TRANSMODERNITY: Journal of Peripheral Cultural Production of the Luso-Hispanic World

Close examination of the names of Cuba’s vaccines against COVID-19 and their ideological weight reveals the role of 19th-century discourses—and particularly Orientalism—within post-1959 Cuban cultural politics and specifically 21st-century internationalism and models of patriotism promoted domestically. This analysis of the use of 19th-century cultural ideals and symbols steeped in Orientalism focuses on the ramifications of José Martí’s (1853-1895) verse play Abdala (1869) in contemporary Cuban cultural politics. It sheds light on, not only the paradoxical Orientalist foundations of Cuban internationalism, but the dark side of South-South solidarity. The Orientalism surrounding one of the vaccine names, Abdala, creates confusion in relations with the Arab world. Moreover, through a shared vocabulary and symbology, Cuban vaccine internationalism is intertwined with nationalist rhetoric and oppressive domestic policies. Analyzing Martí’s Abdala reveals that this instance of solidarity is a double-edged sword that, in addition to being part of international political alliance-building, creates barriers to South-South dialogue, and is used to contain dissent in the domestic sphere.