After Venezuela, it's time for Cuba. The US aims to change the regime by the end of the year

The administration of US President Donald Trump is actively working to change the regime in Cuba by the end of the year, the Wall Street Journal reported. As with Venezuela, the White House is looking for someone inside the regime with whom to strike a deal.

According to “WSJ”, after the overthrow of Nicolas Maduro, the main source of support for Cuba, the Trump administration considers the Cuban economy to be close to collapse. Although, according to the New York newspaper's sources in the administration, the White House does not have a specific plan to carry out a coup in Havana, it considers the Venezuelan scenario, i.e. concluding a deal with people inside the regime, as an example to follow.

Representatives of the Trump administration were to hold meetings with refugees from Cuba and civic organizations, during which they focused on identifying the person in the government apparatus in Havana who would agree to make a deal and bring about regime change.

Trump and his people have suggested several times that they expect the imminent fall of the communist authorities in Cuba. On January 11, the US president posted an entry on the Truth Social platform in which he called on Cuba to “reach an agreement before it's too late.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, confirmed when asked whether Cuba would be the next US target after Venezuela.

According to US intelligence assessments cited by “WSJ”, the Cuban economy is in a sorry state and is struggling with a chronic shortage of basic goods, including medicines, and frequent power outages. The Trump administration is increasing economic pressure, including: through sanctions on people involved in bringing Cuban doctors to other countries, which is one of the sources of “hard currency” for the regime.

“Cuba's rulers are incompetent Marxists“

Venezuela was a source of cheap oil for Cuba, and the Cuban military and intelligence services were deeply involved in the security of the regime of Hugo Chavez and his successor Nicolas Maduro. As a result of the American operation in Caracas, 32 Cubans protecting Maduro were killed.

Cuba's rulers are incompetent Marxists who have destroyed their country and suffered a major defeat against the Maduro regime they are responsible for maintaining, a White House official told the newspaper, repeating that Cuba should “make a deal before it's too late.”

In a statement, the U.S. Department of State said it was in America's national security interest that Cuba “be competently governed by a democratic government and refuse to host troops and intelligence services of U.S. adversaries.”

From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)

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