Operation Venezuela as an example: Trump is preparing a change of power in Cuba

The administration of President Donald Trump is actively searching for insiders in the Cuban government who can help influence the island’s authorities and conclude an agreement that will weaken the communist regime this year.

The Wall Street Journal sources familiar with the details report that the US assesses the economic situation in Cuba as critically unstable after losing Venezuelan support.

Although there is no concrete plan to remove the communist regime, Washington is looking to Venezuela and the operation to capture Maduro as a model for how to pressure the island’s government. Trump called on Cuba to make a deal on social media on January 11, noting that the US would no longer supply “no oil or money.”

U.S. officials are holding meetings with Cuban expatriates and civic groups in Miami and Washington, focusing on finding government officials willing to cooperate. The January 3 raid that killed 32 Cuban soldiers and presidential guards has proven the effectiveness of such actions and serves as an indirect warning to Havana.

The economic situation in Cuba, according to US intelligence, remains difficult: shortages of basic goods and medicine, power outages, and a heavy dependence on Venezuelan oil. If supplies from Venezuela are cut off, the country’s economy could grind to a halt within weeks.

In addition to oil pressure, the US is restricting the activities of Cuban medical missions abroad — one of the main sources of foreign exchange — by applying visa restrictions against officials involved in the programs.

Trump and his entourage believe that weakening the Cuban regime will be a key test of their security strategy in the region. The US agreement with Venezuela is seen as a successful example of the pressure that can be applied to Havana.

White House officials emphasize that Cuba’s leadership has made serious mistakes that have made the economy fragile and have contributed to the undermining of stability through its support for the Maduro regime. The State Department notes that the formation of a competent democratic government that will not allow the presence of military and intelligence structures of US opponents remains a strategic priority for the United States.

Recallthat the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by American forces could cause a domino effect in the Latin American region, in particular Cuba . However, the Kremlin did not expect such a daring US operation, as evidenced by the silence of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

As reported, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sharply criticized the Cuban government, calling it a “big problem.” At the same time, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel declared his readiness to send the army to Venezuela against the backdrop of American actions in the region.

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