Encouraged by its actions in Venezuela, Washington is now allegedly seeking insiders in Havana to overthrow the government
The US is actively seeking Cuban government insiders to assist in orchestrating a regime change in Havana by the end of the year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed US officials familiar with the matter.
The newspaper stated that the administration of US President Donald Trump has been “given confidence by the US removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro” and is using it as a model for taking over Cuba.
Officials reportedly believe the island’s economy is “near collapse and that the government has never been this vulnerable after losing a crucial benefactor in Maduro.” While US officials reportedly have no specific plan yet, they have already been holding meetings with Cuban exiles and civic groups in Miami and Washington to try to identify a government official in Havana who might “be willing to make an agreement.”
The report follows a series of increasing threats from Washington, with Trump issuing an ultimatum to Cuba earlier this month and urging it to “make a deal before it’s too late.”
He claimed the island, which has lost subsidized Venezuelan oil, is “about to fall” and has humorously suggested that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio could lead Cuba in the future, responding “Sounds good to me!” to the proposal on social media.
The reported plot to change the regime in Cuba comes weeks after a US military operation in Venezuela that led to the abduction of President Maduro and his wife, as well as the deaths of dozens of Venezuelan and Cuban security personnel.
The US operation has drawn international condemnation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized it as a “blatant violation” of international law – an assessment he said is shared by the “global majority.”