Cuba 'May Be Next' After Venezuela, Former Official Says
The Trump administration could soon turn its attention to the Cuban government after capturing Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, the former leader of Cuba’s major oil supplier, said Matthew Kroenig, a former U.S. defense and intelligence official.
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“I think Cuba may be next,” Kroenig said Jan. 12 during a webinar hosted by Foreign Policy.
Kroenig’s comments came about a week after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a press conference that he would be “concerned” if he were working for the Cuban government in Havana. President Donald Trump also has made veiled threats, saying Jan. 11 on social media that “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
Kroenig, who was also a former adviser to Rubio, said the Cuban government is facing “a lot of pressure” now that the U.S. is enforcing a blockade on shipments of Venezuelan oil. “That was one of their major economic lifelines,” he said of Cuba.
He added that he believes there's a “focus on bringing the Venezuela model to Havana.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. will eventually ease sanctions against Venezuela to allow American oil companies to reenter the country (see 2601090027); it’s unclear whether a similar intervention in Cuba also would also lead to sanctions relief.