Brian Winter on CNN International about U.S. Strategy Toward Cuba
Brian Winter on CNN International about U.S. Strategy Toward Cuba
"The Trump administration seems to have its sights set on some kind of transition there," said the AS/COA vice president to the network.
Brian Winter, editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly and vice president of policy at Americas Society/Council of the Americas, spoke with Zain Asher of CNN International about the current state of U.S.-Cuba relations, in the context of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s attendance at the 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government in St. Kitts.
Winter started the interview by noting that while people might be surprised to see Secretary of State Rubio at a Caribbean summit amid global tensions, the move signals that Cuba is a top priority for the administration. Following the recent U.S. military action to capture Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, Winter suggested that a sense of urgency now surrounds Havana.
"The Trump administration seems to have its sights set on some kind of transition there, whether it's a formal regime change or an arrangement similar to the one in Venezuela," said Winter. "We'll see whether the Cuban government is willing to negotiate some kind of opening, whether it be a change in economic policies or perhaps a longer-term path to democracy or at least a more representative government."
Winter also explained that a second major driver for Rubio’s visit was to influence Caribbean nations' ties with China, as the Asian country's economic influence in the Western Hemisphere increases. "The red line that the Trump administration is trying to draw is Chinese investment in strategic assets, such as ports, that the Trump administration believes could be damaging to the national security of the United States," he said.
Finally, the expert also touched on the role of other Latin American countries in U.S.-Cuba relations, especially Mexico. Winter highlighted that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum seems to have made a decision by "ceasing oil shipments to Cuba" given that "no other country is as vulnerable to U.S. pressure as Mexico is because it sends more than 80 percent of its exports north to the United States."
