US and Cuban flags fly in front of the US Embassy in Havana, Cuba. Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa.
US leaders are taking the military option regarding Cuba more seriously than ever before, as attempts to provoke “regime change” in Cuba through harsh economic sanctions and an energy blockade are failing, US media reports indicate.
“The initial idea regarding Cuba was that the leadership was weak and that the combination of a stricter enforcement of sanctions—effectively an oil blockade—and the clear military victories of the United States in Venezuela and Iran would frighten the Cuban population, leading them to negotiate. But the situation in Iran has become complicated and the Cubans are proving to be much more resilient than previously thought,” a source close to the Trump administration told the press, emphasizing that the environment has undoubtedly changed.
Therefore, the issue of military action “is on the table today like never before,” US media reports note.
The US administration is studying different scenarios that go far beyond specific operations to capture individual targets. According to the reports, the possible options for the Pentagon range from a limited airstrike aimed at pressuring the Cuban authorities to a large-scale ground intervention with the goal of bringing about a total regime change on the island.
The United States Southern Command has initiated an operational planning cycle in recent weeks, effectively preparing possible scenarios for the invasion of Cuba.
CIA director John Ratcliffe visited Havana on May 14, heading a US delegation, and held meetings with representatives of the Cuban Ministry of the Interior. On May 16, The New York Times reported, citing US officials, that Washington is even considering the capture of former Cuban President Raúl Castro in a “Venezuelan scenario.”
On January 29, Trump signed an executive order imposing tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba. In addition, he declared a state of emergency, alleging a supposed threat to national security from Havana.
The Cuban government, in turn, condemned the US energy blockade, highlighting that its objective is to suffocate Cuba’s economy and make the living conditions of its population unbearable.
(Sputnik)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SH
