June 29 update: Venezuela earthquakes put a pause on any serious conversations between US, Cuba
The recent devastating earthquakes in Venezuela have put on pause any serious conversations between Washington, D.C. and Cuba. However, the question remains: how long can Cuba hold on as their economic situation worsens and social unrest increases each day?
The Cuban government is trying to find ways to implement the recently approved 176 reforms. But even Cuban economists inside the island agree that they might be too late to save Cuba from a total economic collapse.
June 24 update: US Supreme Court allows claim by Exxon Mobil against the government of Cuba to proceed
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a 6-to-3 decision that the claim by Exxon Mobil against the government of Cuba for confiscating their properties in the early 1960’s can proceed under the Helms-Burton law.
This clearly sets a precedent for the other 5,913 registered American companies to file legal procedures against the Cuban government.
June 22 update: Ramiro Valdes, one of the original Comandantes of the Cuban Revolution, dies
Ramiro Valdes, one of the original Comandantes of the Cuban Revolution, died in Cuba Sunday at the age of 94. He was the founder of the Ministry of the Interior, known for its repressive measures against the Cuban people. Valdes is credited for killing numerous Cubans who opposed the regime from the early days of the revolution. Most recently, he was responsible for training the security police in Venezuela.
June 19 update: Cuba approves 176 new economic measures
The National Assembly of the Cuban government approved 176 new economic measures Thursday to help jumpstart their moribund economy. Similar economic reforms were introduced when Raul Castro took over power from his brother, Fidel, but they failed because the government’s infrastructure could not implement them. Are these measures in time to save Cuba from a total economic disaster? Many economists even inside the island have come out and said that they are a bit too late.
On Thursday, the European Parliament approved a resolution sanctioning Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and the leaders of the Cuban economic military conglomerate, GAESA. Finally, it suspended the existing agreement between the EU and Cuba.
June 17 update: Can President Trump afford another conflict?
Now that the U.S. and Iran have reached an agreement to stop the war, can President Donald Trump politically afford another conflict? This time it will be with Cuba -- a nation that will offer little military resistance to the U.S., but can also be a political trap for Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s future run for the U.S. presidency.
June 11 update: Rubio announces sanctioning of CUPET:
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Thursday afternoon the sanctioning of Cuba’s oil and gas company, Union Cuba Petroleo (CUPET). This company had been confiscated from American owners at the start of the revolution.
This is a sign that Cuba’s government has not shown any willingness to negotiate with the U.S. This action further chokes the regime who is running out of options as the socio-economic problems get worse each day that passes.
June 10 update: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visits Guantanamo Bay for operational briefings
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba on Wednesday to receive updates and operational briefings on the base’s mission, according to the Pentagon.
According to Reuters, Hegseth flew into the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, marking the latest visit by a senior American official to the communist-led island as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to increase pressure on the Cuban government.
His trip comes less than two weeks after General Francis Donovan, the top U.S. military commander for Latin America, visited Guantanamo Bay and held discussions with a senior Cuban military official near the base’s perimeter.
Hegseth is the third high-ranking U.S. official to visit Cuba in recent months, highlighting Washington’s continued focus on the island amid ongoing tensions between the two countries.
June 8 update: What will be brought up during any future negotiations?
One of the issues that will certainly come up during any future negotiations between the U.S. and Cuba will be the 5,913 American companies, as well as Cuban-American properties, that were confiscated by the Cuban Revolution in the early 1960’s.
According to Mauricio Tamargo, former chairman of the Foreign Claims Office in the U.S. Department of Justice, the estimated values of these properties are in the billions.
June 3 update: Raúl Castro turns 95
Raúl Castro, the former president of Cuba, turns 95 years old Wednesday under the shadow of a criminal indictment from the U.S. and an uncertain future for Cuba with the legacy of his brother, Fidel Castro, on his shoulders.
June 1 update: Looking to the future: Should Cuban Americans invest in Cuba?
A few months ago, Cuba’s Vice Minister Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, who is the grand-nephew of Raúl Castro, invited Cuban Americans in exile to invest in Cuba.
In 2019, the Cuban government amended their constitution to allow foreign investment. However, they did not change their laws to protect the investments.
Therefore, the risks to invest in Cuba remain greater than the opportunities.
Dr. Andy S. Gomez is Local 10’s Cuba Analyst. Gomez is considered one of the leading scholars on Cuba. He worked in higher education for 32 years before retiring from the University of Miami in 2012.
