Washington’s pressure on Havana is working. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel announced on Thursday that he wants to negotiate with the United States, so long as there are no preconditions for talks and he is treated as an equal. From what position of strength does the communist dictator think he’s operating?
Cuba looks ready to implode. The island suffers from food shortages, energy blackouts and looming economic collapse. President Donald Trump’s decision to remove Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro from power has cut off the Cubans from what has historically been their main source of oil. Having successfully pressured the Mexican government to also slash oil supplies, Trump has effectively created a blockade that has brought the regime to its knees.
With such extraordinary leverage, it would be unwise to settle for anything less than dramatic change on America’s terms: economic, personal and political freedom for all Cubans.
The oil shortage has exasperated structural problems that have plagued Cuba’s centrally planned economy for decades. The 67-year experiment with communism has been an abject failure, leading to immeasurable suffering. Díaz-Canel’s eight-year reign has pushed the people deeper into despair. In the last five years, at least a tenth of the population has fled.
During a news conference on Thursday, Díaz-Canel insisted that “Cubans do not hate the American people.” No one thinks they do. This week, the U.S. government announced an additional $6 million in humanitarian aid to be distributed to Cuban people, including basic goods such as rice, pasta and solar lamps to provide power during blackouts.
Meanwhile, Díaz-Canel warned that Cuba is “preparing ourselves in case we have to move to a state of war” with the United States. Good luck with that. If he wants to avoid the fate of Maduro, maybe it’s time to look into seeking asylum from Iran or Russia, two countries that have propped up his government for far too long.
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