“Although removing Maduro seems to be one of the immediate goals of US policy, it may help realize another long-standing dream of Rubio: dealing a decisive blow to Cuba,” write the New York Times journalists.
Rubio, while still a local politician in Florida and then a senator from that state, was an advocate of a tough policy towards Cuba. He himself has Cuban roots (his parents come from there and left the island three years before Fidel Castro took over) and for many years he represented the interests of the Cuban minority in the USA. He also supported sanctions against the Castro brothers' regime and opposed the policy of Barack Obama, who in 2015 announced the unfreezing of diplomatic relations with Cuba. “I support everything that is unfavorable to the communist dictatorship,” the American daily recalls his words from 2019.
The article continues below the video
Who is the main architect of the pressure on Venezuela?
What are the goals of US policy towards Venezuela?
What do sources think about Marco Rubio's intentions?
What actions is the US taking against the Maduro regime?
Marco Rubio is behind the pressure on Venezuela. But the goal is Cuba
The New York Times' interlocutors claim that the current American pressure on the Maduro regime in Venezuela is just an element of a broader strategy that Rubio has been pushing for a long time. — It all comes down to Cuba — [robi] anything he can do to weaken the regime in Cuba, says one of the interlocutors, who was present at briefings with Rubio during Trump's first term.
According to the daily, the US Secretary of State remembers the failed opposition uprising against Nicolas Maduro in April 2019. At that time, the Cuban authorities were supposed to help Maduro retain power. Rubio accused the Cubans of carrying out a “coup d'état” aimed at saving the power of Maduro, whom Americans do not recognize as a legally elected leader.
This experience – according to “NYT” – was intended to further strengthen Rubio's belief that political change should also be made in Cuba. -Them [administracji Trumpa] The theory of change assumes cutting off all support for Cuba, says Juan S. Gonzalez, advisor for the Western Hemisphere in the Biden administration, in an interview with the daily.
US pressure on Venezuela is growing
The US accuses Maduro of running a drug cartel and for several months has been attacking boats which – according to the services – are transporting drugs to the US. However, oil revenues are much more important for Maduro, his entourage and the country itself. Oil sales account for over 90 percent. Venezuela's export revenues. That is why the Americans seized a Venezuelan tanker last week and announce further actions.
Donald Trump, in turn, said in a recent interview for the Politico website that Maduro's days as the leader of Venezuela “are numbered”, but did not reveal his goal and strategy towards this country. At the same time, he refused to rule out a land invasion of Venezuela and suggested that he might also use force against Mexico and Colombia.
