Cuba's biggest threat to U.S. is collapse, says former Defense Secretary Robert Gates
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates identified the biggest risk Cuba poses to the U.S. as a potential collapse leading to a large migration crisis similar to the 1980 Mariel Boatlift, when about 125,000 Cubans fled to the U.S. amid economic turmoil.
- Gates acknowledged Cuba's involvement in regional security issues, such as supporting ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, but questioned whether Cuba presents an imminent threat to U.S. national security.
- President Trump has threatened military action against Cuba, while the Trump administration has imposed an oil blockade that has severely strained Cuba’s economy, pushing it to its worst state since the Soviet Union's collapse.
- Cuba’s energy minister recently stated that the country has run out of fuel, attributing the crisis largely to the U.S. blockade, which aims to pressure Cuba into economic and political reforms.