"Bacardi: The Hidden War"

The Bacardi rum company is one of the most successful and recognizable brands in the world. It spends millions on marketing itself as the spirit of youth and vitality. But behind its image as a party drink lies a very different story.In this book, investigative journalist Hernando Calvo Ospina brings to light the commercial and political activities of the Bacardi empire to reveal its role in fostering the 40-year long confrontation between the United States and the revolutionary government of Cuba. Through meticulous research, Calvo Ospina reveals how directors and shareholders of the family-owned firm have aggressively worked to undermine the Castro government.

He explores how they have been implicated in supporting paramilitary organizations that have carried out terrorists attacks, and reveals their links to the extreme right-wing Cuban-American Foundation that supported Ronald Regan’s Contra war in Nicaragua."Bacardi: The Hidden War" explains the company’s hand in promoting "special interest" legislation against its competitor, Havana Club Rum, which is manufactured in Cuba and promoted by the European company Pernod-Ricard. Calvo Ospina reveals the implications of Bacardi’s involvement in this growing dispute that threatens to create a trade war between America and Europe. Exploring the Bacardi empire’s links to the CIA, as well as its inside links with the Bush administration, this fascinating and readable account shows how multinational companies act for political as well as economic interests."Bacardi: The Hidden War" was first published in Spanish and has been translated into French, Dutch, German and Italian.

* Bacardi The Hidden (Preface by James Petras), Pluto Press, London 2002. (translated by Stephen Wilkinson and Alasdair Holden)