Exile, intellectuals and dissent to the Cuban Revolution in Mariel – Revista de Literatura y Arte (1983-1985)

Abstract

Since the 19th century, political disputes and Cuban intellectual production have been marked by the establishment of sociability networks, discussion of national projects, strengthening of political leaders and intense artistic production outside the island territory. Exile was established as a privileged place of opposition to official powers throughout Cuban history, as well as the production of works and different national sensitivities. Mariel - Revista de Literatura y Arte was founded in 1983, in Miami, by Cuban writers exiled to the United States during Mariel's massive exile (1980), and it was published until 1985 in the United States, Latin America and Europe. As a literary magazine, one of its main objectives was to disseminate Cuban literature and art, mainly that produced by writers of the self-styled “generation of Mariel”, placing itself as an identity link between these artists. The collective editorial project was opposed to the Cuban revolutionary regime, and declared itself anti-communist, anti-totalitarian, defender of democracy and civil liberties, having a strong denunciation nature. Our main proposal for this paper is to understand the path of the collective editorial project and how it constituted a political opposition to the Cuban revolutionary government during exile in the United States. As a result, we analyzed the formation of sociability networks in exile, and the debates the publication conveyed about Mariel's massive exile.