has historically maintained ties with the CIA and the far-right National Cuban-American Foundation (CANF), as well as connections to both political and violent efforts to topple the Cuban government. These activities date back almost immediately to the Cuban Revolution in January 1959 and have carried on into the present day. As the prologue starkly puts it, the book: “raises fundamental issues about the relationship between multinational corporations and imperialist politics, about the instrumental use by the state of private corporations to serve state-directed terrorism.”
One of the key points explored is how Bacardi has actively exploited US legislation to tighten its grip on Cuban trade. For example, it played a significant role in sponsoring the Helms-Burton Act, which further strengthened the 40-year blockade against Cuba. The author, Hernando Calvo Ospina, sharply observes that “the text is so severe and over-arching that doubtless not even the laws and treaties imposed on African colonies by the European powers have contained such a degree of arrogance and lack of respect for a sovereign nation.”
Additionally, Bacardi’s legal teams were deeply involved in drafting new trade laws that prevent Cuban brands from being recognised within the United States. This legal manoeuvring directly affects products like Havana Club rum, whose French partner Pernod-Ricard — a major competitor to Bacardi — has successfully argued before the European Union that these restrictions violate fair trading principles.
Ultimately, the book argues that Bacardi and its allies are pursuing an agenda that goes beyond simply removing Castro from power. Their broader aim, it suggests, is to transform Cuba back into a de facto colony of the United States, with carefully selected front-men managing the country in line with American interests.
Reviewed by Pat Harrington
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