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Emboldened by the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the administration of United States President Donald Trump is looking for Cuban government insiders who might help negotiate an end to Communist rule in the country before the end of the year, The Wall Street Journal reported on January 22.
The Journal said that U.S. officials believe that the Cuban economy is nearing collapse and that the government there is more vulnerable after losing critical support from Venezuela.
The officials do not yet have a detailed plan on how to take down the government in Cuba, but they see capture of Maduro and the concessions that followed as both a model and a warning for Havana, according to the report.
The U.S. operation to capture Maduro was reportedly aided by an insider. At least 32 Cuban soldiers and security personnel who were guarding the Venezuelan President were killed in the operation.
While the U.S. has not openly threatened military action against Cuba, officials from the Trump administration said that the Venezuela raid was meant to signal the potential consequences of defiance.
“I strongly suggest they make a deal. Before it’s too late,” US President Donald Trump said in a January 11 social post, adding that “no more oil or money” would be going to Cuba.
U.S. officials met with Cuban exile groups in Miami and Washington to identify individuals inside the Cuban government who may be willing to negotiate, according to the Journal.
The report revealed that U.S. intelligence assessments describe Cuba’s economy as dire, with shortages of goods, medicine, and electricity. It also revealed that the Trump administration plans to further weaken the government by cutting off Venezuelan oil supplies and targeting Cuba’s overseas medical missions, the country’s main source of foreign currency.
“Cuba’s rulers are incompetent Marxists who have destroyed their country, and they have had a major setback with the Maduro regime that they are responsible for propping up,” a White House official told WSJ, reiterating that Cuba should “make a deal before it’s too late.”
Trump favors applying pressure while leaving room for negotiation rather than pursuing a regime-change strategy, but many in his administration expect the fall of Communist rule, even as they warn of possible instability, according to the report.
“There is no surrender or capitulation possible nor any kind of understanding based on coercion or intimidation,” Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on January 19 at a memorial honoring Cuban personnel killed in Venezuela.
The U.S. pressure is already having an effect. On January 23, Reuters reported that the Mexican government is reviewing whether to keep sending oil to Cuba amid growing fears within President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration that the country could face reprisals from the Trump administration over the policy.
Publicly, Sheinbaum has stated that Mexico will continue oil shipments to Cuba, saying they are based on long-term contracts and considered international aid.
However, senior Mexican government sources said that the policy is under internal review as anxiety grows within Sheinbaum’s cabinet that the shipments could antagonize Trump.
The Mexican presidency, from its side, told Reuters that the country “has always been in solidarity with the people of Cuba” and added that shipping oil to Cuba and a separate agreement to pay for the services of Cuban doctors “are sovereign decisions.”
Earlier this month, Trump ratcheted up pressure on Mexico, saying the country is run by the cartels and that ground attacks against them could be imminent.
“There is a growing fear that the United States could take unilateral action on our territory,” one of the Mexican government sources told Reuters.
A separate Reuters report from the same day revealed that the the Trump Administration is considering imposing a total blockade on oil imports to Cuba.
Trump is not likely planning to take any military action against Mexico, as this risks sparking a low intensity insurgency right on the borders of the U.S. He is likely using the threat of such action in order to pressure the country into cutting oil supplies to Cuba.
Even with Havana, the Trump administration will likely favor a mix of pressure and negotiations only, at least for the time being.
The Cuban government has survived decades of American pressure. Nevertheless, the proximity of the country to mainland U.S. leaves it in a very vulnerable position. Trump could order military action against Havana on a short notice, and unlike with Venezuela there would be way less signs ahead of the attack. This does not mean, however, that success is guaranteed.
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can’t blame trump, there is no real opposition so why not solve some long standing problems when you got the chance.
putin could have did the same in the ukraine in 2014 but he can’t do anything quickly or effectively
it should be noted that the reform only affected the structure of the ground forces. the international legion of the main intelligence directorate of ukraine operates separately and continues to function as usual.
.………………… https://psee.io/8jqu9r
the headline should read: emboldened by the lack of opposition trump does whatever he wants.
its not all russians fault, where are the chinese. venezuela and iran are just as involved with china as russia, where is the chinese ‘allies’? they so shy.
another blockade & illegal war by trump, another regime change. if russia were to keep up attacks like last night long enough. eventually ukrainias will overthrow zelenskyy & the kiev regime, russia could go all the way to odessa.
i think russia taking odessa will insure any lasting peace as it would give russia leverage if ukraine & nato think about starting a new war in the future
blowing up the bridges across would end the war and establish a defendable border.
the eternally decieved one doesn’t want a military victory, he wants to talk and make deals with his male friend partners…
get off the grass pablow.
no one can stop usa…heheheheh
usa’s gangster zionist regime trying to bring down cuba was on their to do list for decades, now it seems they are in a hurry to get their to do list done.