Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated this week on “Meet the Press” that, after Venezuela, Cuba might be the Trump administration’s next target.
Cuba has a close long-term alliance with Russia. And – even amid a severe economic crisis – its regime is likely more resilient than Venezuela’s proved to be. Are those factors enough to discourage this White House from intervening in Cuba?
The current administration seems to think the United States is free to do what it likes in its sphere of influence, while Russia is free to do so in its (which includes Ukraine) and China in its (which includes Taiwan). So the administration may expect Russia to do nothing if the US government attempts regime change in Havana.
I wouldn’t count it out, especially if Rubio has any say, but Cuba may be safe because it doesn’t have oil or any other resources Trump wants to steal.
This.
Wait until the price of sugar goes up.
RFK is banning sugar.
Cuba would be a welfare liability. There might be some strategic or flag-waving benefit to controlling it after opposing the Castros for 66 years (or so). It might make some fairly influential Republican Cuban-Americans happy if they got their ancestral estates back, but not if they would be expected to employ or take care of any of the current population of those areas. To me, the balance sheet appears to say Not Likely.
Wouldn’t he be more likely to ban sugar substitutes first?
I exaggerate . . . but only a little,
That just gives TFG more pretext to invade Cuba. We’ll begin by murdering dangerous sugar-smugglers and TFG or RFK will tell us for each boat full of people we murder, 25,000 American lives are saved.
Cuba might not have much oil, but it has prime seafront property.
Cuba dared to defy us and has never been properly punished with mass slaughter and devastation. We’ll attack it sooner or later, the only question is when. Not out of any desire to profit, but just to slaughter them and drop bombs, then install a pet dictator to torment them for a few decades.
I suspect Greenland will be first though since it looks bigger on a map, which strokes Trump’s ego. Then either Cuba for anger or Panama for greed. Then it’s a tossup between Canada and Mexico.
He wants to reestablish, and then bankrupt, the Mob’s old casinos.
Well, when you have a business plan that works….
^ This and…
^ This.
Plus it is close at hand and DJT likely imagines it will help his popularity with the masses.
And imagine all the beautiful Trump Hotels he could build.
Hotels that require armored convoys to get guests to and from the heavily fortified airport.
The Fanjul family would like that. The U.S. doesn’t get any sugarcane from Cuba. If anything opening up that market would lower the price. The Fanjul’s control most production in the U.S. and would love to see the price go up.