Tricontinentalism: North Korea in Havana & Georgetown with Moe Taylor

Cosmopod

Rudy talks with Moe Taylor, author of North Korea, Tricontinentalism, and the Latin American Revolution, 1959–1970 to explore the overlooked role of North Korea in the revolutionary internationalist movement of the 1960s, particularly its influence on Latin America and the Global South. We highlight how the DPRK, alongside Cuba and Vietnam, contributed to Tricontinentalism -a movement distinct from Soviet and Chinese approaches to internationalism. The conversation delves into North Korea’s attraction to Cuba, its navigation of the Sino-Soviet split, and its support for Latin American revolutionary movements. The discussion also examines Guyana’s unique position in the Cold War, from Cheddi Jagan’s ousting with U.S. backing to Forbes Burnham’s later embrace of “cooperative socialism,” influenced by North Korea’s emphasis on discipline and self-reliance. The episode concludes by analyzing why this period of North Korean influence waned, while still maintaining ties with Guyana and African nations into the 1980s.