Unique Feature of Cuba’s Public Diplomacy

This paper examines Cuba’s public diplomacy, initiated in the 1960s under Fidel Castro, to reshape its international image following the U.S. embargo. Key strategies included medical diplomacy, disaster relief, and the establishment of medical education systems like ELAM. Cuba’s unique position as a small, non-threatening nation under U.S. sanctions generated global sympathy, reflected in international support, such as the U.N. vote in 2018. However, Cuba’s public diplomacy is not easily replicable due to its distinctive political and economic conditions.