The Trump administration is actively seeking regime change in Cuba and hopes to cut a deal to end communist rule on the island by the end of the year, according to a report.
To facilitate the political transition, the Trump administration is searching for Cuban government insiders who could help the US push the existing communist leaders out of power, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
A “concrete plan” for doing away with the communist government that has ruled Cuba for nearly 70 years has not yet been developed, according to the outlet, but the government’s grip on the island has never been more fragile.
In the wake of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro’s ouster, Cuba’s economy is on the brink of collapse, US officials told the outlet.
US intelligence assessments indicate the island is facing chronic shortages of basic goods and medicines and is suffering from frequent blackouts.
Cuba depended on Maduro for oil, and the island could run out of fuel within weeks.
The Trump administration aims to prevent any more Venezuelan oil from flowing to Cuba to weaken the regime further.
Maduro’s capture by US forces and the subsequent success the Trump administration has had in getting concessions from the Venezuelan government is being viewed as a blueprint for Cuba, US officials said.
The Jan. 3 military operation to arrest Maduro required help from an asset within the Venezuelan dictator’s inner circle.
To identify a similar potential asset in Cuba, the Trump administration has been meeting with Cuban exiles and civic groups in Miami and Washington, US officials told the Journal.
The Trump administration could ratchet up the pressure on Cuba while simultaneously negotiating “an off-ramp” for the country’s leaders, namely 94-year-old Raúl Castro – the brother of deceased longtime dictator Fidel Castro – and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel.
President Trump warned Cuba earlier this year that it’s time to “make a deal.”
“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!” Trump wrote in a Jan. 11 Truth Social post.
“I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” he added.
The White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
