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Helen Yaffe

Helen Yaffe

LSE Fellow, Economic History, London School of Economics and Political Science

My training, research and university teaching have given me multidisciplinary expertise across the fields of economic history, political economy, Latin American studies, and human geography. My research interests include:

The ‘economic performativity’ of Latin American integration and ideas and institutions that have emerged to promote regionalism, past and present
The historical contexts in which economic ideas develop and are turned into policy
Cuban economic history
The political economy of socialist transition (debates) past and present
The Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, trade and cooperation treaty

I am currently leading (with Dr Nick Kitchen) on a project set up between two LSE research centres - the Latin America and Caribbean Centre and the United States Centre – to examine the resilience of Cuba’s economic and political structures to the domestic reform process and rapprochement with the United States. The project has been awarded seed funding from the Institute of Global Affairs (IGA)-Rockefeller fund at LSE to enable me to carry out research in Cuba from December 2016 to January 2017. In 2013 I spent time in Venezuela, advising a government ministry (Ministerio de Poder Popular para las Comunas y los Movimientos Sociales) on a new economic management system they were developing and gave a series of lectures and presentations about my work on Cuban & Latin American political economy.

Global Geopolitics Series

Cuba is poor, but who is to blame – Castro or 50 years of US blockade?

Dec 04, 2016 02:40 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Alongside his depiction as a brutal dictator, negative reflections on Fidel Castro since his death on November 25 have focused on his mismanagement of the Cuban economy and the consequent extremes of poverty suffered by...

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Economy

BCA Research Warns Iran and Ukraine Ceasefires May Offer Limited Relief for Global Markets

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Rising Airfares May Challenge Cruise Industry Growth Ahead of 2027 Booking Season

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Brazil Extends Fuel Subsidies and Tax Relief Measures Through July 2026 Amid Global Oil Market Volatility

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Kevin Warsh Faces Early Fed Test as Inflation Risks Challenge Rate-Cut Expectations

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US Launches New Trade Investigation Into Vietnam Over Intellectual Property Concerns

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Politics

Trump to Launch America 250 Celebration Amid Concert Cancellations

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US Plans Faster Military Drawdown in Europe, NATO Allies Face Greater Defense Role

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US to Accelerate Troop Withdrawal from Europe, NATO Allies to Review Plans Next Month

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Trump Adviser’s Investment in Thrive Capital Draws Scrutiny Over Federal Contracts

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US Southern Command Chief Holds Rare Military Meeting With Cuban Officials at Guantanamo Bay

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Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

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SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

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Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

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China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

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NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

Technology

Nvidia and Microsoft to Launch AI-Powered Windows PCs at Computex 2026

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SoftBank to Invest €75 Billion in France AI Data Center Expansion by 2031

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Kentucky School District Secures $27 Million in Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Settlements

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MongoDB Q1 FY2027 Earnings Beat Expectations, Raises Full-Year Outlook

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SpaceX IPO Could Become Largest in History with $1.8 Trillion Valuation Target

Elon Musks SpaceX is reportedly moving forward with plans for a historic initial public offering (IPO), targeting a valuation of at least $1.8 trillion. According to a Bloomberg News report citing sources familiar with the...
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