On the Brink: Long National Nightmare for Cuba Is Almost Over

Poverty. Hunger. Disease. Darkness. Misery. These have, for 67 years, been the defining characteristics of life in Cuba, a beautiful island nation 90 miles from American shores, brought to its knees by communism. Since Fidel Castro seized power on New Year's Day 1959, the country has been in a death spiral, propped up for years by Soviet communists, then by Venezuela’s discount oil courtesy of President Nicolás Maduro until his capture. But now, finally, the totalitarian regime that has enslaved the people of Cuba has weakened to the point that its demise appears imminent. This is the added benefit of President Donald Trump’s Operation Absolute Resolve in early January. It resulted in the capture and imprisonment of Maduro and the deaths of 32 Cuban secret police enforcers protecting the dictator-drug lord. So, with Cuba now cut off from cheap Venezuelan oil, it quickly became clear that the days of Communist rule would be numbered. And over the weekend, widespread protests broke out against the regime. What had long been unthinkable took place in Morón, a city of 70,000, where the Communist Party headquarters was set on fire. Nighttime darkness with blackouts that have reportedly affected 60% of the country empowered the bold arsonists. Meanwhile, many have taken to banging pots and pans at night — a protest tradition called “cacerolazo” — to express anger over the lack of food. And students at the University of Havana held a sit-in on March 16 after their classes were suspended due to energy restrictions. Considering that the three rulers of the country — Fidel and Raúl Castro and now Miguel Díaz-Canel — have never tolerated even minimal dissent, these protests and the government’s inability to shut them down signal that the end is nigh for the brutal oppressors. And you can bet the mortgage that President Trump, as is his wont, will not take his boot off their necks until the long-suffering people of Cuba, like those of Venezuela and Iran, have been provided with a pathway to freedom. The Long, Painful History of the United States and Cuba For as long as they have held power, the communists governing Cuba have been a nasty thorn in the side of the United States. The Bay of Pigs fiasco and the Cuban Missile Crisis under President John F. Kennedy threatened world peace and led to decades of tension between the two countries. The only temporary thaw came in 2014, when President Barack Obama restored diplomatic relations, reopened embassies, eased travel and trade restrictions, and removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. But in 2017, President Trump put an end to Obama’s normalization, announcing, “I am canceling the last administration’s completely one-sided deal with Cuba … The previous administration’s easing of restrictions on travel and trade does not help the Cuban people. They only enrich the Cuban regime.” <!--ADBLOCK:genz-ad:left-->The leadership in Havana has been on Trump’s hit list from the moment he descended that golden escalator, and now, 11 years later, the president says “something will happen with Cuba pretty quickly … Cuba's a failed nation. Cuba also wants to make a deal. And I think we will pretty soon, or either make a deal, or do whatever we have to do.” In another sign of his desperation and Trump’s near-total command of his fate, the Cuban president did something rarely seen over seven decades. He reached out to initiate negotiations with the American president. And after years of spouting vitriol against the United States, President Díaz-Canel made public remarks in recent days showing that, unlike the mullahs running Iran, he understands his country can no longer survive without help from the United States. "These talks have been aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the ​bilateral differences we have between the two nations," Díaz-Canel said in a strikingly dispassionate video aired on state ‌television. The End Is Nigh Make no mistake. The Cuban government is running on empty and can no longer survive unless it makes a deal with President Trump. This is not a hope but a reality. And as dealmaker-in-chief, the president will squeeze as much blood from the communist rock as possible. The golden goose will be a return to market capitalism and the repatriation of those among the estimated two million Cubans who have fled the country since the revolution and desire to return to their native land. Beyond the rebirth of freedom and happiness in the island paradise, the benefits of a free Cuba are numerous. A land that once prospered may prosper again with the well-documented entrepreneurial spirit and determination of Cubans unleashed after 67 years of darkness. Its newfound coziness by necessity with the United States will eliminate another base of operations for Iran, China, and Russia in the Western Hemisphere, just as with Venezuela. And unbeknownst to most Americans is that, in addition to its stunning coastal landscapes and its well-known sugar, cigar, and coffee industries, Cuba is rich in natural resources, including nickel, cobalt, chromium, and iron ore. It also produces petroleum and natural gas, though not nearly enough to operate the country. The historical consequences of liberating Cuba can hardly be overstated. As with Trump’s previous operations in Iran and Venezuela, generations to come will read and study about this turning point for Western civilization. The president says he will resolve the situation in Cuba once he completes Operation Epic Fury in Iran in the coming weeks. And whatever the plan, it will stand as the third leg of Trump’s trifecta designed to change the course of history.