January 1 marks the 59th year of the victory of the Cuban Revolution against the Batista dictatorship. With this victory, the Cuban people were able to chart a new course for the development of society, one that put the needs of the workers before the profit margins of U.S. corporations. Despite 59 years of U.S.-backed counterrevolutionary plots, Cuba has continued to completely reverse the oppression and economic impoverishment wrought by the Batista dictatorship. Cuba now leads the way in LGBTQ rights, women's rights, and is making great strides in medical technology, proving that a socialist society can undo in decades the oppressive social structures that capitalism took centuries to impose.

But the fight is not yet over. The presidencies of Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump alike have seen both overt attempts to penetrate Cuban society with international finance capital via the tourism industry, as well as subversive acts by U.S. regime change operatives to completely subvert Cuban democracy. Whether in the guise of economic "freedom" or ruthless blockade of badly needed resources, the U.S. continues to invest massive resources into overthrowing the Cuban government - resources that could have been spent to provide healthcare and education to its own population. Despite these threats, the Cuban experiment of radical democracy rooted in the community remains strong.

This week, we talk to Gloria La Riva, the 2016 presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, about the history of the Revolution and the state of Cuba today. Gloria La Riva just returned from her most recent trip to Cuba, where she observed Cuban society, visited several key locations including a major center for biotechnology research, and studied the state of economic production on the island. This episode will cover a diverse array of Cuba-related issues from a perspective never heard in corporate media.

After the show, this interview will be available on Soundcloud, iTunes, and Stitcher. Just go to your podcast app of choice and type in "People's Republic of Austin" to stay updated with our show. You can also follow host Brian Griffith at twitter.com/PeoplesRadioATX for political news and updates about the show!