U.S. officials are reportedly looking for a current or former Cuban government figure who could assume power and move Havana closer to Washington as the Trump administration intensifies economic pressure on the island.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Trump administration is exploring whether a current or former Cuban official could emerge as a successor to the country’s present leadership and steer Havana toward a political course more favorable to Washington, according to a New York Times report citing current and former U.S. officials.
The effort is part of a broader pressure campaign that has accelerated since President Donald Trump returned to office. Washington has tightened the decades-old U.S. embargo against Cuba, threatened tariffs on countries supplying the island with oil and signaled a willingness to force political change. Trump has said the United States will take Cuba “one way or another,” while administration officials have reportedly examined both ways of working with elements of the existing government and scenarios that could lead to its removal.
According to the unnamed officials cited by the Times, the White House has asked U.S. intelligence agencies to identify Cuban figures who might be willing and able to take control of the government under different political circumstances. Officials have reportedly looked for someone comparable to Delcy Rodriguez, who became Venezuela’s acting president after the United States captured President Nicolas Maduro in January.
U.S. intelligence assessments, however, have reportedly warned that the Cuban political system may be considerably more resistant to such a transition. People briefed on the assessments told the newspaper that intelligence agencies view Cuba as less comparable to Venezuela and more similar to Iran, where Washington has publicly sought regime change but has so far been unable to bring it about.
One complication is the continued political influence of former Cuban President Raul Castro. Although he no longer formally leads the country, U.S. officials described Castro as retaining “enormous” influence within Cuba’s political establishment. Officials told the Times that relatively few pragmatic Cuban figures would likely be willing to assume power if U.S. forces captured Castro or if Washington otherwise forced the current leadership from office.
Cuban officials have meanwhile been preparing for the possibility of a confrontation with the United States. Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said earlier this year that the country’s armed forces were readying themselves for a possible American invasion. He called it “naive” for Cuba not to prepare, “looking at what’s happening around the world.”
The administration’s approach appears designed in part to intensify economic pressure until worsening conditions create enough internal strain to produce a change in leadership. Cuba has been subject to a U.S. embargo since 1960 and has experienced severe economic problems in recent months, including daily electricity blackouts and acute fuel shortages.
The island’s energy crisis worsened after Venezuela, previously Cuba’s principal oil supplier, halted shipments under U.S. pressure shortly after Maduro was captured. The reduction in fuel availability has compounded existing shortages and placed additional pressure on transportation, power generation and other essential services.
United Nations officials warned earlier this year that U.S. sanctions had already contributed to severe shortages of essential medical supplies in Cuba. The latest fuel blockade was also reported to have doubled infant mortality on the island, adding to concerns about the humanitarian consequences of the economic restrictions.
Several countries have responded by increasing assistance to Havana. Russia, China, Mexico and other governments have supplied Cuba with humanitarian aid, while Moscow has pledged continued political, diplomatic and material support. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia remains in solidarity with the Cuban government and Cuban people as pressure from Washington increases.
Russia also delivered approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil to Cuba in late March, providing a significant injection of fuel as the island struggled with shortages.
The reported search for a potential successor inside or around Cuba’s existing political establishment suggests Washington is considering not only economic pressure but also what a transition of power could look like if the current government weakens. At the same time, U.S. intelligence assessments cited by the Times indicate that finding a Cuban official willing and capable of taking power — particularly under circumstances involving direct American intervention — may prove substantially more difficult than the administration’s experience in Venezuela.
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