The White House is considering “kinetic power,” meaning military options, in Cuba, but the emphasis remains on diplomacy.
Donald Trump / © Associated Press
The politically influential Cuban-American community in Florida is pressuring President Donald Trump to completely remove the communist leadership of Cuba. The White House is not ruling out military intervention.
This is reported by Politico.
The Trump administration has previously imposed an energy blockade on Cuba and increased sanctions pressure on the island, including through an executive order released on Friday, while simultaneously engaging in negotiations with the regime. However, Trump and other administration officials have emphasized that some agreement on economic reforms might satisfy them for now.
The economic changes that the US is insisting on in Cuba include the privatization of state-owned enterprises, allowing for increased foreign investment, granting Cuban citizens better access to the Internet, and commitments from Cubans to purchase energy supplies from the US, according to a person familiar with the Trump team’s thinking.
However, such half-measures from the US may not satisfy the politically active Cuban community.
Republican State Senator Ileana Garcia warned that if the US does not take military action, intervene in another way, and does not have a plan for “regime change” in Cuba, then Trump’s future presidential library, planned to be built in downtown Miami, will be perceived as a “blight” next to the Freedom Tower, which was once a processing center for Cuban refugees.
The senator warned that inaction on Cuba will “definitely” affect how people vote in South Florida, “especially after years of rhetoric and promises” to remove the communist regime.
Cuban Americans are a politically influential force in this state and among Trump’s most loyal supporters. Their enthusiasm is a key reason why Republicans have gained a foothold in South Florida.
A person familiar with the Trump administration’s thinking told the publication that the White House is considering “kinetic power,” meaning military options, in Cuba, but the emphasis remains on diplomacy and persuading the regime to make various changes, especially in the economic sphere.
What is the situation in Cuba
Cuba is facing deepening struggles as the US has stopped oil supplies from Venezuela and threatened to impose sanctions on other countries trying to supply oil (although at the end of March, it allowed a Russian tanker to deliver crude oil).
The island has been affected by power outages that have disrupted transportation, healthcare, water supply, and food delivery.
“It feels like sooner or later the valve will burst,” said a US official familiar with the conditions in Cuba, who was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
Recall that President Donald Trump recently stated that the United States could immediately take control of Cuba because the island is “in trouble.” At the same time, the US president linked possible further US steps to the war against Iran. According to him, Washington needs to “finish one thing” first, after which it can move on to the Cuban direction.
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