This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in International Politics. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Bain, M & Mollinedo, LF 2016, 'Cuba: Trapped by history – Still?' International Politics, vol 53, no. 2, pp. 260-276., 10.1057/ip.2015.47 is available online at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1057%2Fip.2015.47