A Comprehensive Study of the Development of Physics in Cuba from 1959

Abstract

The present paper aims to reconstruct the main stages of the above-mentioned process from the Cuban Revolution (1959) to the present time. A general premise is necessary on the documentary sources used and the method adopted in this research. The written documents available on the development of physics in Cuba related to the early two decades are quite scarce, so that the reconstruction presented here is based mainly on oral history research. Most of the information presented in this study is sourced from interviews with Cuban colleagues who played leading roles in the events described here. This approach obviously implies drawbacks since the information obtained relies on the personal memories and views of the interviewees, and in some cases uncertain or controversial aspects arise. Despite this drawback, every effort has been made to verify the information.