Havana
Intro
Situated on the northwestern coast of Cuba, Havana anchors national governance and maritime access. The city functions as Cuba’s principal interface with the Caribbean and the wider Atlantic world.
Background
Founded in the early 16th century, Havana became a key Spanish imperial port. After the 1959 revolution, it evolved into the administrative and ideological center of the Cuban state, shaped by decades of embargo and centralized rule.
History
Spanish colonial founding and fortification
Imperial port and Caribbean hub
Cuban Revolution and socialist consolidation
Strategic alignment with the Soviet bloc
Economic contraction and limited reform
Managed continuity under structural constraints
Present Day
Havana hosts the national government, cultural institutions, and tourism infrastructure. Urban governance manages decay, rationing, and controlled openings amid fiscal scarcity and demographic pressure.
Future Outlook
Havana’s trajectory depends on economic reform, external relations, and generational transition. Urban renewal potential exists but is constrained by capital shortages and political continuity.
Map
Articles
Return to Babel: Language, Identity, and Belonging
How identity is filtered — not by law, but by design – and what it means to belong
Russia’s War Machine: How It Fights Without Winning
As negotiations flicker in the background of a grinding war, Russia’s ability to sustain its military effort in Ukraine depends on a fragile web of foreign supply, internal mobilization, and retrofitted Soviet stockpiles. This report examines the current state of Russia’s armed forces in Q2 2025, revealing a system stretched but still operational — and why that matters.
Don’t Bet on the Bully: Why Europe Must Stop Investing in the U.S.
As European firms like Daimler, Volkswagen, and Siemens expand their investments in the U.S., they risk tying their futures to a volatile partner. Short-term economic incentives and a temporarily favorable exchange rate obscure deeper structural risks: political instability, panic-driven corporate culture, and growing protectionism. Europe is not dependent on the U.S. — not for gas, not for markets, and certainly not for leadership. Strategic autonomy begins with saying no.
How Donald Trump Could Win the Nobel Prize for Peace
Donald Trump, the dealmaker, the disrupter — could he still become a man of peace? What would it take? Humility!
After the War: The Eurasian Covenant
“After the War: The Eurasian Covenant” is not a deal, nor a surrender — but a framework. A vision for lasting peace between Europe, Ukraine, and Russia rooted in dignity, realism, and historical awareness. As old alliances shift and global power balances evolve, this proposal outlines a European-led path forward: balancing security, rebuilding trust, and preparing for a post-hegemonic world. A beginning — before it’s too late.
Event Timeline
Polish-Lithuanian Rule over Ukraine
Before Moscow, there was Lublin. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth laid the groundwork for Western Ukrainian identity — and for centuries of contested rule.
The Sumy Attack: Beyond Violence, Towards Understanding the Message
On Palm Sunday, Russia attacked the Ukrainian city of Sumy in an act that went beyond war — a message of hatred that struck civilians and sacred meaning alike.