The week was marked by an escalation of tensions between Cuba and the United States, with Donald Trump’s government criminally accusing former Cuban president Raúl Castro. On the same day the charges were announced, American forces confirmed the arrival of an aircraft carrier in the Caribbean, intensifying fears about possible military action in the region.
In an interview with Now CNNspecialist Felippe Ramos, PhD from the New School in New York, stated that the risk of one “is imminent”. According to him, the United States is actively calculating the appropriate moment to carry out an operation similar to the one that occurred in Venezuela.
For Felippe Ramos, the possible action in Cuba would have a predominantly political character.
The expert highlighted that Donald Trump seeks to demonstrate the continuity of American power, especially after what was considered an operational success in Venezuela, but which was soon followed by a prolonged and exhausting involvement in the conflict with Iran.
Differences between Cuba and Venezuela
Ramos pointed out that, in , Cuba does not offer immediate economic returns to the United States. “The gain in relation to Cuba would be much more of a political and symbolic gain than a gain in economic returns for the United States,” he explained.
According to him, while Venezuela had a more complex society, with an organized opposition and figures like Corina Machado, Cuba has a much more closed regime, controlled by the Communist Party, without a significant civil opposition or a solid transition plan.
“Once an operation of this type is carried out, the question would be what would happen next and what would the United States gain from it, beyond just a symbolic point of view”, asked Ramos.
Connection to the conflict in Iran
During the interview, the expert also established a direct relationship between this and any future action in Cuba. According to him, American military assets currently deployed to the Middle East would need to return to the Caribbean to enable an operation on the island.
“The longer it takes to resolve the conflict in Iran, the longer any action in Cuba is also postponed,” he said.
