In the days following the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, President Trump reiterated his prediction that the communist regime in Cuba, in power since 1959, would “fall pretty soon.” He also took full credit for the regime’s impending downfall while praising his January 3 operation in Venezuela and promising a quick victory in Iran.
Washington’s true goals in Cuba remain unclear. However, the administration’s increasing infatuation with regime change could spark a serious regional crisis.
Trump has recognized that “bad things [could] happen” if Washington moves too quickly against Cuba, and he has so far avoided military options, while suggesting leveraging Cuba’s economic struggles to pursue a “friendly takeover.” Similarly, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is handling the talks, said Washington did not expect Havana “to change all at once.” Rumors of an economic deal have intensified.
Yet Washington’s interventions in Venezuela and Iran have emboldened many Cuban Americans and exiled Cubans to call for an attack designed to topple the regime in Havana. Some even obtained weapons for a “counter-revolution” and carried out a raid on the Cuban Coast Guard, reportedly for “infiltration” purposes.
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