What Next for Cuba?

In the face of the "Donroe Doctrine" emanating from Washington, oil shortages worsened by sanctions and a humanitarian crisis, Cuba is facing its greatest challenge since the fall of the Soviet Union. Is communist party rule in jeopardy? Is a political transition likely? Is the Venezuela model coming for Havana? Come hear Canada's former ambassador to Cuba, Mark Entwistle (1993-97), draw on his experience and offer some thoughts about what might happen next.

About the Speaker

Mark Entwistle is currently Managing Partner of Privus Capital Inc., a strategic advisory and business development firm, as well as Canadian lead in joint collaborations with German partners to help create opportunity from free trade and investment between the European Union and Canada and Mexican partners to help diversify and strengthen the Canada-Mexico business relationship. Mark is also a Director of the Institute of World Affairs in Washington, D.C., one of the oldest think tanks on global affairs in the United States.

He served for sixteen years from 1981-1997 as a professional Canadian diplomat. His Foreign Service career included assignments at the Canadian Embassies in Tel Aviv, Israel and Moscow, in the former Soviet Union, where he was responsible for bilateral relations between Canada and the then USSR. He was Ambassador of Canada to Cuba from 1993-1997.

Entwistle was also formerly Press Secretary to the Prime Minister of Canada, responsible directly for all aspects of the Prime Minister's relations with the media and the public communication of the policies of the Canadian federal government on all issues and across the full range of government departments and agencies. He was senior ministerial aide for Parliamentary Affairs to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, where he managed the relations between the Minister and all institutions of Parliament.

Entwistle has written and spoken frequently on the subject of Cuba as a recognized expert.

He holds a B.A. (Hons.) from the University of Ottawa and a M.A. in history from the University of Toronto, where he was also a Junior Fellow at Massey College.

Opening Remarks

Kristian A. Kennedy is Past President of the CIC Toronto Branch. A longtime CIC Executive Committee member, he participated in a work-study in Cuba with Oxfam Canada during Cuba's 'Special Period.' He holds a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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