EP 1 Vijay Prashad - U.S. Neocolonialism in Africa | African News Review Special

Historian Vijay Prashad, Executive Director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, joins African News Review for a special one-hour conversation tracing the arc from the Third World's founding "Quests" at Bandung to Washington's modern playbook of coups, sanctions, and lawfare.We talk about Prashad's two landmark books, The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World and Washington Bullets: A History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations, with a sustained focus on Africa and Cuba's decades of resistance to US destabilisation. Vijay Prashad discusses the mechanisms of regime change, imperialism, and the current geopolitical landscape, with insights into Africa, Cuba, and global resistance. This episode offers a deep understanding of how imperial powers manipulate political and economic systems to maintain dominance. Takeaways*The nine-step manual for regime change*US military and economic strategies in Africa*The role of Bretton Woods institutions in Africa's development*The impact of colonialism and neocolonialism on African economies*The geopolitical significance of Western Sahara and Morocco*The resistance of Cuba against US sanctions*The rise of BRICS and challenges to Western hegemony*The importance of community, solidarity, and hope in resistance movementsChapters00:00 Introduction and guest overview02:18 Vijay Prashad on why he writes and the importance of storytelling04:27 Reflections on Burkina Faso and the absence of images of Ibrahim Taro06:55 The steps of regime change and US strategies08:44 US military bases and control of Africa's resources12:21 Africa's internal rivalries and their impact on geopolitics15:28 The role of Bretton Woods institutions and economic strangulation21:02 Can Africans do economics? The need for indigenous economic models22:29 The importance of reading Sankara and decolonising knowledge26:43 Preparing the military for regime change and corruption tactics28:57 Making the economy scream and US economic warfare30:30 Mobilising unrest and public opinion for coups32:42 Denying involvement and the manual of assassination36:29 The challenge of global resistance and the decline of the West39:52 The future of Cuba and US sanctions44:33 Western Sahara, colonialism, and cultural narratives49:01 The symbolism of monarchy and the fight for sovereignty51:53 Hope, community, and solidarity in resistance movements55:54 The importance of community and global solidarity56:50 Conclusion and final thoughts from Vijay PrashadSend us Fan Mail Support the showAfrica is not a story of victims. It is a story of resistance, resilience and reclamation. That is the story we tell here — every single week.African News Review Subscribe. Share. Stay informed. Stay sovereign.