US Reportedly Seeks Insider Support for Regime Change in Cuba - WSJ

By Staff, Agencies

The United States is actively seeking contacts within the Cuban government to help engineer a change of leadership in Havana by the end of the year, according to a report citing US officials familiar with the matter.

The report says the administration of President Donald Trump has been encouraged by what it views as the successful removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and is treating that operation as a model for Cuba.

US officials reportedly believe Cuba’s economy is nearing collapse and that the government is at its weakest point in years, particularly after losing subsidized support from Venezuela.

While no finalized plan is said to be in place, US officials have reportedly held meetings with Cuban exile groups and civic organizations in Miami and Washington to identify a senior figure inside the Cuban government who might be willing to cooperate or “cut a deal.”

The reported efforts follow a series of public threats from Trump, who earlier this month urged Cuba to reach an agreement with Washington “before it is too late.”

He has claimed the country is “ready to fall” and has even joked publicly about US Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading Cuba in the future.

The report comes weeks after a US military operation in Venezuela that allegedly resulted in the kidnapping of President Maduro and his wife, along with the deaths of dozens of Venezuelan and Cuban security personnel.

That operation drew sharp international condemnation, with Russia describing it as a blatant violation of international law shared by what it called the “global majority.”