Q&A with a Cuban expert on the island nation’s anti-gun laws

by Lee Williams 

Duels were once commonplace in Cuba.

Political opponents fought each other with pistols or swords up until the 1940s. University students and others who were politically active carried handguns for self-defense.

Back then, there was a different tradition about firearms, one expert says. 

“But from when Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, one of the first things he said in Havana was the rhetorical question: Guns for what? Who do we need guns to protect ourselves against? Guns were the first thing the regime took away. They started eliminating gun ownership throughout the country. The only people who could have guns were the government,” said Daniel I. Pedreira, PhD. 

Pedreira is a true Cuban expert who is currently teaching at the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs, part of the Department of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus in Miami, Florida. 

A bilingual Miami native, Pedreira has a PhD and a master’s degree in political science, and a graduate certificate in Latin American and Caribbean studies from Florida International University. He also holds a master’s degree in peace operations from George Mason University and a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of Miami. Pedreira curriculum vitae is massive. He has published books on Cuba, edited book chapters and published dozens of papers and other scholarly work.

He agreed to answer questions about guns on the small island nation, which is only 90 miles from the Florida Keys.

Question: Why does the Cuban government have such strong gun control? 

Pedreira: “Before, when gun ownership was legal, there was a lot of political violence in Cuba. It was a different time period. Duels were common. There was a lot of violence among groups and elements. Politically, the field had a violent streak which, by the way, Fidel comes from that tradition. Afterwards, the issue has become a lot of use of weapons against the population by security forces, with a population that has no ability to protect itself. In recent years, we’re seeing an increase in violence against women. Some are shot to death. The question there hasn’t been answered. Where do they get the guns? They’re all in the hands of the military.” 

Question: How likely will there be a regime change in Cuba? 

Pedreira: “I think there is – I do think there is a chance for regime change – an increase in opportunity. The current leadership is not respected. There’s not a Castro in power, although Raul is still there in the wings. Will it change when he’s gone? There was definitely an aura of Castro’s revolution, but that aura has gone by the wayside. The new generation doesn’t have that aura to protect itself from political opposition. Then there’s the energy situation, the economic situation, the food situation and the overall collapse of the Cuban system, which is maintaining itself through the use of force.” 

Question: Do the Cuban people want guns?

Pedreira: “I haven’t heard that being part of the discussion in terms of what they are demanding. Their demands are more basic: food and housing, better living conditions. I haven’t heard the call for a Second Amendment in Cuba, but that doesn’t mean that if they extend the discussion on freedom and liberty more, they won’t get to it.”

Question: Are there guns in Cuba – personal firearms that have not been registered? 

Pedreira: “Everything is possible. There could be guns never turned over back in the 1960s. That’s an entire possibility, but their numbers are unknown. There was recently a question about violence committed against two men. Where did those guns come from? There seems to be a number of firearms unaccounted for. Who has those is unknown.” 

Question: Is the Cuban government still trying to track down unregistered firearms? 

Pedreira: “I don’t think so. They pretty much got them all. They got them all early on.” 

Question: Will gun control remain if the government changes? 

Pedreira: “I don’t think they will have strict gun control. Now, maybe they won’t make it as lax as it was pre-1959. People can have guns under certain circumstances. That is part of the discussion, especially with so much U.S. influence. There are so many family members in the U.S. there would be interest in the Second Amendment. That might someday become part of the discussion among other freedoms.” 

Question: Do you consider gun ownership a human right? 

Pedreira: “I do in the sense that our founders thought it was a human right – our protection of ourselves, our families, if that’s the way to do it, sure. Basically, you have the perfect place for it in Cuba. The regime got rid of gun ownership, not giving an entire population a way to defend themselves. The best case for having the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms, is as a human right. Really, that’s what you’re supposed to do with the guns, protect our basic freedoms.” 

(Note: The Second Amendment Foundation recently published a related story: “Why Cuba has one of the lowest civilian gun ownership rates in the world.”) 

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