Scott Bessent, the United States Secretary of the Treasury, forecasted a “slow-motion” shift in governance in Cuba during an interview on Fox Business this Thursday. He stated, “With Maduro gone, it appears there could be a gradual regime change in Cuba. There might indeed be a slow-motion regime change there.”
On Wednesday, both the White House and Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed a New York Times article suggesting the Trump administration is aiming to oust Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel without seeking an actual regime change as part of its discussions with Havana.
Rubio criticized the report on social media, saying, “The reason so many U.S. media outlets keep putting out misinformation like this is that they continue to depend on frauds and deceivers who claim to be well-informed.”
“At some point, the situation with Russia and Ukraine will be resolved. I think gas and energy prices will be lower than they have been in a long time”
In the interview, Bessent also discussed Iran, labeling it a “terrible sponsor of global terrorism,” and stated that its military capability is “weakened” and that Tehran has diminished its ability to “project power” both regionally and globally.
On the conflict in Eastern Europe, he expressed hope for a resolution in the near future: “At some point, the situation involving Russia and Ukraine will come to an end. I believe that gas and energy prices will decrease to levels not seen in a long time.”
Cuba has been grappling with a severe economic and social crisis for six years, a situation exacerbated since January by the loss of its principal benefactor, Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro, alongside the oil blockade imposed by the U.S. government.