Trump applies Venezuela playbook to Cuba, but results may differ
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- The Trump administration's approach to Cuba mirrors its Venezuela strategy, involving oil embargoes, increased U.S. military presence, federal indictments, and threats of intervention, though experts caution the outcomes may differ significantly.
- Unlike Venezuela, where the U.S. facilitated the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and supported a successor, Cuba lacks an obvious replacement for its leadership, complicating potential regime change efforts.
- The U.S. has imposed oil embargoes aimed at crippling both countries' regimes but with differing targets: Venezuela's oil exports and Cuba's oil imports, risking destabilization and potential refugee crises from Cuba.
- Federal charges against Venezuelan leader Maduro justified his capture, while indicting former Cuban leader Raúl Castro is seen as symbolic and unlikely to disrupt Cuba's government operations.
- The U.S. military buildup near Venezuela was extensive and aggressive, whereas the current U.S. military presence in the Caribbean near Cuba is smaller and less threatening, reducing the likelihood of a similar intervention.