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By Daniel Orton
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Senator Lindsey Graham issued a warning to Cuba following the U.S. raid on Venezuela and capture of that country's president, Nicolás Maduro.
"You just wait for Cuba," the South Carolina Republican told reporters on board Air Force One Sunday, while accompanying President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. "Cuba is a communist dictatorship that's killed priests and nuns. They've preyed on their own people. Their days are numbered."
"Cuba is ready to fall," Trump said later to reporters, a statement that was met with an enthusiastic "yes" and a nod from Graham.
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Why It Matters
The latest comments from Graham—a GOP foreign-policy hawk—and Trump signal a major escalation in U.S. policy toward Cuba following the U.S.-led operation in Venezuela. With the capture of Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro, Washington's focus appears to be shifting to Cuba, a longtime adversary and ally of the ousted Caracas leader. Such statements mark a clear departure from previous approaches and highlight rising tensions that could reshape diplomatic and economic ties across the Western Hemisphere, affecting U.S. allies and adversaries alike.
What To Know
Graham's comments come after a weekend of seismic developments in Latin America. U.S. forces seized Maduro and his wife in a Saturday raid on a military base in Caracas, with Trump declaring that Washington would “run” Venezuela temporarily. Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified Sunday that America would not govern day-to-day beyond enforcing an existing oil quarantine. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump signaled ambitions to extend U.S. power further in the hemisphere, blasting Colombia’s Gustavo Petro as “a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States” and demanding “total access” from Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez or face consequences.
"Cuba's going down for the count," the president added, citing that the communist-led Caribbean island's economy is reliant on Venezuela and its oil.
Trump and Graham's warnings came on the heels of Rubio signaling that Havana could be next. Speaking to NBC News on Sunday, Rubio said he believed Cuba was “in a lot of trouble” and warned, “If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned.” He accused Cuban officials of propping up Maduro and revealed that Cuban bodyguards—not Venezuelan ones—were protecting the ousted leader and running internal intelligence operations. Rubio stopped short of outlining specific steps but made clear the administration is “not big fans of the Cuban regime,” reinforcing speculation that Washington’s campaign against authoritarian governments may soon target the island.
Trump’s second-term Cuba policy has moved sharply away from the Biden administration’s engagement measures, restoring a more hardline approach. The White House has maintained Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and rolled out new restrictions aimed at limiting U.S. transactions with Cuban state-linked entities. The measures also reimpose limits affecting certain forms of travel and business activity, signaling a renewed effort to increase economic and diplomatic pressure on Havana.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump said on Sunday: "Cuba looks like it's ready to fall. I don't know how they if they're going to hold out. But Cuba now has no income. They got all of their income from Venezuela, from the Venezuelan oil. They're not getting any of it. And Cuba literally is ready to fall. And you have a lot of great Cuban-Americans that are going to be very happy about that.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel****paid tribute to Maduro's Cuban bodyguards on Sunday in an X post: "Honor and glory to the brave Cuban combatants who fell confronting terrorists in imperial uniform, who kidnapped and illegally took out of their country the President of #Venezuela and his wife, whose lives our own helped to protect at the request of that sister nation."
What Happens Next
The escalation of U.S. rhetoric and measures suggests a period of heightened uncertainty for Cuba and its regional allies.
Update, 01/05/2025, 5:23 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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