Trump Admin Considering Tougher Sanctions in Cuba as Officials Claim 'Historic Opportunity' To Dismantle Castro Regime

[Judi Lynn]

The Trump administration is planning to ramp up sanctions on Cuba as part of a maximum-security pressure campaign to incite a regime-change, new report reveals.

Maria Villaroel Maria Villarroel / Published Apr 12 2025, 6:00 AM EDT

The Trump administration is planning to ramp up sanctions on Cuba as part of a maximum-pressure campaign to incite a regime-change on the island. The move could have severe consequences for Cuban residents.

In a Miami event last week, special envoy for Latin America, Mauricio Claver-Carone said the administration perceives a "historic opportunity in Cuba for political opening and political transition."

This is because the administration considers the regime in Havana to be at its weakest moment in decades. The island's economy has been in a downward spiral in recent years, and the country's ruler, Raul Castro, is 94.

"The Cuban government is probably at its weakest point that we've ever seen. People always say that, but this time it really is," Claver-Carone told Politico in February. "And the desire for change of the Cuban people is overwhelming. Even its leadership structure knows that change is inevitable."

According to a new report by the Miami Herald, the Trump administration is seeking to impose new sanctions inspired by the ones enacted on Venezuela during the president's first term in office. Officials have been discussing how to update the existing decades-old embargo against Cuba and close "loopholes" to avoid "the ups and downs, pressures and non pressures" that have hindered its success, Claver-Carone said.

More:
https://www.latintimes.com/trump-admin-considering-tougher-sanctions-cuba-officials-claim-historic-opportunity-dismantle-580397